Commercial Architecture June 2017 - 23

PROJECT

hvac

systems. With a click of the mouse, brewery staff uses the system to complete a building
check, make overrides, change screens from one floor plan to another, and interface with
specific pieces of equipment. They can also choose to look at data logs and trends to
monitor system performance over time.
To accommodate the expansive floor plan, a Trane Air-Fi wireless system was used to
connect the system controllers, unit controllers, air handlers, VAV boxes, fan coils, and
zone sensors, eliminating the time and expense of running conduit wire, and preserving
building aesthetics.
Working together, VHV and Trane delivered a complete design/build equipment and
controls solution for The Alchemist Brewery's Stowe facility, meeting the owners' specific
humidity, comfort, and efficiency requirements.
"Working with VHV and Trane enabled us to do this project in a way that suited our
needs and timelines," said Kimmich. "The result is a new facility that lives up to our
standards; the high standards that have gotten us to where we are today." With the facility's environment taken care of, Kimmich and his team can get back to what they're best
at-"turning matter into gold, that's what we do." CA

Want more information? To download the information listed below, visit
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1706trane.

An Air-Fi wireless system connects the system controllers, unit controllers, air handlers, VAV boxes, fan coils,
and zone sensors, eliminating the time and expense of running conduit wire, and preserving building aesthetics.

Circle 6 on the Reader Service Card.

Download a brochure on air handlers.

Watch a video.

Download information on Trane Air-Fi.

building footprint, the chiller was installed outside to allow more useable interior space
for the brewery equipment and operation. Staying cognizant of the owner's environmental concerns, a free-cooling unit was also installed, allowing the scroll chiller to remain
idle when low outdoor temperatures enable the free cooler to take on the full load. This
greatly reduces energy use and helps meet sustainability requirements.
Twenty-four feet above the production floor, the VHV team installed a Trane Performance Climate Changer air handler with a CDQ (Cool, Dry, Quiet) wheel to handle
dehumidification and space cooling demands. Rather than lifting the entire air handler
to put it in place, the modular unit was raised to the platform in eight sections where it
was assembled.
After cooling and initial moisture removal in the cooling coil, supply air flows through
the CDQ desiccant wheel, which attracts and holds water vapor from the saturated air.
The wheel rotates slowly into the upper air path where moisture is released into the lower
relative-humidity airstream. The moisture is then removed through the cooling coil, and
the process repeats.
With the wheel in series with the airflow, the CDQ system improves the dehumidification capacity of standard cooling equipment from 20% to 300%, allowing a 5- to
15-deg.-lower dew point. The CDQ system limits the amount of outdoor air required,
eliminating the need for expensive charcoal filters to control odors. The system easily
helps to resolve The Alchemist's humidity concerns, while keeping costs low.
CONTROLLING SYSTEM OPERATIONS

To enable the desired sequencing and effective equipment interface, a Trane Tracer SC
building-automation system (BAS) was installed to maintain space conditions. With the
web-based Tracer SC, facility staff at the brewery can access systems remotely from their
smartphone or tablet to ensure temperature and humidity levels are as desired, check
airflow rates, adjust setpoints, troubleshoot issues, or conduct daily tasks.
"It is really cool to be able to monitor the building and turn things down at night,"
said Kimmich. "We don't have to worry that things run and run and run just because we
forgot to go in that room and check it that night. You can log in to your computer and
see everything you need to, and make adjustments right there."
Custom graphics on the Tracer SC provide a pictorial representation of the building
CIRCLE 209

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture June 2017