Building Management Hawaii April/May 2014 - (Page 48)

Waikiki's Oldest Hotel Keeps It Cool After installing a new cooling tower system in 2009, the Moana assesses the value of the switchout. By Stacy Pope B cooling tower provider, Air Treatment Corporation, recount the experience for us below. Hashim also looks back from a five-year vantage point to assess the positives of the system upgrade-and, despite the challenges of the installation, clearly indicates that it was worth the effort. To understand why the Moana has a cooling tower, we asked Thomas to outline the function of these units. "Cooling towers are used to reject building heat through evaporation of water over the fill media and air," he explains. "They consist of a fan, evaporative plastic fill media and a cold-water basin. Using water or evaporation to reject heat is more efficient than an air-cooled system. Compressors run at a lower pressure on a water-cooled system and lower energy use and cost. However, there is more maintenance," he notes, "due to potential for equipment fouling from cooling tower water with scaling, debris and growth of bacteria." As the Moana researched its options for energy savings upgrades, Hashim tells us that they engaged a mechanical consultant to look at the existing cooling system and optimized it to include a brand new chiller and cooling tower. "We had them look at the latest energy efficient products on the market, as we knew that most of a hotel's energy usage is tied into cooling-so any reduction in energy usage would Courtesy the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa CoolIng towers uilt in 1901, the beachfront Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, is Waikiki's oldest standing hotel. It includes three structures: the historic wing and two modern towers, with a total of 791 guestrooms. In early 2009, the hotel upgraded aspects of its cooling system, including replacing its wooden cooling tower, which was then more than two decades old and in poor condition, in an effort to achieve higher performance. The process of installing the cooling tower was more complex than most buildings in Hawaii would ever face. Harzali Hashim, the Moana's director of engineering and sustainability, as well as Tim Thomas, vice president of the hotel's local Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa 48 April-May 2014 BMH www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com http://www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Management Hawaii April/May 2014

Editor’s Note By Stacy Pope
Hawaiiana Hits The Big Five-0
CONCRETE Restoration and Repairs: Maintaining A Strong Foundation
Concrete Spalls, Cracks And Leaks
Should You Repair Or Replace?
Restoring Exposed Aggregate Surfaces
Preserving A Historic Treasure
ELEVATOR Modernization: Are You Losing Energy?
Greening Your Elevators
Upgrading On A Budget
INSURANCE: Locking Down The Leaks
Navigating Property Insurance
COOLING TOWERS: HVAC Chemical Feed Pumps
Waikiki’s Oldest Hotel Keeps It Cool
Industry News or Movers & Shakers
On Site: Self-Management 101

Building Management Hawaii April/May 2014