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ASHRAE Hawaii Chapter

HE EA MAKAMAE A monthly publication by the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc.

SY 2011-12, Issue #7 HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII March 2012

Aloha Fellow ASHRAE Hawaii Chapter Members:

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – Paul Scott

All of the members seem to be back into the stress of the normal working program. It is not easy to find the time to attend the Chapter meeting, but for those that did attend, they were treated to some very good information from both our Do’s & Don’ts speaker as well as our

Technical Speaker. Mazen Awad from Heat Pipe Technologies gave a very interesting presentation on using heat pipes for dehumification. He shared various aspects of heat pipes and also how they could be used for precooling applications for dehumidification. His talk was interesting and the members seemed to enjoy his presentation.

Devin Abellon with Uponor North America presented on “Embedded Pipe Radiant Cooling Systems”. This presentation showed some new technology that we as yet have not used here in Hawaii. He had experience with using the radiant cooling in some very large facilities and I found the photos of the distribution systems quite interesting. He also gave some insight into ongoing maintenance for these systems.

The Highlight of last month however was the Annual Seminar @ University of Hawaii East-West Center. The presentation by Kent Peterson our Past Society President was extremely interesting. He was also complimented by a very down-to-earth talk by Craig Hawkins on sustainability of the High Performance Buildings.

It is hard to believe that there are only a couple of months left in this Society Year. It has been going by really fast. Your Officers and Committee folks are still burning the midnight oil however. Dean Oakley, our Refrigeration Chair has put together a great event for this month’s Membership Meeting on the 3rd Thursday on March. It is the Gordon Biersch Brewery Tour!! [Who doesn’t like Beer!!] I am looking forward to seeing a lot of you there at the Aloha Tower Marketplace. Have a great month!

Mahalo. Scotty.

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ASHRAE Hawaii Chapter - March 2012

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3

Happy Girl’s Day!

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Membership Meeting-

Refrigeration Tour at Gordon

Biersch Brewery

Happy St. Patrick’s

Day!!

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Prince Kuhio Day!

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NEXT CHAPTER MEETING Date: 12 April 2012

Where: The Willows Restaurant, 901 Hausten Street, (808) 952-9200 www.willowshawaii.com )

Registration: Starts at 5:30 pm. (Contact lscottesi@aol.com to RSVP)

Technical Session: 6:00 pm ( Beyond Balancing – James Hoctor; Danfoss Inc.)

Dinner: Starts at 7:00 pm

Main Program: 7:30 pm, “Benefits of Variable Primary Flow Systems – Kevin Saito, P.E; Trane Hawaii”

Adjournment: 9:00 pm

Cost: $45 per ASHRAE member; $50 per guest; $55 at the door registration. Payment can be made via PayPal at http://hawaii.ashraechapters.org Otherwise, make check payable to ASHRAE Hawaii Chapter.

Map to the Willows Restaurant:

"It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit." — John Wooden

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April 12th Technical Session “Beyond Balancing”:

James Hoctor General Description: Pressure Independent Temperature Control Valves (PICV) are specially designed to provide extremely precise control of Hydronic Heating and Cooling Systems by removing all outside influences on heat transfer cause by the system. This allows the end-user to realize significant energy savings; through the elimination of “Low DeltaT Syndrome”. Topics Covered:

• Basics of traditional hydronic system balancing & why • Discussion of Automatic Flow Limiting • Pressure Independent Control Valve theory • Discussion of Heat Transfer and how to Match the Flow to the Load • Dynamic Flow Balancing • The inner workings of Pressure Independent Temperature Control Valves

Speaker Bio: Mr. Hoctor previously served as a President of a mechanical contracting and service company; specializing in Design/Build piping & HVAC contracting for reductions in facility owner construction and life-cycle utility costs. He has also provided Management of global Technical Sales Teams (Manufacturers Rep, Direct Sales, and Distributor Teams) whose customers include: Building Management End Users and Industrial / Process Facility Owners, A & E Firms, OEM’s, ESCO’s and Mechanical/Piping Contractors. His experience in technical sales has given him extensive Product / Technical Expertise: Commercial & Industrial/Process Automatic Control and Automation Systems; Specialty Plate & Frame / Shell & Tube and custom designed/manufactured “Platecoil” Process systems Heat Exchangers; Energy Performance Financial products; HVAC Equipment, Installation and Service; Commercial / Industrial / Built-up Boiler Burners and Boiler control systems;; Specialty Fluid Balancing Valves and Pressure Independent Flow Control Valves.

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April 12th Main Program: Benefits of Primary Variable Flow Systems:

Kevin Saito, P.E., LEED AP Program Description In April’s Chapter meeting, Kevin will be discussing the benefits of a variable primary flow chilled water system vice the traditionally designed constant flow chilled water system. In his presentation, he will cover:

· A description of a Primary-Secondary System · A description of a Variable Primary Flow (VPF) System · Comparison between the Primary-Secondary and VPF systems · Why we should consider VPF now · Rule of thumb VPF savings · VPF system challenges · Danger of “value engineering” out the bypass · Challenge of transition flow rate changes · Best practices regarding allowable flow rate changes · VPF system sequencing · Plant’s sequence of operation · Effect of evaporator pressure drops · VPF System Design must do · VPD System Installation and Operation must do

If you think using a cookie cutter chilled water plant design is good enough, this presentation is for you. If you think a chiller is a chiller is a chiller, this presentation if for you. If you think there are “bells and whistles” that can be cut out of a design without system consequences, this presentation is for you. Lastly, if you’re looking to keep yourself, your company, and your customer out of trouble, THIS PRESENTATION IS FOR YOU. As it is said “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” or as one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoon used to say, “Knowing is half the battle!”

Speaker Bio: Mr. Kevin Saito is a graduate of the University of Hawaii College of Engineering with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is a registered PE in the State of Hawaii and has worked in a handful of fields in the industry including consulting, mechanical system design for the Navy, mechanical branch manager for the Marine Corps, Navy energy program manager, and is currently employed by Trane as an Account Executive and Business Development Manager in the Honolulu office. In his almost 30 years of experience, he has worked on projects large and small and has received recognition for his efforts from the Secretary of Energy, Secretary of the Navy, Naval Facility Engineering Command, International

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Illumination Design Awards, and the Black Engineer of the Year Award Conference (ask his about this last one!) In his spare time, he volunteers as a Boy Scout adult leader, at his church, and for community service projects with his office. He has been married for 26 years, has 2 adult sons, and lives in a house in Pauoa Valley he designed himself that includes photovoltaic panels, solar thermal water heating, solar light tubes, a photovoltaic attic fan, insulation in walls and ceiling, double paned thermal windows with solar film and awnings, multi-capacity flush toilets, low flow showers and sinks, T-8 and CFL lighting, rain water collection system for the garden, and a long overhang to shade the south east side of the house. In addition to a water efficient clothes washer and EnergyStar refrigerator, he also has a propane fired over/stove and outdoor bar-be-que grille. As you can tell, he walks the walk when it comes to sustainability and energy efficiency.”

ASHRAE Hawaii February Happenings:

February Membership Meeting The February membership meeting held on February 9th featured a very informative and eye opening discussion on the use of radiant cooling for buildings in Hawaii. This is not a new technology but one that might be considered more frequently due to its highly efficient method of providing sensible cooling for large open spaces. It was amazing to see how much PEX tubing is utilized in the slab with radiant cooling/heating systems. Thanks to Devin Abellon of Uponor for sharing this interesting topic with us. We all can’t wait until we see a system installed in Hawaii in the near future. A special thanks also goes out to Mazen Awad from Heat Pipe Technologies who shared with us the benefits of using Heat pipes for improved dehumidification. Heat pipes are cool! Annual ASHRAE Hawaii Technical Seminar On February 24th , ASHRAE Hawaii held its annual technical seminar and product show at the East West Center. The show featured two main program speakers; Craig Hawkins, CxA and Mr. Kent Petersen, P.E, LEED who shared with us their experience with High Performance Building Design and Commissioning. Thanks to both of them for coming all the way out here to Hawaii to share their passion for high performance buildings! Also, thank you to all the vendors who helped to support the show, and thank you also to all of you who attended to make this a successful event. We look forward to seeing all of you again next year!

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From the Mind of a CTTC Chair, As I attended the recent Chapter Technical Seminar featuring ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer Kent Peterson, P.E. and commissioning expert Craig Hawkins, I was struck by the topic of how much effort goes into the details of design and the fear that we may sometimes get lost in the forest numbers. I began to ask myself if we engineers understood who we were designing for, what benefit our designs would provide now and future years, and if we are an active part of the evolving industry or just on our way out the door; another evolutionary branch that dead-ended because we didn’t see the changes needed to survive the future landscape. Sound like a lot of doom and gloom? Read on dear members. What started me on this path of thinking was Kent’s interesting concept of determining how many motors per square feet were involved in a project; the higher the motor “density”, the more the owner pays over the life time of the building (initial cost, maintenance, energy, replacement, etc.) It occurred to me that a small change at the beginning of the process could have ramifications that will ripple throughout the industry for decades. Say an engineer reduces the number of fan coil units (FCU) by 1/3 and can still deliver performance and control that result in acceptable occupant comfort. That’s 1/3 less FCUs that won’t be sold; bad for equipment manufacturers/distributors but good for building sustainability. There’s not only a reduction in energy and maintenance (reduction in service contracts) but there’s a reduction in latent energy used to produce and transport those FCUs. There is a direct reduction in raw materials used to produce these FCUs and a reduction in labor used to track them administratively from factory to warehouse to job site. There are also commissions “lost” by not selling these FCUs or reduction in contracts because the mechanical contractor doesn’t have to install them. Less filters, fan belts, replacement motors, etc are sold over a period of years. The list goes on and on. What’s the point? Is reducing equipment a bad thing or a good thing? I would opine that the answer may not be ours to answer and the sooner we adjust to that, the better positioned we will be as an industry. Who really should answer that critical question? I suggest to you it’s the owner. It should come as no surprise that owners have become more knowledgeable of building systems over the years. The owners of today are not the same owners of yesteryear and they may not have the same attitude as years gone by. When I started in the consulting field almost 30 years ago, I suggest that owners had a higher reliance on design experts and tended to rely on our expertise to deliver “the best” solution. By training, engineers tend to be technology focused so we are biased towards solutions that can be quantified by numbers. Owners also make decisions based on numbers but also factor in many other criteria some of which we may never consider or

By: Kevin Saito, P.E. LEED AP 2012 ASHRAE Hawaii President Elect

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understand. With the growth in popularity in design build, contractors are interacting more and more with the owner. This musing is not to deliberate the pros and cons of the design build process or settle any dispute between contractors and engineers about who’s driving the car. More to the point I originally intended, do engineers really understand what drives an owner to decide on implementing a project. When was the last time we asked an owner’s rep “how long do you want this system to last?” or “how do you envision maintaining/operating this building when we’re done?” You can bet your last dollar, the owner has asked this question and has the answer in mind. It’s probably not good to ask “how many FCUs would you like in your building” as you may receive a blank response or even a hostile “don’t you KNOW, you’re the expert” type of glare. My point is that we can ask revealing questions if we understand the owner’s world; we can glean key bits of information that will make us more valuable to architects, owners, and contractors thereby positioning us as part of the solution team and not just a supplier of a design commodity. Seeing the project through their eyes doesn’t lessen our responsibility to deliver a sound design (we are still responsible and liable for the design) but rather may give us a broader perspective on how to design “better” from another point of view. Are we merely technical experts without understanding how our application of engineering, science, and technology is supposed to make life better for other human beings? I hope not! I dream of a day when engineers can sit down in the executive board room and translate the vision of the sophisticated owner into the brick and mortar (and sheet metal!) of a building that not only meets the needs of today but is flexible enough to meet the needs of their tomorrows as well. So, I ask you, is reducing equipment a bad thing or a good thing….?

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From the Editor My apologies to all for this very late March Newsletter!! Things have been hectic to say the least and the torrential spring rains have made life very difficult the past few weeks. I hope all of you have kept dry and safe from hail rocks pelting your head. I hope all of you enjoyed the 2012 ASHRAE Technical Seminar and Product show. I am guilty for not attending since some important meetings kept me from showing up, but I heard it was a success and a very informative session. At least there was no tsunami warning this year! I hope all of you enjoyed yourselves. We have had some problems in attendance the past couple of meetings. I take some of the blame since the newsletters have been late, but I do encourage all of you to save the 2nd Thursday of each month and to join us at the Willows. We always have great speakers and you will learn something new at every meeting. If you don’t come for the technical knowledge, at least show up for the fellowship and have a beer or two with us. Let’s all get out to this next meeting at the Willows on April 12th and make a good one. We are rounding out the year, so let’s end it on a good note. It will be nice to see a good crowd to support all the work your BOG puts into these meetings. See you there!

Barry Jim On, P.E. 2012 Newsletter Editor

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ASHRAE HAWAII 2011-2012 BOARD OF GOVERNORS

AND CHAPTER CHAIRPERSONS

Chapter Chairperson Attendance and Reception: Ross Okuda, P.E. Technology Transfer: Kevin Saito, P.E.LEED AP

Programs: Scott Le Beau Governmnt Affairs: Michael Chang, P.E. Refrigeration: Dean Oakley Technology: Herman Siu Energy Awards: Mofazzal Mir, P.E.

Historian: Albert Hahn, P.E. Memberships Promotions: Joseph Ting, P.E. Newsletter Editor: Barry Jim On, P.E. Research Promotions : Dean Borges, P.E. Technical Seminar: Alayna Shima, P.E. Technology Chair: Dicson Aggabao Student Activities : Bill Lee, P.E. Young Engineers of ASHRAE: Isaac Opedal Webmaster: Joseph Ting, P.E.

Chapter Officers – Society Year 2011 to 2012 President: Paul “Scotty” Scott President-Elect: Kevin Saito, P.E. LEED AP Vice President: Barry Jim On, P.E. Secretary: Blake Araki, P.E. Treasurer: Donna Kishi, Chapter Board of Governors Michael Chang, (Immediate Past President) Scott La Beau Bill Lee, P.E. Mofazzal Mir, P.E. Alayna Shima, P.E.