Category: Tech Tips

Refrigerant Phase-Downs: What You Need To Know

Refrigerant Phase-Downs: What You Need To Know

GBA is occasionally asked about the potential impact of upcoming phase-downs of some common HFC refrigerants, including R410A. In 1988, the U.S. Senate unanimously ratified the Montreal Protocol, which led to a phase out of CFC refrigerants responsible for damage to...

Key Weather Considerations for PV Design

Key Weather Considerations for PV Design

Electrical designers must be conscious of environmental factors that will impact electrical equipment, including temperature, wind, snow, and so on. This is especially critical for photovoltaic (PV) installations where a large portion of the system will be subjected...

Ten Years of Data Center Fan Energy: 2021 vs. 2011

Ten Years of Data Center Fan Energy: 2021 vs. 2011

By Laurence Steiner, PE, LEED APThanks to efforts by the industry, a lot of progress has been made in improving energy efficiency in data centers. Completing a project last year, I was struck by the impact of the changes being made through improved HVAC design and...

IL PACE Financing Expands, Promoting “Green” Improvements

IL PACE Financing Expands, Promoting “Green” Improvements

PACE provides low-cost financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.The Cook County Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) Program was launched in February, providing new funding for a variety of commercial building improvements. It joined...

Is One of These Quietly Wasting $12,000/Year in Your Data Center?

Is One of These Quietly Wasting $12,000/Year in Your Data Center?

Thanks to industry leaders and groups like ASHRAE, best practice in data center HVAC has come a long way. Unfortunately, many older data centers and telecom facilities are cooled with constant-speed computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units with simple controls.The...

Munson Medical Center Committed to Energy Conservation

Munson Medical Center Committed to Energy Conservation

Consumers Energy Retro-Commissioniong Facility IQ Program Beginning 2009, Consumers Energy (CE) in Michigan created a pilot program to help customers save energy and dollars in their existing buildings. The pilot program was used to determine the feasibility and cost...