Olsen Hall at Rutgers University used seven XL500 controllers to monitor and control 430 physical points within its facility. Rutgers was aware of its excessive energy usage, but didn’t have the necessary knowledge or capability to reduce consumption.

The service provider would need to account for: 35 chemistry labs, 78 lab hood exhaust fans that ran continuously, small hoods with a single exhaust fan, larger hoods with dual exhaust fans, two constant volume air handlers supplying conditioned 100% outside air to the labs and another air handler supplying 100% outside air to the lab hoods.

Binsky & Snyder Service worked in partnership with the consulting engineer and control engineer to lower the Hall’s energy usage, reducing the amount of air that is moved through the building. The Binsky Service team developed a control system matching the engineer’s specifications.

Their solution included creation of two modes for each lab: occupied and unoccupied. When labs were unoccupied, the new control system reduced the amount of air that was being moved through the building. All of the two-speed exhaust fans in unoccupied labs switched to low speed and one of the fans in each of the large lab hoods shut off. The control system closed the makeup air damper to reduce the amount of makeup air entering the room, keeping the pressure in the room below the pressure in the hallway.

Other energy-efficient features of this solution included: variable speed drives on the air handlers, a static pressure sensor in the supply duct of each air handler, two speed motors on each small hood exhaust fan, a static pressure transmitter in each lab, and a relay to the lights in each lab that signals to the control system the lights are turned on.

Binsky Service installed, programmed and commissioned the control system.

Simply put, the solution was a success in reduction. Binsky Service’s design and installation of this system led to less energy required to condition Olsen Hall, its classrooms and labs. Rutgers University immediately reaped the benefits of lower energy expenses the month following completion.