Providing engineering and environmental solutions since 1957

Expanding Braun Intertec for the Future Our record business growth in 2011 and an expanding staff created an opportunity Jon Carlson, CEO, and the Strategic Management Team (SMT) to make a big decision - lease additional office space offsite to accommodate all the new employees or build out existing warehouse space at our current location in Bloomington. The SMT had many considerations including workflow processes, staff integration and collaboration between departments, energy costs, and sustainability. To optimize on all accounts, a sub-set of the SMT was selected to focus on long-term solutions for the 2012 expansion. For starters, the space layout and location were given significant importance for enhancing workflow and communication. With this focus, the SMT decided to forego leasing offsite space in order to keep Bloomington staff in one location and encourage collaboration. The goal then became how to cost-effectively and sustainably convert the building’s 8,000 plus square-foot warehouse area into useable office space. Understanding the magnitude of the project, the SMT created an expansion team working under the Facilities umbrella and appointed staff to serve as liaisons between the technical practice groups and the construction contractors and material providers. Recognizing valuable resources in-house, we turned too many of our technical practice groups to get the job done. Beginning at the foundation, we enlisted the services of our geotechnical engineers to perform hand borings to document the condition of the fill soils. This valuable documentation would be used to make sure that the existing foundation could support the new design. Our Environmental Consulting Group provided consultation on the implementation of a stormwater management

plan. We used the design expertise of our Building Sciences Group architects and engineers to provide the architectural and structural design for the new space and to work on the initial mechanical design. Throughout the construction phases, these consultants also provided the construction drawings, project management and construction observations with the general contractor and subcontractors.

The architectural design presented some challenges. As an employee-owned company, we wanted the space to be comfortable yet cost-effectively designed without sacrificing functionality or the capability to modify capacity to accommodate future staff. In order to maximize on space, our architects and

The former warehouse space was cleaned out and redesigned for the office expansion in Bloomington. Construction starts on the expansion as contractors make way for the new window installation (below).

Providing engineering and environmental solutions since 1957

structural engineers worked together to design a mezzanine level within the space that provides additional work area. Engineers then performed load calculations, sized the steel for the project and provided construction drawings to the contractor.

Once construction was started, we called upon the Construction Materials Testing Group to provide the testing on the concrete and steel used for the construction of the foundation and walls. Nondestructive examination provided the inspection of the welds and bolted connections. Members from our facilities group worked closely with outside consultants and contractors to help pull all of the pieces together, including seating logistics, interior finishes and furniture, and overall project coordination. Another component of the expansion project was the addition of a photovoltaic system to provide an additional energy source that would help offset the increased utility costs associated with the repurposed space. The coordination of these solar initiatives began by applying for rebates and federal grants to help fund the project. We also worked closely with Xcel Energy to get an energy audit on the building, which would be used to help secure energy rebates. At this time we’ve received Xcel’s Solar Rewards solar rebate and as an added bonus,

we received a “Made-in-Minnesota” rebate for working with a local supplier of solar systems.

To evaluate the installation feasibility of 216 rooftop panels, our structural engineers performed load calculations on the roof’s bearing capacity. Once the load was verified to support the panels, our structural engineers worked with a Bloomington-based, solar panel company to oversee the installation and operation. We are currently monitoring the solar panels to track the energy production. To date, the panels have produced 17.12 MWh or 17,210 kWh. It’s estimated that the output will eventually generate 50,350 kWh per year, providing about 2.5% of the electricity needed and saving an estimated $5,700 annually.

Fun fact: According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), in Minnesota the average home uses 813 kWh per month. Since installation, the solar panels have generated enough electricity to power one home for 21 months or 21 homes for one month. Using the price also from the EIA, this is equal to an estimated $1,886.

Solar panels installed on the rooftop are being monitored to track energy production. They will provide an estimated 2.5 percent of the electricity needed to operate the building.

The mezzanine is home to the Building Sciences and some of the IS department.

Providing engineering and environmental solutions since 1957

With energy costs in mind, a big concern during the expansion process was the existing heating, cooling, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) equipment at the BL office. Replacement costs for the aging and inadequate HVAC rooftop units were high; and adding a new rooftop unit to accommodate the expansion seemed like only a short-term solution. When factoring in fuel costs, it made more sense to invest in geothermal heating and cooling as a long-term solution. After thorough evaluation, the expansion team determined that a geothermal option also offered some exciting opportunities for one of Braun Intertec’s technical practice areas of geothermal system design and consulting.

Braun Intertec Geothermal was charged with the responsibility of creating a ground source heat pump (GSHP) based HVAC system which would not only provide excellent interior comfort, but also would serve as a test bed for comparing system approaches and ground heat exchange design techniques. “Incorporating geothermal in our expansion gives us the opportunity to experiment with new technology that may help influence industry changes in overall installation costs,” adds Carlson

“We believe our research and development efforts will be a catalyst for building owners to select ground source more often than traditional HVAC systems,” states Scott Freitag with Braun Intertec Geothermal. Among the objectives of the installation are: To create a comfortable environment and

an optimum return on investment for Braun Intertec’s employee owners,

To compare operating costs and performance of differing heat pump systems to evaluate highest value application of the technology,

To use the system as an engine to test and evaluate which method of ground heat exchange yields the greatest efficiency at the lowest cost,

To improve the investment proposition of ground source when compared to traditional HVAC systems,

To increase revenue and market share for Braun Intertec by improving the cost efficiency of ground source HVAC systems for all.

Fun fact: Braun Intertec received a 1603 grant, which provides payment for a specified energy property in lieu of tax credits. The purpose of the 1603 payment is to reimburse eligible applicants for a portion of the cost of installing specified energy property used in a trade or business or for the production of income. Through our 1603 funding, Braun Intertec is anticipating a total rebate of approximately $310,000, with $225,000 this year and about $90,000 within the next four years, bringing the total cost of $333,000 to a net cost of approximately $23,000 to Braun Intertec.

Drillers are installing the vertical heat exchanger piping for the new geothermal system.

Providing engineering and environmental solutions since 1957

To create a state-of-the-art system, Braun Intertec Geothermal (BIG) consultants relied upon their market knowledge, carefully selecting a design and installation team with the capabilities to create a showcase project while pushing the limits of current design. Hammel Green and Abrahamson (HGA) was selected to lead the mechanical design; R&D Sales was tapped for their building automation, controls and monitoring expertise; Schwab, Vollhaber, Lubratt (SVL) and heat pump manufacturer, Daikin McQuay supplied the equipment. Once the design was prepared Harris Mechanical was selected for the installation from an invited group of other competitive bidders. BIG self-performed the design, installation and testing of the ground heat exchangers, and hydro commissioning of the entire system.

The ground heat exchange (GHX) system was designed to not only meet the requirements of the installed GSHP HVAC system, but also to enable comparison of different methods to evaluate greatest capacity per dollar of installation. BIG installed configurations consist of three groups of differing vertical heat exchangers installed to a depth of 150 feet, and two groups of steep angle bores installed to 150 and 200 feet in depth. Instruments were

installed to measure the capacity and to trend the performance of heat exchanger types over time. Data gathered from this work, and future experiments, will increase design and testing revenue through delivery of lower cost ground heat exchange methods.

The new GSHP system is designed with the future in mind. Assuming GSHP provides a compelling return on investment, the core systems are readily expandable to retrofit any or all of the remaining Braun Intertec Bloomington facility. Early data gathered indicates an energy savings of 40 to 50 percent when compared to traditional HVAC as installed in the remainder of the building.

Lateral piping being placed in the geothermal well field at the east end of the Bloomington office. The piping connects to the experimental vertical heat exchangers located throughout the well field. The data collected will serve as the basis for exploring innovative ways to improve efficiencies for geothermal heating and cooling.

A technician prepares to fuse lateral piping to the internal manifold system of the ground heat exchanger.

Providing engineering and environmental solutions since 1957

The expansion, which can accommodate up to 60 employees, was completed in September and contains 5,950 square feet on the main level and a 2,986 square foot mezzanine. Design features in the expansion project include:

Large windows strategically placed to allow

for day-lighting of space; includes window shades for light control.

Durable, carpet tiles can be easily replaced as needed, which reduces waste and costs

Four new conference rooms; with a fifth mobile/demountable conference room option.

New office work stations with more compact space for efficiency in storage and functionality

Interior private offices equipped with a windowed sliding door to receive natural lighting while maintaining a level of privacy.

An expanded employee lounge/lunch area

Fun fact: Another component of being sustainable during the expansion has been recycling construction waste. During the construction months of April thru August, 134.77 tons of waste was created and 86.90% was recycled. A majority of the materials recycled was mixed waste and concrete