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 AUGUST 2017

FEATURES
36 | Global M&A activity holds steady
as domestic M&A falls
More mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire pro-
tection engineering firms are acquiring.
NICK BELITZ

40 | LEED v4 updates and impacts

ON THE COVER:
Illustration by: Curt Spannraft
2017 on lighting controls
LEED v4 has adopted ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010, which
includes mandatory lighting controls requirements.
COVER STORY ROBERT J. GARRA JR., PE, CDT

33 | MEP Giants revenue increases,

along with staffing concerns 48 | How to use LEED v4
The 2017 MEP Giants gross revenue increased as com- for lighting controls
pared with last year, likely due to company mergers and
Lighting requirements in LEED v4 have become more
larger and more varied projects. MEP/FP design revenue
holistic.
also increased.
JOHN YOON, PE, LEED AP ID+C
AMARA ROZGUS and AMANDA PELLICCIONE

56 | Understanding overcurrent protection

DEPARTMENTS A guide to NFPA 70: National Electrical Code
requirements for overcurrent protection.
05 | Viewpoint 25 | Codes & Standards
STEVEN EICH, PE, CDT, REP, LEED AP
Hungry for information Four strategies for imple-
menting ASHRAE 62.1 in
07 | Research
HVAC systems
Fire, life safety in hospitals, 64 | Developing a circuit schedule
health care facilities 101 | Digital Edition Circuit protection can be interpreted in many ways
Exclusive depending on building load and use.
09 | Career Smart
The basics of arc flash BRIAN MARTIN, PE
To mentor and be mentored: mitigation
What does it really look like?
103 | Advertiser Index
10 | MEP Roundtable ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES
The art of designing sports, 104 | Future of
Use the icons to identify topics of interest.
entertainment, and specialty Engineering
AUTOMATION & CONTROLS HVAC
structures The rise of the digital
building COMMUNICATIONS LIGHTING
19 | Codes & Standards ELECTRICAL PLUMBING
ASHRAE 62.1: uncommon FIRE, SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY
calculations, approaches
CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER (ISSN 0892-5046, Vol. 54, No. 7, GST #123397457) is published 11x per year, monthly except in February, by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway,
Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher /Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER copyright 2017 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
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www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 3

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 Editors Viewpoint
CONTENT SPECIALISTS/EDITORIAL
AMARA ROZGUS, Editor-in-Chief/Content Manager
630-571-4070 x2211, ARozgus@CFEMedia.com
EMILY GUENTHER, Associate Content Manager
630-571-4070, EGuenther@CFEMedia.com
AMANDA PELLICCIONE, Director of Research
APelliccione@CFEMedia.com
MICHAEL SMITH, Creative Director
MSmith@CFEmedia.com
ELISA GEISHEIMER, Production Coordinator
630-571-4070, EGeisheimer@CFEMedia.com
Amara Rozgus,
Editor-in-Chief
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
CORY J. ABRAMOWICZ, PE, LEED AP,

Hungry for information

Associate, Environmental Systems Design Inc., Chicago
PETER ALSPACH, PE, LEED AP BD+C,
Principal, Mechanical Engineer, Arup, Seattle

A
JERRY BAUERS, PE,
Vice President, NV5, Kansas City, Mo. fter a recent visit with one of and will use a lot of different methods
MICHAEL CHOW, PE, LEED AP BD+C,
Principal, Metro CD Engineering LLC, Columbus, Ohio
the nations largest engineer- to gain the knowledge they need.
TOM DIVINE, PE, ing firms, I left with a lot of A concern that kept bubbling to the
Senior Electrical Engineer,
Smith Seckman Reid Inc., Houston
good information to ensure the right top of our conversation was staffing.
CORY DUGGIN, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, information is released to this audi- While this particular office had just
Energy Modeling Wizard, TLC Engineering for Architecture Inc.,
Brentwood, Tenn.
ence at the right time. We talked about experienced a reorganization in which
ROBERT J. GARRA JR., PE, CDT, print and digital magazines, enews- some people had been laid off, they
Vice President, Electrical Engineer,
CannonDesign, Grand Island, N.Y.
letters, education and webcasts, and were also short on talent in specific
JASON GERKE, PE, LEED AP BD+C, C X A, other means of delivering content. areas. Anyone at a staffing agency or
Mechanical Engineer, GRAEF, Milwaukee
Most of the folks I spoke with are in human resources should perk up
JOSHUA D. GREENE, PE,
Vice President, JENSEN HUGHES, Framingham, Mass. newly minted engineers, or have at this: Theres a shortage of qualified
RAYMOND GRILL, PE, FSFPE, not yet earned their professional engineers and building professionals
Principal, Arup, Washington, D.C.
DANNA JENSEN, PE, LEED AP BD+C,
engineer license. Theyre working at many levels.
Senior Vice President, WSP, Dallas on projects that vary widely, and Their concerns are echoed by
WILLIAM KOFFEL, PE, FSFPE,
President, Koffel Associates Inc., Columbia, Md.
admitted they learn a lot from ask- the 2017 MEP Giants, the top 100
WILLIAM KOSIK, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, ing the person in the next office or mechanical, electrical, plumbing
Senior Mechanical Engineer - Mission Critical,
exp US Services Inc., Chicago
workspace for advice and tips. This (MEP), and fire protection engineer-
KENNETH KUTSMEDA, PE, LEED AP, informal mentoring is key; younger ing firms (see page 33).
Engineering Manager, Jacobs, Philadelphia professionals need someone with Unlike past years when the econ-
JULIANNE LAUE, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP,
Senior MEP Engineer, Center for Sustainable Energy, experienceeven if its just a few omys impact on the market was the
Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis years more than they haveto share No. 1 challenge, nearly a quarter of
DAVID LOWREY,
Chief Fire Marshal, Boulder (Colo.) Fire Rescue the trials and tribulations of engi- the MEP Giants companies reported
BRIAN MARTIN, PE, neering building systems. staffing: quality of young engineers
Senior Electrical Engineer, Buildings and Places,
AECOM, Portland, Ore. They also admitted they obtain as their biggest challenge.
DWAYNE G. MILLER, PE, RCDD, AEE CPQ, technical information on-demand. So, what can you or your firm
Chief Executive Officer, NV5, Las Vegas
Working on a hospital project? They do? Offering education and practi-
RODNEY V. OATHOUT, PE, CEM, LEED AP,
Principal, Regional Engineering Leader, search for examples similar to what cal knowledge are key. Whether its
DLR Group, Overland Park, Kan.
theyre designing. Tasked with design- emailing an article or signing up for
FREDDY PADILLA, PE, ATD,
Principal/Senior Electrical Engineer, Page, Austin, Texas ing a complex air system in a school? an online course, these hungry young
GREGORY QUINN, PE, NCEES, LEED AP, Find some practical articles, videos, professionals will appreciate it. Men-
Principal, Health Care Market Leader,
Affiliated Engineers Inc., Madison, Wis. or other collateral to help them bet- toringformally or informallyalso
BRIAN A. RENER, PE, LEED AP, ter understand a system. Need details helps ensure newer staff are guided in
Associate, SmithGroupJJR, Chicago
SUNONDO ROY, PE, LEED AP BD+C,
about how a product works? Call the a manner suiting the companys goals.
Vice President, CCJM Engineers Ltd., Chicago manufacturers representative to ask And manufacturers and vendors must
RANDY SCHRECENGOST, PE, CEM,
Austin Operations Group Manager and
questions or watch a demonstration. continually give younger team mem-
Senior Mechanical Engineer, Our conversation solidified my bers hands-on opportunities to learn
Stanley Consultants, Austin, Texas
MARIO VECCHIARELLO, PE, CEM, GBE,
hunch: Engineers are always curious, about technologies.
Senior Vice President, CDM Smith Inc., Boston
RICHARD VEDVIK, PE,
Senior Electrical Engineer and Acoustics Engineer,
IMEG Corp., Rock Island, Ill.
MIKE WALTERS, PE, LEED AP,
Campus Energy Market Leader, MEP Associates, Verona, Wis.
JOHN YOON, PE, LEED AP ID+C,
Lead Electrical Engineer, McGuire Engineers Inc., Chicago www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 5
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 Total annual value
of electrical, power
systems specified
Less than
More than $500,000
$3.0 million
16%
41%
28%
15%
$1.1 million to $500,000 to
$3.0 million $1.0 million
Figure 1: Forty-one percent of engi-
neering firms specify electrical or
power systems valued at more than
$3 million into new and existing build-
ings annually. Source: Consulting-
Specifying Engineer 2016 Electrical
and Power Study
8 in 10 engineers are
responsible for determining the
requirements/writing the specifica-
tions for lights, lighting equipment,
and/or lighting controls. Source:
Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2017
Lighting and Lighting Controls Study
54% of mechanical engineers
regularly specify dedicated outdoor
air systems. Source: Consulting-
Specifying Engineer 2015 HVAC and
Building Automations Systems Study
of fire protection engineers are
responsible for recommending the
brand of fire and life safety systems
for projects. Source: Consulting-
Specifying Engineer 2016 Fire and
Life Safety Study
More research
Consulting-Specifying Engineer cov-
ers several research topics each year.
All reports are available at
www.csemag.com/research.
www.csemag.com
research
2016 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY STUDY
Fire, life safety in hospitals,
health care facilities
T
he Consulting-Specifying Engineer officials have the most impact on
2016 Fire and Life Safety Study hospital/health care facility fire and
indicated that 48% of engineers life safety design, according to 78% of
specify, design, or make product selec- respondents. Architects, owners, and
tions for hospitals and health care facili- electrical engineers are also involved in
tiesand eight in 10 of these engineers these designs.
are responsible for determining the 4. Challenges: When working on
requirements for these projects. Below fire and life safety systems for hospi-
are five fire protection and life safety sys- tals/health care facilities, engineers are
tem and design findings as they relate to having the most difficulty with code
these facilities: authorities subjective interpretation of
1. Systems specified: The top three regulations (73%), insufficient budget
fire and life safety systems being speci-
fied into hospitals/health care facilities
are fire, smoke, heat, and linear detec-
for good design (63%), and designing
for interoperability and integration of
systems (63%).
tion systems (87%); smoke detection, 5. Comparing products: Overall
control systems, dampers, etc. (80%); quality is most important when select-
and network and intelligent fire alarm ing a fire and life safety system for a
control panels (69%). hospital/health care facility; engineers
2. Specifications: Engineers are are also looking at manufacturers repu-
most frequently issuing performance tations and service support.
fire and life safety systems specifica-
tions (80%), followed by prescriptive
specifications (67%).
View more information at
www.csemag.com/2016FireLifeSafety.
3. Discipline impact: Local authorities Amanda Pelliccione is the research direc-
having jurisdiction or local fire tor at CFE Media.
Annual value of fire, life safety systems specified
for new, existing hospitals/health care facilities
Less than $500,000 2
21%
$500,000 to $750,000 12%
$750,001 to $1.0 million 21%
$1.1 million to $3.0 million 20%
$3.1 million to $5.0 million 11%
More than $5.0 million 15% 15%
Figure 2: The average firm earns $2.27 million annually from fire and life safety sys-
tems specified into new and existing hospitals/health care facilities, with 26% generat-
ing more than $3 million each year. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 7
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input #6 at www.csemag.com/information
 Career Smart
To mentor and be mentored:
What does it really look like?
Debunking mentorship myths within the engineering industry.
M
entorship is a key component
to the development and suc-
cess of young professionals
early in their career. Leading govern-
ment officials, CEOs, and thought
leaders have each proclaimed the value
of mentorship and the role it played in
their own success.
In their books Lean In and
Unfinished Business, Sheryl Sand-
berg and Anne-Marie Slaughter,
respectively, emphasized the impor-
tance of mentorship. In 1977, a study
published in the Harvard Business
Review found that approximately 66%
of respondents had a mentor, which
led to higher earnings and increased
happiness at a younger working age.
The concept of mentorship isnt new,
but in the age of social media and
digital integration, the roles of the
mentor and mentee have evolved to
keep pace with access to information,
resources, and technology.
Here are a few of the myths that have
been debunked regarding mentorship:
Myth #1:
Mentorship is a formal relationship.
Mentorship has been presented as a
formal relationship between two peo-
ple, most frequently involving a junior
staffer and a senior executive. As a
college graduate, theres the fear of not
finding a mentor early on. Embracing
an informal approach to mentorship
allows mentees to leverage the
www.csemag.com
REBECCA DELANEY, PE,
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago
experience of surrounding leaders
including conference speakers and col-
lege professors. Some mentors youll
meet once, others regularly, and some
over coffee quarterly. Many of the
most meaningful learning moments
have come from a conversation or
speaker who created the challenge to
think differently about the world. This
can lead to a long-term mentorship.
Merriam-Webster defines a men-
tor as a trusted counselor or guide.
A mentor can be any age, have any
relationship to you, or come from any
level within a company. Mentors are all
around youfinding one is all about
how you seek them out. Leverage your
extensive access to potential mentors
through LinkedIn, email, blogs, web-
casts, conferenceseven if you only
interact once, the advice of an experi-
enced professional can still contribute
to your success.
Myth #2:
Mentors must agree to be your mentor.
For example, there was a young
man who became good friends with
a successful, midlevel analyst within
his firm. Their conversations spanned
from sports to the politics of senior
management and potential areas of
growth for young professionals. The
relationship had all the hallmarks
of mentorship, but lacked a formal
arrangement, alleviating pressure on
the mentor and mentee.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
The mentee didnt let the absence of
formal titles discount the importance
of the relationship. In the past several
years, his informal mentor has inspired
tremendous growth in his professional
and personal life.
Myth #3:
Mentorship is all about me.
Most of the guidance will flow in the
mentees direction. However, being a
mentor has profound impacts too. The
ability to share experiences provides
encouragement and confidence while
also serving as a reminder of how
much growth has occurred since the
beginning of the mentors career. Its
easy to always look ahead and continue
to improve; but as a mentor, reflecting
upon that mentor relationship experi-
ence is very meaningful.
There is value in a formal mentor-
ship. However, for a young engineer,
the lack of awareness of such pro-
grams can limit access to a network
of academic peers and professional
colleagues. Years later, I realized
how much mentorship I had already
received informally in the early years
of my careermuch of which laid the
foundation for success I have found
later in my career.
Rebecca Delaney is a mechanical team
leader at Skidmore, Owings & Merrills
sustainable engineering studio. She was a
2016 40 Under 40 award winner.
9
 MEP Roundtable
Steve Brown, Certified
Automation Professional
Vice President and
The art of designing
sports, entertainment,
Operations Director, Energy
& Automation Teams
Environmental
Systems Design
and specialty structures
Chicago
Entertainment venues are big businessesand big on
complexity, with a host of complex systems and requirements
for engineers to tackle.
Daniel P. Christman,
PE, LEED AP
Vice President/Entertainment
CSE: Whats the No. 1 trend you see
Market Sector Leader
exp today in the design of such specialty
Orlando, Fla. structures?
Daniel P. Christman: In entertainment
design (theme parks, zoos, aquariums, water
parks, etc.) the No. 1 trend in facility design
remains designing a facility that supports the
story. Designing amazing buildings or using
the latest technology is hollow in this indus-
try if it doesnt support the story and guest
Keith Esarey, experience.
PE, LEED AP Keith Esarey: For specialty structures, we
Principal often see a demand for a structure to have
McClure Engineering multiple uses. These buildings represent sig-
St. Louis
nificant investments, and clients are looking
for multiple ways to use the facilities. For
example, university performing arts venues
may only be scheduled for six or seven major
events, but there are opportunities to partner
with the local community to use these spaces.
These additional uses create new challenges
in terms of engineering and design.
Tony Hans: In theater design, we see a trend
Tony Hans,
for LED theatrical-lighting instruments that
PE, RCDD, LEED AP reduce electrical and heat loads for the per-
Vice President forming spaces. In addition, sound systems
CMTA including innovative line array speaker tech-
Louisville, Ky.
nology combined with the latest in digital
audio control and processing, for true lifelike
sound reinforcement throughout the audi-
ence seating area. Also, todays collegiate
10 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
sports arenas have an ever-increasing list of
complex audio/video (A/V) and telecommu-
nications systems.
The progression of super Wi-Fi networks
by National Football League (NFL) stadiums
that incorporate radical speeds and support
tens of thousands of simultaneous users has
led to numerous Division I college football
stadiums incorporating similar systems.
These systems have huge advantages over
vendor-installed distributed antenna systems
(DAS) that use the cellular network but have
large initial first costs when compared with
potentially very inexpensive vendor-installed
DAS. Also, complex sound and video systems
must be programmed and budgeted from
the initial steps. These A/V systems must
incorporate new 4K recording trends while
providing for both internal and external sta-
dium broadcasts.
Doug Lancashire: The No. 1 trend were
seeing in sports facilities is a focus on the fan
experience. As engineers and architects, we
are being challenged with creating an envi-
ronment whereby the typical fan is able to
immerse themselves in a virtual experience
that makes them feel more a part of the action
and not just a spectator.
Today, we live in a world centered on con-
nectivity through our smartphones. This
connectivity enables the user to customize
their daily experience and develop interac-
www.csemag.com

Figure 1: Osborn Engineerings work at Progressive Fieldhome of MLBs Cleveland Indi-
ansincludes new concessions and restaurants, suite renovations, new LED field lighting, new
scoreboards, and replacement of the parks chilled-water plant. Courtesy: Osborn Engineering/
OSports
tion with their environment through immer-
sive technology. Take, for example, a current
Osborn project at a Division 1 university.
While the base project is the replacement of
the scoreboard and the replacement/upgrade
of the sound system in the main basketball
arena, the goal of the project is to enhance
the fan experience.
Scoreboard technology has in it the ability
for apps running on your phone to interact
with the activities of the scoreboard, allowing
pregame music activity to play and light up
your cell phone while doing the same on the
scoreboards and the ribbons. Or, pregame or
halftime activity could include shooting vir-
tual free-throws with your favorite players.
No more is it sufficient to provide a venue
for a fan to sit and watch an event. The goal
today is to get that fan into the game itself.
Chris Skoug: The No. 1 trend I see in the
design of specialty structures is a focus on
flexibility to adapt the structure to maximize
the use of the facility. A stadium is not just a
stadium anymorea building owner is look-
ing to maximize the use of the facility to use it
for other events, too, such as concerts, speak-
ing events, and conventions. This multiuse
approach drives programming and support
systems.
CSE: Please describe a recent project
youve worked onshare details about
www.csemag.com
Mike Hart,
PE, LEED AP
Principal, CEO
ME Engineers
Golden, Colo.
Doug Lancashire,
PE, LEED AP,
CEM, CGBE
Vice President,
Director of Energy/
the project including location, systems Facility Systems
engineered, team involved, etc. Osborn Engineering
Cleveland
Mike Hart: Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park
is a new Major League Baseball facility for
the team. We designed all the mechanical,
electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems
including LED sports lighting as well as the
data, Wi-Fi, DAS, and other low-voltage
systems. The outdoor baseball-only venue
features multiple name brand local eat-
ery concessions bringing local flavors to Chris Skoug, PE, CEM
the fans. The ballpark has one of the most Principal Engineer
extensive DAS in the league, providing users Southland Engineering
Dulles, Va.
with cell phone connectivity even under
full-house conditions.
Christman: exps entertainment and sports
group designs MEP/fire protection (MEP/
FP), extra-low-voltage (ELV) systems, light-
ing, and structural systems for theme parks,
zoos, aquariums, water parks, sporting venues,
and highly themed retail and restaurants all
over the world. Our clients include Walt Dis-
ney Imagineering, Universal, SeaWorld, Six
Flags, Georgia Aquarium, United States Tennis
Association, and many others.
Lancashire: Over the past couple of sea-
sons, Osborn Engineering/OSports has been
responsible for a number of upgrades at Pro-
gressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indi-
ans. Projects have included new concessions/
restaurants, renovations of suites, new LED
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 11
 MEP Roundtable
field lighting, a new scoreboard, and lighting, next-generation A/V tele- helping them see what is possible and
replacement of the ballparks chilled- communications systems, radiant heat how these technologies can help them
water plant along with major air han- under the stands, and snow melt at the achieve their business goals. Through
dling systems. entries are all strategies recommended. iterative collaborative discussions with
Hans: We have designed security the business stakeholders, the universe
systems for the University of Kentucky CSE: How have you worked with of the possible becomes refined to what
Commonwealth Football Stadium reno- the building owner or facility man- will be practically applied to their facility.
vation and the new baseball stadium. ager to implement the Internet of Skoug: We are more frequently chal-
Also, the University of Kentucky ath- Things (IoT) into their facility man- lenged with the application of emerging
letic complex including softball and agement? Have you helped catalog technology for these specialty facilities
soccer stadiums. The security system every device in these buildings, and work with users to vet viability of
design incorporated coordination with such as lights, fire alarms, electri- integration and mock-up testing to vali-
the university police and tied the stu- cal outlets, room thermostats, and date new applications. Its a very cus-
dent-information database to the cam- other products? tomized effort. There is generally an
pus digital-surveillance network and increased level of integration for these
the campus access-control network via Steve Brown: Every building is projects. Some examples: suites are
digital analytics. unique, presenting its own exciting designed to have single-room control-
In a recent study of an ice arena in opportunities and sometimes equally lers to adjust lighting, HVAC, and A/V.
Ohio, we provided a study of the energy daunting set of design challenges. Spe- There is system integration for HVAC,
performance of the building with rec- cialty structures, such as sports arenas, lighting, electrical load metering, water/
ommendations to provide an expansion stadiums, and theaters, have their own sewer utility metering, and gas meter-
while reducing the energy-use index unique opportunities and challenges. As ing (submetering at kitchens). HVAC
(EUI) and utility bills. The study has the building owners advocate, it is our controls can be modulated based upon
to affect the why of the building so, responsibility to inform facility stake- building occupancy from feedback
as with all arenas, must improve the holders of current IoT technologies from the electronic ticketing system.
fan experience. The use of LED sports and the systems-integration landscape, Lancashire: The best example of this
would be a hotel that we are designing
as part of a larger sports campus. Every
guest room in the hotel has computer-
ized controls that adapt your environ-
ment automatically, either by means of a
multitude of sensors or by means of user
interaction using a graphic touchscreen
in each room. All systems are networked
together and facilitate centralized main-
tenance and management electrically,
mechanically, and technologically.
Christman: Building automation sys-
tems (BAS) have allowed us to connect
many devices together to share data for
some time. Standardized protocols have
allowed us to connect even more devices
to these systems. We have included links
to drawings, operation and maintenance
Figure 2: A team from Southland Engineering facilitated a contractor-and-engineering manuals, and training videos in the
alignment to ensure collaboration on an NFL stadium in the southeastern United graphic screens for BAS. We have also
States. Staff offered mechanical and plumbing system engineering support related to included basic maintenance data that
HVAC central plant design; peer-reviewed mechanical system concepts and load cal- would be needed frequently, such as belt
culations; HVAC air distribution and optimization and computational fluid dynamics and filter sizes. We are now seeing devices
(CFD) modeling; equipment selection; target value design options for mechanical and that arent being connected directly to the
plumbing systems; specification alignment; and building automation controls design. BAS but directly to the internet. The use
Shown are bowl duct CFD analyses. Courtesy: Southland Engineering of LED lighting, digital thermostats, and

12 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com

programmable fire alarm devices pro-
vides the owner with the ability to con-
trol each device individually and remotely
over the internet from any of their facili-
ties around the world.
CSE: What are the challenges that
you face when designing specialty
facilities that you dont normally
face for other building projects?
Esarey: Specialty climate control
tends to be the biggest difference. More
specifically, controlling the temperature
and humidity in a space. For example,
climate conditions for instrument stor-
age and use are critical in a perform-
ing arts venue; similarly, the hardwood
floors of athletic facilities require
minimum humidity levels to protect
the structure. The nature of specialty
structures creates a challenge. These
spaces spend most of the week par-
tially or lightly loaded and very seldom
meet their full occupant capacity. These
diverse load characteristics need to be
considered when designing an HVAC
system that must be able to perform
efficiently while running at less than
design capacity.
Skoug: I have encountered a num-
ber of unique challenges when design-
ing specialty facilities, including high
occupancy and ventilation rates, right-
sizing MEP systems for usage diversity,
coordination of MEP utilities within
unique structures, and unique build-
ing envelope HVAC loads for stadiums
due to increased vertical and horizontal
glazing to create a sense of connection
to the outside of the structure.
Christman: In addition to designing
world-class entertainment, gaming, and
hospitality projects, exp also designs
a multitude of other project types
including health care, science, munici-
pal works, etc. In many respects, the
challenges are the same: coordination,
deadlines, communication, etc.
The biggest difference between venues
that are focused on the guest experience
and more traditional venues is the level
www.csemag.com
of coordination and detail required. This
enhanced coordination means more
communication (we frequently use the
term hypercommunication), coordina-
tion, and creative change. When youre
designing a fully immersive guest expe-
rience, one that temporarily transports
a guest to a different place or time, the
necessary essentials in a building, such
as HVAC ductwork or electrical discon-
nects, must be cared for with the same
level of detail as the show set or projec-
tion system or they will diminish the
experience.
There are also several stakeholders that
are not typically involved in traditional
buildings. Creative directors, show pro-
Specialty structures, such as sports arenas, stadiums,
and theaters, have their own unique opportunities and
challenges. Steve Brown
ducers, storytellers, theming contractors,
and ride and show teams are just some
of the additional groups the engineering
team needs to engage for coordination.
Hans: Many times, these types of
facilities have unique structures and
require some deliberate thought and
planning as to how the MEP systems
are designed with respect to main-
tenance. We try to have some crucial
conversations early with the stakehold-
ers and rely on our experience to ensure
the facility will not only function as
planned, but will enable cost-effective
maintenance throughout the lifecycle
of the building. Examples would be
designing for access to fixtures and
devices via catwalks, light-lowering
systems, etc. Often, the incorporation
of lower first-cost systems create high-
er maintenance costs, and the balance
with tight budgets needs to be a coor-
dinated decision between athletics and
the facilities management departments.
CSE: What types of system inte-
gration and/or interoperability
issues have you overcome in such
facilities, and how did you do so?
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
Brown: With integration-protocol
inconsistencies, we helped align com-
munication protocols where they were
unclear, inconsistent, or missing entirely.
This task is much more effective during
the design phase, before any equipment
is ordered and installed. It is still possible
to correct in the field, but typically more
difficult and expensive. In some cases, it
may not be possible to correct, resulting
in a missed opportunity to capture data
from the affected system. An often over-
looked item is developing, and following,
a consistent naming convention for a cli-
ent and their building systems. Though
this is important for consistency within
a system, it is crucial in an integrated
platform when integrating multiple dis-
parate systems and their data points into
a higher level. Also, upgrading the com-
munication infrastructurewhether in
design for new construction or in place
for existing buildingsto enable the
increased data traffic speed and capac-
ity on the converged network. In existing
buildings, it is necessary to inventory the
existing building systems to determine
the ability to incorporate them into the
integrated platform. These systems have
been upgraded to recent versions and/or
open-protocol platforms to enable the
integration of their valuable data to the
higher-level platform.
Lancashire: In general, most integra-
tion and/or interoperability issues seem
to stem from an overcomplicated system
or systems that is therefore misused or
misunderstood. Our goal as engineers
is to understand the complexity that is
required to properly operate a facility
and tailor the design to specific needs
and skill sets of the staff operating the
building. In many cases, simplicity is
what is called for to achieve this goal.
Christman: In addition to the BAS
controlling the MEP systems, we work
13
 MEP
Roundtable
on facilities that also have other con-
trol systems running. These can be
ride-control systems and life safety
systems for animals (i.e., water-quality
management). There is a need to keep
these systems separate so that an HVAC
technician doesnt affect the safety on a
ride, such as a roller coaster. However,
we do run into occasions where we do
need these systems to work together.
The most challenging standards to follow for atypical
buildings is sustainable-design certification programs.
Daniel P. Christman
For binary data, we typically use relays
or dry contacts. For analog values, we
will create an analog output from one
system that will be measured as an ana-
log input in the other control system. It
simply requires extensive coordination
during the design of the project.
CSE: What are the most challeng-
ing codes and standards to follow
for such structures? What makes
them so challenging?
Lancashire: One interesting challenge
were facing in the renovation of sports
venues that are only 10 to 20 years
old is that sports facilities, especially
professional stadiums and arenas, are
now offering higher-end food-service
options with full kitchens and wet bars
everywhere throughout the building.
Gone are the days of providing fans
with just hot dogs and beer. This means
that we have to provide power, ventila-
tion, and plumbing services to parts of a
ballpark that werent originally intend-
ed for that use. In some cases, this can
require extremely invasive construction
to provide these amenities.
Christman: The most challenging
standards to follow for atypical build-
ings is sustainable-design certification
programs, such as U.S. Green Building
Council LEED. Those programs are
designed around more typical facility
14 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
types (e.g., individual office buildings)
and can be very difficult to comply with
for unique buildings with heavy plug
loads on a campus, such as a theme
park.
Skoug: Energy codes are challeng-
ing due to high internal loads, unique
building envelope materials, and the
physical size of buildings that require
increased utility distribution.
Hans: From IBC Section 1006,
lighting calculations in large assembly
spaces can be difficult and time inten-
sive due to the complex structure of
the space. Standard general rules for
calculations fall short when designing
lighting levels in large, complex spac-
es. Additionally, large assembly spaces
typically have multiple uses and multi-
ple arrangements of seating and enter-
tainment equipment that will impact
egress paths and lighting systems and
locations. Often, egress paths may
change based on different arrange-
ments of the space. All paths must
be accounted for in terms of general
lighting, emergency backup, and con-
trol during emergency. Egress lighting
mounted to bleachers, seating, or aisle
floors are very prone to damage by
occupants. Fixtures and connections
are installed at locations vulnerable to
being stepped on, kicked, or becoming
exposed to liquids. Extensive care must
be taken to design a lighting system
capable of standing up to the environ-
ment in which it is installed.
CSE: Describe a recent electri-
cal/power system challenge you
encountered when working on such
a project.
Hans: During the design of a recent
$60 million high school football stadi-
um, we had a challenge on how to serve
utility company power throughout the
stadium campus. The campus consisted
of four separate buildings dedicated for
the football stadium (press box/grand-
stand on either side, alumni center on
south end zone, locker rooms on north
end zone) and future plans for three
separate structures (transportation
center, natatorium, auditorium). The
owner wanted to limit the amount of
utility meters used to avoid having to
pay multiple meter fees, demand charg-
es, and utility bills.
We originally looked at the owner
installing and owning their own pri-
mary distribution, but the owner didnt
feel comfortable having to maintain
this distribution. We then looked at
a single primary meter and the utility
company routing distribution through-
out the campus, but the owner would
have to give up too many easements for
this scenario. We ended up scheduling
a meeting with the utility company and
helped the owner negotiate a contract
with the utility to provide four meters
to serve the entire campus, but only pay
one meter charge and have all meters
grouped together on a single bill with
adjusted demand charges. One meter
served all football-related facilities with
secondary distribution routed to each
facility, and separate meters served the
transportation, auditorium, and nata-
torium facilities.
Christman: One challenge we con-
sistently run into on entertainment
and aquarium/zoo projects is the
highly corrosive nature of the water
used in rides and exhibits, and the
effect this corrosion can have on
neighboring equipment. This not only
affects the engineering team, but also
the material selected by architects and
theming designers. A best practice
weve implemented is to meet with
the design team to establish corrosion
zones where we can expect corrosive
material, such as treated freshwater or
saltwater, to be splashed or carried by
www.csemag.com
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MEP Roundtable
themed environments, some current
Timed egress studies are the best way to determine a rea- fire codes do not reflect many of the
sonable exhaust rate. These studies demonstrate that smoke situations presented. Extreme care
can be allowed to gather while occupants exit as long as it must be reserved in these areas to not
only develop a system that meets the
never builds to a point where it impedes exiting. Mike Hart intent of codes and the approvals of the
AHJ, but first and foremost to ensure
guests. We coordinate with the design that we had to integrate into the exist- life safety needs are placed at the high-
team to ensure all devices in these ing space. est priority. This is another area where
areas are specified with the appro- using BIM greatly enhances coordina-
priate materials, gasketing, etc. The CSE: What are some of the chal- tion and enables us to bring attention to
corrosive zones are clearly identified lenges for fire and life safety system challenging areas during design so that
in the documents so the contractors design for specialty facilities? the entire team is comfortable with the
understand where corrosion-resistant eventual outcome.
materials are required. Christman: There are several chal- Hart: Smoke control or exhaust
Lancashire: With sports venues con- lenges designing fire protection sys- is something that must be carefully
stantly competing with each other for tems for highly themed environments addressed in high-occupancy buildings.
the biggest and best of everything, we and animal exhibits. Tremendous care Using prescriptive means of calculating
have designed the installation of several must be taken to route pipe, specify fit- the required exhaust rates may result in
large scoreboards including the largest tings, and select sprinkler types that, unrealistically and unnecessarily high
in MLB. The electrical/power challenge at worst, minimize the impact on the requirements. Timed egress studies are
with this project was that the new score- guest experience, and at best, disappear the best way to determine a reasonable
board demanded its own server room altogether. When working with highly exhaust rate. These studies demonstrate

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input #7 at www.csemag.com/information
 that smoke can be allowed to gather while
occupants exit as long as it never builds to
a point where it impedes exiting.
Hans: Fire alarms in stadiums are
always a challenge. Trying to provide
adequate coverage to the concourse
and seating areas is most difficult
due to a few walls and abundant open
areas. The solution is often to integrate
the fire alarm system with the sound
system for the facilities. This requires
additional components to be specified
with the sound system so that, in the
event of a fire or emergency announce-
ment, the fire alarm would take pri-
ority over all other functions that the
sound system is providing. This also
requires the sound system to be on the
emergency generator for the facility.
Sizing of the generator must account
for the large amplifier loads that must
remain active in the event of power
loss to the facility.
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CSE: What unique HVAC require- systems for occasional vehicular traf-
ments do specialty facilities have fic inside the facility.
that you wouldnt encounter in other Christman: We frequently work
buildings? on theme park attractions where the
HVAC systems become part of the
Esarey: Large swings in occupancy show. We have created unusually cold
can wreak havoc with an HVAC sys- or hot spaces that are consistent with
tem. We had to develop strategies for the story being told in the space. In
controlling the system at specialty other cases, we have had to design
structures during normal hours of special exhaust systems to quickly
operation when the spaces are par- reset the air quality in a guest space.
tially or lightly occupied. Humidity In one example, we designed a system
is a major concern for these kinds of the clears the air of a fog effect that
structures as well as noise, which is a completely immerses a 900-seat the-
common issue in performance centers. ater in less than 2 minutes, before the
Skoug: Specialty facilities unique next batch of guests arrive.
HVAC requirements include: field-
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duct, ventilation systems for beer keg  BIM.
 Codes and standards.
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 Codes & Standards
ASHRAE 62.1:
uncommon calculations, approaches
ASHRAE Standard 62.1 is best known for its regulation of the amount of
ventilation air delivered to each space by HVAC systems through its
ventilation-rate procedure approach to system design. ASHRAE 62.1 offers
many calculations and performance approaches.
BY PETER ALSPACH, PE, Arup, Seattle
M
ost HVAC engineers are familiar with
ASHRAE Standard 62.1: Ventilation
for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.
Likewise, the fundamental calculations required
by the standard are also generally familiar and
have been adopted into many building codes
within the United States, either explicitly or as
an alternative means of compliance.
However, there are some calculations that
are less commonly applied and/or codified
that are worth exploring. Some of these cal-
culations are required when pursuing green
building certifications, such as U.S. Green
Building Council LEED compliance, as a part
of the overall ASHRAE 62.1 compliance doc-
umentation (though some are often ignored
by many practitioners and reviewers). Other
calculations can help the designer improve
the ventilation and indoor-air quality (IAQ)
performance of their designs or offer per-
formance-based alternatives to prescriptive
requirements for consideration.
While this article offers an overview of some
of these calculations, users of the standard are
encouraged to purchase the ASHRAE 62.1-2016
Users Manual and accompanying calculation
spreadsheets from ASHRAE for a thorough
and complete understanding of all aspects of
the standard.
This article will summarize and provide exam-
ples for the following less common calculations
included within ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2016:
www.csemag.com
 Section 5.9.1: Relative Humidity (RH).
Learning
 Section 6.2.6.2: Short-Term Conditions. objectives
 Know the basics of ASHRAE
 Appendix A, A1.2.2: Secondary Recircula- Standard 62.1: Ventilation for
tion Air Systems. Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.
 Summarize the less com-
 Appendix B, B2: Determining L Distance mon calculations within this
standard.
(for exhaust-air outlet separations).
 Review examples to
enhance the understanding of
Section 5.9.1: Relative Humidity these calculations.
Section 5 is an important portion of the stan-
dard that many engineers and architects often
fail to fully evaluate for compliance. This sec-
tion of the standard governs many aspects of the
HVAC and building (read: architectural) systems
that impact IAQ. Aspects governed by this sec-
tion include duct and air distribution system
design, air handling system design, outside-air
intake proximity to exhausts and other potential
contaminant sources, controls, filtration, rain
entrainment and faade moisture management,
and operations and maintenance, to name just
some of the many important aspects covered by
the standard and required for compliance.
One important, and often overlooked, aspect of
good ventilation and HVAC system design is the
control of indoor RH. While the standard does not
attempt to mandate design checks for all system oper-
ational situations, Section 5.9.1 requires the designer
to address RH management of the HVAC system
under a typical dehumidification design condition.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 19
 Codes & Standards
The dehumidification design condi-
tion within the standard is to maintain a
maximum indoor RH of 65% under the
following:
 Outdoor conditions at the dehu-
midification design conditions
(user-stipulated at the 2%, 1%, or
0.4% conditions); dewpoint and
mean coincident dry-bulb tem-
peratures.
 Indoor sensible and latent
loads at design conditions.
 No solar loads (but shall include
envelope conduction and infiltra-
tion loads).
It is important to consider this type
of scenario, as well as other part-load
scenarios with potentially high outdoor
or indoor latent loads, when design-
ing HVAC systems to properly manage
indoor RH, especially in warm and humid
climate zones that predominate in the
eastern and southern United States.
Figure 1: A conference room example
of a relative humidity calculation shows
sensible heat ratio and resultant indoor
relative humidity under part-load condi-
tions. All graphics courtesy: Arup
20 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
Relative humidity: Example 1
Location: Baltimore.
1% design conditions: 74.1F dewpoint;
81.1F mean coincident dry-bulb tem-
peratures.
Indoor design target: 74F dry-bulb;
65% RH.
Space: A 1,000-sq-ft conference room
with an exterior window.
System type: Variable air volume (VAV).
Internal loads: 17,000 Btu/h sensible;
10,000 Btu/h latent.
Envelope load (conduction): 500 Btu/h
sensible.
Infiltration load: 300 Btu/h sensible;
1,200 Btu/h latent.
Total space load: 17,800 Btu/h sensible;
11,200 Btu/hour latent; sensible heat
ratio (SHR) = 0.61.
For the analysis, we will assume a VAV
system with a typical supply air condition
of 55F dry-bulb, 54F wet-bulb under the
aforementioned design condition, with the
supply airflow rate determined by the space-
sensible cooling load. This results in a deliv-
ered airflow rate of 825 cfm.
The resulting psychrometric analysis
shows that the space conditions will be 74F
dry-bulb, 63% RH (see Figure 1). The HVAC
system meets the ASHRAE design require-
ments as outlined in Section 5.9.1. However,
the designer should note that the conditions
are very close to the maximum allowed
adjustments in supply air temperature above
the design condition should be avoided to
maintain acceptable indoor RH conditions.
Relative humidity: Example 2
Location: Los Angeles.
1% design conditions: 66.2F dewpoint;
73F mean coincident dry-bulb tempera-
tures.
Indoor design target: 74F dry-bulb;
65% RH.
www.csemag.com
Space: A 500-sq ft cocktail lounge
with two exterior windows.
System type: Dedicated outside-air
system (DOAS) with chilled-water fan
coil unit (FCU).
Internal loads: 17,250 Btu/h sensible;
13,750 Btu/h latent.
Envelope load (conduction): -200 Btu/h
sensible.
Infiltration load: -50 Btu/h sensible;
525 Btu/h latent.
Total space load: 17,000 Btu/h sensible;
14,275 Btu/h latent; SHR = 0.54.
Peak-cooling space-sensible load:
25,000 Btu/h, including solar load
(for FCU system sizing).
For the analysis, we will assume that
the DOAS provides ventilation air at a
constant rate of 450 cfm at a supply air
condition of 55F dry-bulb, 54F wet-bulb.
Figure 2: This bar example of a relative
humidity calculation shows sensible
heat ratio and resultant indoor relative
humidity under part-load conditions.
www.csemag.com
We will assume that the fan coil runs at a
constant volume of 750 cfm and modu-
lates its cooling coil to meet the spaces
dry-bulb setpoint. The ventilation air
provides 9,720 Btu/h of sensible cooling,
with the fan coil picking up the remaining
7,280 Btu/h of sensible cooling at a supply
air condition of 65F dry-bulb, 62.7F wet-
bulb (sensible-only cooling is assumed
due to the part-load operation).
With an SHR of 0.54, the resultant pre-
dicted indoor RH is 72%. This clearly fails
the required design criteria (see Figure 2).
In reality, the indoor RH will be higher
than 72%, as the initial analysis assumed
a drier starting point for the FCU cooling
coil, which will result in a higher-enthalpy
mixed-air condition and resultant higher
indoor RH.
In this condition, the designer must
modify the design or controls to meet the
required maximum RH of 65%. The con-
ventional, if inefficient, approach would
be to subcool and reheat at the FCU to
meet the RH target. The more energy-
efficient approach would be to use a vari-
able-speed (not multispeed/staged fan
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
control) fan coil and maintain a constant
supply air temperature off the fan coil of
approximately 55F. This would provide
additional latent cooling without wasteful
reheat energy consumption.
Short-term conditions
Section 6.2.6.2, Short-Term Condi-
tions, addresses design situations that
occur less frequently, but are helpful to
give the designer flexibility in designing
a right-sized ventilation system. Some
space types, projects, or program areas
have highly intermittent occupancies,
which may not warrant the full ventilation
flow rate on a constant basis that would
otherwise be determined by the standard
if occupancy were relatively constant.
The standard approaches averaging
by looking at an averaging time that
is equivalent to three time constants
(approximately 95%) of the space without
any averaging reductions. The formula is
given as Equation 6.2.6.2-1 (IP):
3v
T = ______
Vbz
21
 Codes & Standards
Where
v = the volume of the ventilation
zone, in ft3.
Vbz = the breathing zone outside airflow
rate, in cubic feet per minute, calcu-
lated per equation 6.2.2.1 at the design,
steady-state, population.
T = averaging time (minutes).
Once the time period is calculated, the
variable occupancy can be averaged over
that period. In addition to allowing the
ventilation rate to be based on an average
occupancy over that time period, the stan-
dard also allows the designer to vary the
supply of ventilation air to the space over
time, provided the time-averaged ventila-
tion rate is met.
For example, the ventilation supply
could be varied by cycling a VAV box
damper between closed and open posi-
tions or cycling an outside-air damper for
a system. Averaging the ventilation supply
can be helpful in meeting low-ventilation
requirements in equipment with insuffi-
cient turndown.
Variable-occupancy example
Setting: A 10,000-sq-ft concert hall
lobby with 43.5-ft ceilings. The lobby is
expected to hold a maximum of 1,500
guests ahead of the concert, with guests
Figure 3: This concert halls lobby occupancy profile shows the change in population
over time at a typical event.
22 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
expected to arrive over the course of 1
hour, all mingling for 15 minutes before
the main hall doors are opened and
then entering the hall over the course of
another 15 minutes. The lobby remains
empty for 2 hours during the concert.
The guests then exit over 15 minutes,
and the venue is then empty for the
remainder of the night (staff ignored
for simplicity). This occupancy profile
is shown in Figure 3.
The first step is to determine the time
period over which the averaging must
occur. The space volume is 435,000 ft3.
The breathing-zone ventilation rate,
assuming a zone-ventilation effective-
ness of 1.0, is calculated based on the peak
occupancy of 1,500 people and an area of
10,000 sq ft = 1,500 x 2.5 + 10,000 x 0.06
= 4,350 cfm. Therefore:
3 x 435,000
T = _________ = 300 minutes (5 hours)
4,3050
The average occupancy over the course
of the 5-hour time-averaging period is,
therefore, 337.5 occupants. This revised
average occupancy can be used to calcu-
late the design ventilation rate.
This approach reduces the design
breathing-zone ventilation rate from
4,350 cfm to 1,444 cfm. This can result
in significant operational and capital cost
savings if applied on known variable and
intermittently occupied spaces, particu-
larly those with high air volumes.
For a terminal unit with a ducted return to
However, due to the large reductions,
these assumptions should be thoroughly
reviewed with any building owner to
ensure they meet the current and future
needs and flexibility of the space. Alter-
natively, the system could maintain the
capacity and capability of the full ventila-
tion rate and simply use controls to reduce
the ventilation rate, leaving the flexibility
for the owner to later change the basis for
the design ventilation approach.
Secondary recirculation systems
For systems where the supply air con-
sists partially of zone-level return air, the
zone-level ventilation effectiveness needs
to take the return system into account, as
found in Normative Appendix A: A1.2.2
Secondary Recirculation Systems. The
most common example of this situation
is a fan-powered VAV unit. The zone-level
ventilation effectiveness is determined by
the equation:
Fa + Xs x Fb - Zpz x Ep x Fc
Evz = _______________________
Fa
Where
Evz = zone-ventilation efficiency.
Fa = supply air fraction.
Xs = average outdoor-air fraction.
Fb = mixed-air fraction.
Zpz = primary outdoor-air fraction.
Ep = primary air fraction.
Fc = outdoor-air fraction.
Fa = supply air fraction.
One of the key variables for the designer
to consider is Erthe one secondary recir-
culation fraction. The ASHRAE 62.1 User
Manual provides guidance on selection of
the zones secondary recirculation fraction.
the zone served, Er = 0. For a design where
www.csemag.com
the system-level return is used, such as a
dual-fan or dual-duct, Er = 1. The purpose
of this calculation is to appropriately credit
zones for transfer air from other overven-
tilated zones within the system.
Fan-powered VAV example
For this example, we shall consider a
series fan-powered VAV terminal sup-
plying 2,000 cfm of air to an open-office
zone of 1,600 sq ft in heating mode using
plenum return. At design conditions, the
leaving air temperature of the terminal
unit is 90F with a design space tempera-
ture of 70F. The heating primary airflow
is set at 200 cfm by the designer. The air
handling unit (AHU) at design heating
condition has an outside-air fraction of
50%. Note that equations should be ref-
erenced from the standardnot all are
repeated here for brevity.
Er is assumed to be 0.5 based on guid-
ance from the User Manual, given the
location of the terminal units return.
Vbz = 136 cfm using default values from
Table 6.2.2.1.
Xs = 0.50.
Ep = 200/2,000 = 0.1.
Ez = 0.8 per Table 6.2.2.2.
Voz = 136/0.8 = 170 cfm.
Zpz = 170/200 = 0.85.
Fa = 0.1 + (1 - 0.1) x 0.5 = 0.55.
Fb = Ep = 0.1.
Fc = 1 (1 0.8) x (1 0.5) x
(1 0.1) = 0.91.
Evz = (0.55 + 0.50 x 0.1 0.85 x 0.1 x
0.91)/0.55 = 0.95.
This example is simplified for illus-
tration of the calculation. In reality, the
determination of the AHUs outside-
air fraction will be an iterative process
amongst all the zonessome single-duct
www.csemag.com
VAV interior zones and some fan-powered
perimeter zones. The ASHRAE 62MZ
spreadsheet calculation tool or another
equivalent or approved method (alterna-
tive methods are typically approved by
local authorities having jurisdiction, or
AHJ), such as some load-calculation tools,
is recommended for properly calculating
the complexities of multiple-zone systems.
Determining distance L
For most designers, Table 5.5.1 is gener-
ally suitable for determining the separation
distance required for an outside-air intake
from pollutant sources. However, Appendix
B provides designers a performance-based
alternative for determining the required
separation distance. ASHRAE 62.1 uses the
stretched string measurement approach
for determining compliance with the sepa-
ration distance. However, there is one caveat
for noxious or dangerous air (Class 4 air)
if the vertical separation between the
exhaust location and the outside-air intake
is less than 65 ft, the L separation distance
shall be measured only in the horizontal
plane (i.e., there can be no credit for any
vertical separation).
Three examples are shown to illus-
trate the performance-based analytical
approach of Appendix B, with compari-
sons to Table 5.5.1. All approaches use
equation B2-1 for the calculation, tak-
ing into consideration the air class of the
exhaust, the discharge velocity, and the
flow rate.
L(ft) = 0.09 x uQ x (uDF - ____
U
400
) used for natural ventilation, must meet
Where:
Q = volumetric flow rate of the
exhaust, in cubic feet per minute. bustion, therefore the dilution factor is 50
DF = dilution factor, from Table B2-2.
U = exhaust-air discharge velocity,
in feet per minute.
Plumbing vent example
Three plumbing vents are clustered
together on a roof. What is the minimum
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
required separation for the nearest AHU
outside-air intake?
For this example, we consider the
three vents to be acting as a single vent.
The standard guides the designer to use
an exhaust flow rate of 150 cfm for a
plumbing vent. Therefore, the total flow
rate, Q, is 450 cfm. Plumbing vents are
considered Class 3 air, so the dilution
factor is 15. A discharge velocity of 0 is
assumed per Table B2-3 for plumbing
vents.
L = 0.09 x u450 x (u15 - 0) = 7.4 ft
From Table 5.5.1, the designer can see
that, prescriptively, for a vent less than
3 ft above the level of the outside-air
intake, the minimum separation dis-
tance is 10 ft. Therefore, Appendix B
provides a potential advantage for sit-
ing of the outside-air intake closer to the
plumbing vents, if required for spatial
coordination. However, this will need to
be reviewed by the local AHJ for accept-
ability; AHJ approval for deviations from
historic and prescriptive requirements
may prove difficult.
Boiler example
Four 6,000-MBH boilers are vented
through a single flue with a powered
exhaust located on the roof. The exhaust
fan has a discharge velocity of 1,500 fpm.
What is the minimum required separation
for the nearest operable window?
Note that an operable window, when
the same separation requirements as an
AHU outside-air intake.
A boiler flue is considered Class 4 air
as it conveys dangerous particles of com-
from Table B2-2. The default assumption
from the standard of 250 cfm/1 million
Btu/h of boiler capacity is used for the
calculation (note that this should always
be verified with the final equipment selec-
tion); therefore Q = 6,000 cfm. Because
the exhaust is hot and discharged upward,
500 fpm is added to the discharge veloc-
ity, thus U = 2,000.
23
Codes & Standards
L = 0.09 x u6000 x (u50 - 2000/400)
= 14.4 ft
In this case, Table 5.5.1 requires a
separation of 15 ft; therefore, the design
benefits of this analytical approach are
marginal for the designer. However,
if fewer boilers were combined with a
similar discharge velocity, it would like-
ly be advantageous if closer outside-air
proximity was required. Also note that
for gas-burning appliances, NFPA 54:
National Fuel Gas Code must also be
followed regardless of allowances within
ASHRAE 62.1.
Grease-exhaust example
A neighboring building has a 10,000-
cfm grease-exhaust fan discharging
toward your buildings roof. The exhaust
velocity is 1,500 fpm. Your building
desires to locate a shallow balcony with
a door leading into a lounge at a level 70
input #10 at www.csemag.com/information
ft above the discharge, and the door is 20
ft horizontally away from the grease-fan
discharge. Is this situation compliant with
the standard?
Grease exhaust is considered Class 4 air
per Table 5.16.1. Because the discharge is
directed toward the building opening, U
is given a negative value per Table B2-3.
L = 0.09 x u10,000 x (u50 + 1500/400)
= 97 ft
Section B1.3 of the standard allows a
separation of L/2 to be used for openings
that are not used for mechanical or natural
ventilation. However, that allowance does
not apply to Class 4 exhaust-air streams
the separation must equal L. Because the
balcony is more than 65 ft above the fan
discharge, the stretched string measure-
ment approach can be used. In this case,
the distance between the discharge and
the door is:
u702 + 202 = 72.8 ft
Using Appendix B, the calculation
indicates that the door location is not
acceptable, as the calculated L distance is
greater than the actual stretched string
distance.
However, the designer may also choose
to use Table 5.5.1 insteadhere, the sep-
aration is prescriptively listed as 30 ft,
indicating the configuration meets the
standard. While the designer is entitled
to use Table 5.5.1 if lower, the designer
should further evaluate the situation and
try to remedy the condition. The Appen-
dix B calculation clearly indicates that a
potential odor/entrainment problem will
exist and mitigation measures should be
considered.
For example, if the grease-exhaust
discharge can be redirected to be at
least 45 deg away from the opening, U
then equals 0, resulting in L = 63.6 ft, an
acceptable condition per the standard.
Like many ASHRAE standards, Stan-
dard 62.1 has aspects that many design-
ers either are not familiar with or do not
typically use. This article sheds a bit of
light on some of those aspects that will
bring the designer a greater understand-
ing of maintaining proper IAQ as well as
increased design flexibility, which may
be leveraged to save first cost, energy,
operating costs, and provide greater
design flexibility in architectural coor-
dination.
As with most performance-based
design approaches, the designer needs
to carefully consider the pros and cons
of deviating from accepted engineering
norms or designing too tightly around
singular scenarios that may limit future
flexibility.
Peter Alspach is a principal and mechani-
cal engineer at Arup. His expertise is in
HVAC systems design, building physics
analysis, and faade engineering. Alspach
is a member of the Consulting-Specifying
Engineer editorial advisory board and was
a 2008 40 Under 40 award winner.
24 Consulting-Specifying Engineer
 Codes & Standards

Four strategies for implementing

ASHRAE 62.1 in HVAC systems
Theres room in ASHRAE 62.1 to improve energy efficiency
in a commercial ventilation system.

BY KARI ENGEN, PE, LEED AP, CXA; WD Partners, Dublin, Ohio

W
hen designing HVAC systems to
meet local codes and ASHRAE
62.12016: Ventilation for Accept-
able Indoor Air Quality, reducing the amount
of necessary outside air that needs to be condi-
tioned for acceptable indoor use is allowed, and
there are several means by which the designer
can approach such reductions, all of which are
described within this ASHRAE Standard.
Four strategies will be examined to save energy
and realize cost savings. Approaching HVAC
outdoor-air calculations in this manner may not
be the easiest way to design ventilation systems,
but the payoff could make it worthwhile. The
potential reduction in required outdoor airflow
could exceed 50% depending on what combina-
tion of strategies are implemented for a given
HVAC system or a combination of systems.
calculated at a different rate, the area rate (R a),
in cubic feet per minute per square foot. Refer Learning
to the ASHRAE 62.1-2016 Table 6.2.2.1, Mini- objectives
mum Ventilation Rates in Breathing Zone for  Understand how to design
the specific per-person airflow rates (Rp) and ventilation systems using
per-square-foot airflow rates (R a) based upon ASHRAE Standard 62.1: Ven-
the use of the space. tilation for Acceptable Indoor
Air Quality.
The breathing-zone outdoor airflow (Vbz) is
 Learn four strategies to
calculated by summing the people ventilation
realize cost and energy sav-
requirements and the area ventilation require- ings.
ments for the space (ASHRAE 62.1-2016 Section
6.2.2.1). For a dedicated outdoor-air single-zone
system, summing up the ventilation require-
ments for each zone results in the total possible
Reduction in design outdoor airflow requirements
strategies: time averaging, occupant diversity, both

Strategy 1: Occupant diversity 2,500 Volume (cfm)

People that occupy a room will contami-
2,000
nate indoor air by exhaling carbon dioxide,
sweating, coughing, etc. Thats on top of air
Volume (cfm)

1,500
contamination that comes from paint, carpet,
upholstery, and other fixtures that emit minute
1,000
particles and vapors, all of which are already
figured into the mathematic formulas found in 500
ASHRAE 62.1-2016, the standard that regulates
outdoor air. Outdoor-air requirement rates of 0
airflow (R) due to occupants (p for popula- ASHRAE 62.1 ASHRAE 62.1 ASHRAE 62.1 ASHRAE 62.1 with both
Vou with time with diversity and time
tion or people) are calculated at one rate, the averaging diversity averaging
per person rate (Rp) in cubic feet per minute
per person based upon the design-zone popula- Figure 1: This graphic compares the reductions in required design outdoor
tion (Pz). Those requirements that are due to the airflow that results from the use of time-averaging, diversity in occupancy,
zone area/square footage of the spaces (Az) are and the combined use of both strategies.

www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 25

 Codes & Standards
uncorrected outdoor-air intake value. In populations results in a maximum poten- ASHRAE 62.1-2016 Section 6.2.3.5.1
simple terms, find the maximum occu- tial occupancy of 250 total, and the for- allows the designer to determine the
pants in each space, find the areas of mulas help to determine the ventilation diversity (D) by dividing the number of
each space, calculate the breathing-zone needs based on that number. total building occupants by the sum of
outdoor airflows, and then add them up. Yet the real occupancy rate may be all possible occupants of all spaces. In
Note that this article focuses on the much lower, and thats where occupant the example, thats 100/250a potential
calculation of uncorrected outdoor diversity may be applied, which is per- reduction of 60% in the required people
airflow values as generally defined in mitted under Section 6.2.5.3.1. This outdoor airflow. That can mean a signifi-
ASHRAE 62.1-2016 Section 6.2.5.3. This strategy calls for adjusting the system cant savings when heating and cooling
article does not examine the prescriptive needs based on the actual number of the building. One thing that engineers
formulas accounting for multiple-zone people who will be working in the build- can do when creating such systems is to
systems, zone air-distribution effective- ing, or the buildings system population ask specific questions about the build-
ness, or zone primary outdoor airflow (Ps.) Keep in mind that, with most build- ings use and the realistic intended occu-
fractions. These corrections to the out- ing codes, it is not necessary to design pancy before deciding on the final ven-
door airflow are omitted from the exam- a building for every person that every tilation plan. See Example 1.
ples in order to focus attention on the room is designed to accommodate, but
calculation that results from use of the the design must include a reasonable Strategy 2: Time averaging
specific strategies mentioned within the approximation of the expected use of the ASHRAE 62.1-2016 Section 6.2.6.2
article. Such corrections to the outdoor building. The same scenario noted above allows the designer to account for situa-
airflow can be examined independently can be designed for outdoor ventilation tions where the occupancy will peak for
of the additional factors that affect an by applying occupant diversity within only short durations of time. Depending
HVAC systems outdoor airflow and sup- the calculation. In a case where a build- on the building and the business it holds,
ply airflow requirements. ing actually has a total of 100 employees some people may occupy a space for only
To demonstrate the strategies, a sample (full-time-equivalent occupants of the a short period of time. In such situations,
building with a large, open office space building), those 100 people are either at an appropriate strategy is to apply time
that will hold 100 people in addition to a desk, in a private office, in the cafete- averaging. For example, in a transient-
five conference rooms accommodat- ria, or sitting in a conference room, but occupancy situation in which a confer-
ing up to 20 occupants each and a caf- not occupying two spaces at once. This ence room often sits completely empty
eteria accommodating 50 people will be means that the system population is 100, but is occasionally full for a short period
used throughout. The sum of the zone not the sum of all zones populations. of time. The typical meeting will last for
only 45 minutes, requiring occupied
outdoor-air ventilation for that short
Example 1: Calculation of outdoor airflow period of time. However, the prescriptive
requirements in the example building: formulas would indicate the need for full
ventilation for that space all day during
Open office space: 20,000 sq ft (Az1), 100 occupants (Pz1) occupied hours, every day, representing
Conference rooms: 5 at 400 sq ft (Az2), 20 occupants (Pz2) a potentially overventilated room.
Cafeteria/break room: 2,000 sq ft (Az3), 50 occupants (Pz3) By focusing on the amount of time
people are staying in a space, the
From Table 6.2.2.1, office, conference, and break room: Ra = .06 cfm/sq ft; Rp = 5 cfm/person
required outdoor-air requirements can
System population provided by building owner: Ps= 100 be reduced anywhere from 30% to 50%.
Occupant diversity, D = Ps/(Pz1 + 5 x Pz2 + Pz3) Similar to this example would be retail
D = 100/(100 + 5 x 20+50) = 0.40 spaces and restaurants where the occu-
Uncorrected outdoor-air intake (Vou) = D(Rp1 x Pz1 + 5 x Rp2 x Pz2 + Rp3 x Pz3) + pancy varies depending on the day or
(Ra1 x Az1 + 5 x Ra2 x Az2 + Rp3 x Az3) time. The ultimate idea is that meaning-
ful energy savings can result from using
Vou = 0.40 x (5 cfm/person x 100 people + 5 rooms x 5 cfm/person x 20 people + 5 cfm/person x
these different deductions to design the
50 people) + (0.06 cfm/sq ft x 20,000 sq ft + 5 rooms x 0.06 cfm/sq ft x 400 sq ft +
right system for the spacefor exactly
0.06 cfm/sq ft x 2,000 sq ft)
Result: Vou using diversity = 1,940 cfm
the way its meant to be used. The key to
the calculation is to determine the allow-
Vou without using diversity: 2,690 cfm able averaging time period, T. Equation
The use of occupant diversity in Example 1 reduces the required outdoor airflow by 28%. 6.2.6.2-1 is the calculation for the aver-
aging time period:

26 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com

 Equation 6.2.6.2-1: T (min) = 3 /Vbz
The variable () is the volume of the
space in cubic feet. See Example 2.
For the conference room that is occu-
pied for only 30 minutes out of a 90-min-
ute time period, the time-averaged zone
population, Pz avg, is the average of the
occupancy over that 90-minute time
period.
Pz avg = ((20 people x 30 min) +
(0 people x 60 min))/90 min
Pz avg = 6.667 (round to 7 people)
Thus, the outdoor airflow required
is calculated with Pz avg instead of the
default Pz.
Vbz (Time-averaged) = Pz avg x
Rp + Az x R a
Vbz (Time-averaged) = 7 people x 5
cfm/person + 400 sq ft x .06 cfm/sq ft
Result: Vbz (Time-averaged) =
59 cfm
In this example, the required breath-
ing-zone airflow for this conference
room has been reduced by 52% from 124
cfm to 59 cfm.
For an office building that contains a
large number of sparsely occupied rooms,
this reduction in required, outdoor air-
flow can result in a significant reduction
in the total required outdoor airflow that
must be heated or cooled.
The two strategies noted above are
not exclusive, but they can be used for
the same outdoor-air calculation. Com-
bining the results of Example 1 with
Example 2, the Vou calculation is further
reduced as follows. See Example 3.
The reduction in required outdoor air-
flow, when applied diligently to HVAC
systems design, can result in reduced
required cooling capacity in tonnage as
well as reductions in fan airflow, duct
sizing, and fan horsepower. In addition
to the first cost of this equipment, there
www.csemag.com
Reduction in system operating outdoor airflows
strategy: DCV dynamic reset of outdoor air
2,500 Volume (cfm)
2,000
1,500
Volume (cfm)
1,000
500
0
ASHRAE 62.1 Vou ASHRAE 62.1 with DCV in ASHRAE 62.1 with DCV in
conference rooms (high CO2) conference rooms (normal CO2)
Figure 2: The application of demand control ventilation (DCV) does not allow for a
reduction in design outdoor airflow, but may reduce the operational outdoor airflow
during times of low CO2 concentration. All graphics courtesy: WD Partners
Example 2: A 400-sq-ft conference room
has a 10-ft ceiling:
The owner provides historical data showing that the conference rooms in the building are occupied for
30 minutes every 90 minutes, on average, and that the break room is occupied only between 11:45
a.m. and 1:15 p.m. each day.
Equation 6.2.6.2-1 calculates the allowable time-averaging time period:
T = 3v/Vbz
v = room volume in cubic feet
v = (400 sq ft x 10 ft)
v = 4,000 ft3
Occupant density = 50 people per 1,000 sq ft (from Table 6.2.2.1)
Default Pz = (50/1,000) x 400
Default Pz = 20 people
Rp = 5 cfm per person (from Table 6.2.2.1)
Az = 400 sq ft
Ra = 0.06 cfm/sq ft (from Table 6.2.2.1)
Vbz = Ra x Az + Rp x Pz
Vbz = 0.06 cfm/sq ft x 400 sq ft + 5 x 50 persons/1,000 sq ft x 400 sq ft
Vbz = 124 cfm
T = 3v/Vbz
T = 3 x (4,000 ft3)/124 cfm
Result: T = 97 minutes
This result allows the designer to take the average occupancy over a time period up to 97 minutes.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 27
 Codes & Standards
is also the potential for a reduction in
electrical system design sizing, such
as smaller wire sizes, smaller circuits
ampacity, reduced electric operating-
demand kilowatts, as well as electrical
energy-consumption reductions.
Such impacts may not be evident
immediately, but the use of building
energy simulations can demonstrate
cumulative effects of a thorough design
approach to a systems outdoor airflow.
A building owner may not conceptual-
ize the value of such reductions if the
engineer simply describes these strate-
gies; however, a diagram will clearly
demonstrate the cost savings. Running
Reduction in design outdoor airflow requirements
strategy: DCV and occupant diversity
2,500
2,000
Volume (cfm)
a rough energy analysis, and presenting
the results to the building owner or other
stakeholders who facilitate that decision
may make a sizable difference in the
decision-making process.
Strategy 3: Real-time air monitoring
using CO2 sensing
The next two strategies are variations
of what is considered demand-control
ventilation (DCV)or dynamic reset of
outdoor airflow, as it is referred to under
ASHRAE 62.1-2016 Section 6.2.7,
which is an interactive HVAC system
that increases or decreases the real-time
requirement for outdoor air as the space
Volume (cfm)
air-quality conditions change. These
approaches involve the use of sensors that
collect data in a specific zone and com-
municate the information in real time to
the HVAC control system, which then
makes immediate adjustments in the ven-
tilation airflow. The additional control
system complexity that is associated with
the use of DCV should be considered in
the decision-making process.
Designing the ventilation system with
demand-control ventilation and the
potential reduction in required outdoor
airflows during system operation will
also be examined.
The most common application of DCV
uses carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors to
determine if people who are occupying
a room are creating a condition of exces-
sive carbon dioxide and negative oxygen
and, if so, remediate it immediately with
increased outdoor air. This strategy is a
form of dynamic reset, where the air is
constantly being sampled and treated,
not allowing CO2 a chance to concen-

1,500
trate above a predetermined high value.
With these sensors, if CO2 levels begin
1,000
to rise, the system resets to a new value
500 of outdoor-intake airflow until the CO2
drops below the control systems high
0 value. Once this condition is restored,
ASHRAE 62.1 Vou ASHRAE 62.1 with DCV and ASHRAE 62.1 with DCV and the HVAC control system resets back to
diversity in conference rooms diversity in conference rooms
(High CO2) (low CO2) its normal setting.
ASHRAE 62.1-2016 6.2.7.1.1 describes
Figure 6: Application of demand control ventilation (DCV) combined with designed the allowance for outdoor airflow reset
diversity has the combined effect of reduced design outdoor airflow, due to diversity, in response to system population. When
and potentially, reduced operational outdoor airflow during periods of low CO2 con- using a DCV system, the system designer
centration. must determine what airflow range is
appropriate for the zone and for the system.
Section 6.2.7.1.2 describes the require-
Example 3: Combining diversity and time-averaging: ment that the value of V bz cannot be
reset lower than the area airflow rate (R a
Vou with diversity only: 1,940 cfm
x Az) for the zone. So when CO2 values
Calculation of Example 1 Vou with diversity and time-averaged Vbz for the conference room: are low (less than the high value), the
Vou = D (Rp1 x Pz1 + 5 x Rp2 x Pz2 + Rp3 x Pz3) + (Ra1 x Az1 + 5 x Ra2 x Az2 + Rp3 x Az3) designer can set Vbz = R a x A z, which
eliminates the people airflow until the
Vou = 0.40 x (5 cfm/person x 100 people + 5 rooms x 5 cfm/person x 7 people + 5 cfm/person x 50
CO2 levels increase to the high value. At
people) + (0.06 cfm/sq ft x 20,000 sq ft + 5 rooms x 0.06 cfm/sq ft x 400 sq ft +
that time, the V bz must be recalculated
0.06 cfm/sq ft x 2,000 sq ft)
to include people airflow as well as the
Result: Vou (time-averaging and diversity) = 1,810 cfm
area airflow.
Vou (neither time-averaging nor diversity) = 2,690 cfm It is important to note that the high value
Percent reduction in standard-required uncorrected outdoor air = 32.7% should be determined with some knowl-
edge of the ambient concentration of CO2.

28 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com


Often, a value of 1,000 parts per million
(ppm) CO2 is considered adequate for the
dynamic-reset high CO2 value. The use
of 1,000 ppm assumes that the ambient
CO2 concentration in outdoor air is well
below that value, in the range of 400 to
500 ppm. However, in urban areas, the
ambient outdoor-air CO2 concentration
may be much closer to 1,000 ppm, and
in such cases, the designer should con-
sider how this higher ambient CO2 may
impact the high-value setpoint as well
as the reset values for outdoor airflow.
To demonstrate the value of operating
an outdoor-air reset control with DCV,
examine the sample building that has
been used for the examples within this
article and one or all of its 400-sq-ft con-
ference rooms, for 20 people, fitted with
CO2 sensors for dynamic reset.
The designer must determine the
appropriate design dynamic-reset out-
door airflow rates for the high CO2
condition and for the normal CO2
condition. See Example 4.
The values above represent two
required minimum HVAC system venti-
lation operating conditions. The engineer
must size the equipment and outdoor-
and supply-air ductwork to accommodate
both the high and low conditions. Due to
this requirement, HVAC system capacity
is not reduced, so there is no first-cost
advantage to the use of DCV. In fact, DCV
will generally be a higher first cost due to
the additional controls complexity that is
required to operate with DCV.
In Example 4, the building control
system can reset the outdoor airflow to
this room by approximately 80% dur-
ing times of normal CO2 concentration.
During that time period, the HVAC
equipment may operate at a reduced
system-cooling tonnage demand, and
potentially a reduced fan airflow in
variable-air-volume supply fan systems,
which translates to a lower operating-fan
horsepower. Once the room becomes
fully occupied, and the CO2 concentra-
tion rises above the high value, the build-
ing control system adjusts the supply fan
speed to increase the outdoor airflow to
the room to the Vbz (high CO2) value.
www.csemag.com
Example 4: Demand control ventilation calculation
applied to the sample buildings conference rooms:
Vbz (high CO2) = Ra x Az + Rp x Pz
Vbz (high CO2) = 0.06 cfm/sq ft x 400 sq ft + 5 cfm/person x 20 people
Result: Vbz (high CO2) = 124 cfm
Vbz (low CO2, reset) = Ra x Az
Vbz (low CO2, reset) = 0.06 cfm/sq ft x 400 sq ft
Result: Vbz (low CO2, reset) = 24 cfm
Consequently, the cooling or heating
demand may increase as a result during
the time that the increased outdoor airflow
is being supplied to the room.
Ideally, these CO2 sensors are used
in areas that have the potential of being
densely but intermittently occupied, such
as in cafeterias, auditoriums, gymnasi-
ums, and conference rooms. The sensors
may not provide a quantifiable benefit
for other spaces, such as open-office
or reception areas, due to the smaller
number of occupants per unit of area.
ASHRAE 62.1s default occupant density
for offices is one person per 200 sq ft.
There are certainly open-office designs
with much higher densities, but gener-
ally, spaces are considered densely occu-
pied when there are more than 20 people
per 1,000 sq ft. At this higher density,
consider a CO2 sensor for the space and
use a dynamic-reset/DCV approach.
When they were first introduced more
than 25 years ago, CO2 sensors were
expensive, unreliable, and in need of
regular recalibration. Early generation
energy-management systems were prob-
lematic and susceptible to bugs. Today,
CO2 sensors are more dependable and
more cost-effective. Driven by LEED
certification and more stringent energy
codes, customer demand for CO2 sensors
has grown and manufacturers improved
the reliability of digital CO2 sensors.
As a result, the use of CO2-based DCV
has become commonplace in systems of
varying design capacities.
Strategy 4: Real-time monitoring
through occupancy sensing
The final strategy is using DCV with
occupancy sensors. These devices are
always monitoring. When there is motion
in a space that triggers the sensors, the
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
building automation system responds
accordingly. Motion sensors are com-
monly used in other applications, such
as lights that trigger automatically when
a customer enters a store restroom or
security lights that turn on or brighten
when a person walks by.
The approach to outdoor airflows can
be the same that is used with CO2 sen-
sors, whereupon the sensing of motion
causes the outdoor airflow to reset to
the high airflow rate; when there is no
motion, the system resets to the low
outdoor airflow rate. Alternatively, if
the designer chooses to use a dedicated
outdoor-air system (DOAS) system
and directly supplies outdoor air to all
spaces, there is a new provision in
ASHRAE 62.1-2016 that allows for zero
required outdoor-air ventilation with
occupancy if people arent in a particu-
lar room, according to Section 6.2.7.1.2
within the exception text.
Based upon this exception, there may
be opportunities to design the outdoor-
air ventilation system supply airflow to
vary between zero and Vbz values. Note
that a system that uses occupancy sensors
as the means of reset will not be able to
count the number of occupants, so the
outdoor airflow is either 0 cfm or R a x
Az + Rp x Pz, depending on the status of
the sensor.
At this time, HVAC system designs that
incorporate occupancy sensors are not
as common in practice as CO2 sensors.
Initially, they were developed for com-
mercial applications but really caught on
as a way for homeowners to reduce their
energy expense. A prime example of this
is a thermostat that adjusts the tempera-
ture to preset efficiency targets when no
one is home, yet adjusts when it senses
motion.
29
 Codes & Standards
The International Energy Conserva-
tion Code now requires the engineer to
use demand-control ventilation strate-
gies in any space that is at a density equal
to or greater than 25 people per 1,000
sq ft, with some exceptions for small
SENS-DC Print Ad_08 outlines.pdf
systems or specialized HVAC systems.
1 7/21/17
C The savings that can be realized upon
M
Y
DCV is a good strategy for any space
that is expected to be intermittently
occupied, regardless of whether code
requires it. Major manufacturers of pack-
aged single-zone HVAC equipment are
including DCV control modules as a
10:09 AM
factory option in addition to the more
The savings that can
be realized upon
implementation of any or
all of the strategies noted
above can be in first cost
and operating cost.
complex and larger air handling unit sys-
tems.
Using part or all of these strategies to
estimate the total cost savings can be tricky.
There are several variables to consider, and
any savings has to be calculated on a case-
by-case basis. But these strategies are quan-
tifiable energy and money savers, which can
be an attractive opportunity for a building
owner
Getting away from the prescriptive for-
mulas to more reality-based formulas and
strategies is a smart move. It requires a thor-
ough and critical analysis of the building
and its ventilation needs.
implementation of any or all of the strat-
egies noted above can be in first cost and
operating cost.

CM
Smaller outdoor-air ventilation system
MY size can result in a smaller heating or cool-
ing plant and smaller equipment. Smaller
CY
equipment leads to smaller duct and/or pip-
CMY
ing as well as reductions in electrical wire
K sizing and circuit breakers.
Operationally, the reduced outdoor air-
flow saves costs throughout the life of the
equipment and the building through small-
er operating horsepower of pumps and fans
supplying and conditioning the outdoor air.
Regardless, implementing a strategy to
maximize energy efficiency in HVAC sys-
tems can add up, quickly resulting in appre-
ciable savings for property owners over the
long term.

Kari Engen is a senior mechanical engi-

neer at WD Partners. She is a member of
ASHRAE and has provided HVAC design
and commissioning services for commer-
cial projects for more than 15 years.

input #11 at www.csemag.com/information

30 AUGUST 2017
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input #13 at www.csemag.com/information

MEP Giants revenue increases,
along with staffing concerns
The 2017 MEP Giants gross revenue increased as compared with
last year, likely due to company mergers and larger and more varied
projects. MEP/FP design revenue also increased.
BY AMARA ROZGUS, Editor-in-Chief, and
AMANDA PELLICCIONE, Director of Research, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, Downers Grove, Ill.
T
he 2017 MEP Giants gener-
ated approximately $47.65
billion in gross annual rev-
enue during the previous
fiscal year, a slight increase
from last years numbers, in which firms
generated $47.43 billion. In 2015, MEP
Giants firms generated $41.89 billion in
gross revenue. This year, the MEP Giants
earned $6.33 billion in mechanical, elec-
trical, plumbing, and fire protection
(MEP/FP) engineering design revenue,
a 3.6% increase over 2016 revenue of
$6.11 billion.
Several companies either joined the
list for the first time or returned after
an absence in reporting data: Integral
Group (No. 25), NV5 Global (No. 44),
tk1sc (No. 46), Southland Industries (No.
51), Primary Integration Solutions Inc.
(No. 54), Michaud Cooley Erickson (No.
61), Dunham Associates Inc. (No. 62),
LiRo Engineers Inc. (No. 80), kW Mis-
sion Critical Engineering (No. 87), and
POND (No. 98).
The list this year comprises 64% private
companies, 24% employee-owned com-
panies, 7% limited-liability companies,
and 5% public companies. This is nearly
identical to last years data.
Several mergers and acquisitions
occurred in the past year (23%, which was
a slight uptick from the previous year of
21%), changing the name and face of many
www.csemag.com
2017
companies and moving some firms up the
list due to a larger combined revenue (see
page 36 for the article Global M&A activ-
ity holds steady as domestic M&A falls).
Table 1 shows the top firms based on
MEP design revenue, which is how the
MEP Giants are ranked. Table 2 shows the
top MEP Giants firms based on total gross
revenue. The complete table of rankings
is provided at www.csemag.com/giants.
About 58.3% of all 2017 MEP Giants
revenue is generated from MEP design,
with an average MEP design revenue of
$63.33 million per firm, a slight increase
from the past fiscal year, in which aver-
age design revenue was reported at $61.11
million per firm.
Table 1: Top 10 firms by MEP design revenue
Rank Firm MEP design revenue ($)
1 Jacobs $1,589,068,115
2 AECOM $730,800,000
3 Burns & McDonnell $250,868,110
4 Stantec Inc. $183,734,575
5 WSP USA $164,321,000
6 JENSEN HUGHES $141,500,000
7 HDR $133,197,637
8 Arup $130,910,384
9 Affiliated Engineers Inc. $126,740,000
10 IPS-Integrated Project Services $105,612,657
Table 1: Top 10 firms are listed by MEP design revenue. Jacobs topped the list as the
No. 1 firmas it has since 2013with 14% of its gross revenue dedicated to MEP
design. All graphics courtesy: Consulting-Specifying Engineer
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 33
 2017

Engineers on staff MEP design revenue by project type

Fire protection Environmental Commissioning (new buildings)
Maintenance/ or retrocommissioning
3.3% repair/ Other
Plumbing operation
3%
9.8% 7%
8%
8.4%
42.7% 44%

35.8% 38%

Electrical Mechanical Retrofit/renovation New construction

Figure 1: Among those employed by the 2017 MEP Giants, Figure 2: Similar to data from previous MEP Giants research,
there are 22,808 mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protec- the amount of new construction is nearly the same as retrofit/
tion, and environmental engineers (a slight increase from last renovation work. These numbers have remained constant over
years 21,900). several years.

In a change from past years, 24% of
companies reported staffing: qual-
ity of young engineers as their biggest
challenge. In past reports, participants
indicated that the economys impact on
the construction market was the great-
est challenge, which fell to second place
among challenges this year at 14%. This
shift is large; 26% of firms indicated the
economy was a challenge in 2016 MEP
Giants data, indicating that the economys
rebound is no longer top of mind. Other
challenges for 2017 MEP Giants included
evolving information technologies for
Table 2: Top 10 firms by gross annual revenue
Rank Firm
2 AECOM
1 Jacobs
4 Stantec Inc.
3 Burns & McDonnell
7 HDR
5 WSP USA
68 CDM Smith
51 Southland Industries
11 exp
56 STV
Table 2: This shows the top 10 firms by gross annual revenue. MEP design revenue is less
than one-quarter at all of these firms, indicating the breadth of their engineering work.
design or project management at 12% This years MEP Giants employ 196,128
and staffing: keeping older engineers people, including all types of staff and job
trained/current at 6%. titles. Last year, firms averaged 2,241 staff
members, both engineering and nonengi-
Staffing, global revenue numbers neering staff. This number was reduced
The 2017 MEP Giants firms employ by 12% to 1,961 for the 2017 MEP Giants.
61,326 engineers, down from 63,688 This years firms engineering staffs are
engineers last year. On average, each 2017 made up of 14% females (up from 13%
MEP Giants firm has 97 mechanical engi- last year). On average, 43% of nonengi-
neers (up from 83 in 2016), 82 electrical neering staff are female.
engineers (down from 85), 19 plumbing Specialized accreditations include
engineers (up from 17), 8 fire protection LEED Accredited Professionals (at any
engineers (no change), and 22 environ- level) at 4.3% and commissioning agents
mental engineers (down from 27). or professionals (CxA or CxP) at 0.87%.
In 2017, the MEP Giants earned 89.5%
of their MEP design revenue for U.S.-
Gross annual Total MEP based projects, an increase from last
revenue ($) revenue % year (83.9%). Several opportunities are
$17,400,000,000 4% open to MEP Giants outside the United
$10,964,157,000 14% States. Engineering services are provid-
$3,028,935,971 6% ed in North America (Mexico, Canada)
$2,529,705,230 10% 56% of the time. Other areas of growth
$2,219,900,000 6% include the European Union (34%), Asia
$1,378,720,000 12% (33%), the Middle East (32%), the Carib-
$1,191,544,145 2%
bean (23%), and South America (19%).
$748,000,00 4%
Projects in the European Union jumped
$469,990,000 22%
the most, from 27% in the last report-
$414,270,000 6%
ing period to 34% in this fiscal reporting
period. Asian projects dropped from 42%
to 33%, respectively.

34 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com


When it comes to sustainable engineer-
ing, the number of U.S. Green Building
Council LEED projects increased for this
reporting period; 1,553 projects were sub-
mitted for LEED certification in the past
fiscal year, whereas 1,332 projects were
submitted for the previous reporting peri-
od. The number of projects submitted in
the past fiscal year to the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agencys Energy Star
Buildings Label decreased by 11% over
the previous reporting period.
Project types
The 100 firms listed here dont handle
all aspects of engineering. Many subcon-
tract specialty services including acous-
tics (71%), computational fluid dynamics
modeling (20%), construction manage-
ment (20%), and security system design
(20%). More firms are bringing some spe-
cialty services in-house, including chilled
water or boiler system design, electrical
system design, and plumbing design.
As shown in Figure 2, MEP Giants indi-
cated that they split their time between
new construction (44%) and retrofit/
renovation (38%), which has deviated
only slightly from past years. Rounding
out the projects are maintenance, repair,
and operations (7%); commissioning or
retro-commissioning (7%); and other
(3%). For a more in-depth report on com-
missioning, read the October 2017 issue
on the Commissioning Giants.
The 2017 MEP Giants firms continue to
work on several projects in hospitals and
health care facilities, office buildings, indus-
trial/manufacturing facilities, and schools.
Figure 3 breaks down the various building
types in which MEP Giants firms work; the
health care and office building markets were
at the top for this reporting period, as they
were last year. Read about several project
profiles at www.csemag.com/giants.
Companies are well-rounded
Several new questions were introduced
in the past couple of years to help pro-
vide a broader picture of how the MEP
Giants firms are managing their busi-
www.csemag.com
MEP design revenue by building type
Hospitals/health care facilities 16%
Office buildings 12%
Industrial or manufacturing
facilities/warehouses
11%
Colleges or universities 11%
Government or military facilities 10%
Utilities, public works,
transportation 9%
Engineered multi-dwelling
buildings, retail complexes, 7%
restaurants
Data centers 6%
K-12 schools 5%
Research laboratories 4%
Figure 3: The 2017 MEP Giants earned revenue in four key building types: hospitals/
health care facilities, office buildings, industrial or manufacturing facilities/warehous-
es, and colleges or universities. Industrial or manufacturing facilities/warehouses is
new to the top building types this year.
nesses. Some interesting facts about the  Aside from traditional labor and
2017 MEP Giants: overhead costs, a percentage of MEP
 New York again tops the state in Giants spend capital funds on new tools
which firms are headquartered. (such as software or hardware, 26%),
 Many firms have lead engineers or capital improvement (such as office
experts who handle a particular focus: space, 17%), and promotions and mar-
business development director (87%), keting (16%).
chief electrical engineer (85%), chief  Private project or building own-
mechanical engineer (84%), and commis- ers remain the No. 1 source of work/
sioning engineer or coordinator (80%). clients.
METHODOLOGY
At the beginning of the year, the Consulting-Specifying Engineer (CSE) staff col-
lected and analyzed data from several consulting and engineering firms. Some of
the top mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP/FP) engineering
firms submitted their firms profiles to CSE; however, not all consulting firms were
willing or able to participate in this years MEP Giants survey. The minimum MEP
design revenue required for consideration is $5 million, although the smallest
firms on this list far exceed that minimum (the smallest amount of MEP design
revenue reported this year was nearly $11 million).
In 2017, more than 100 engineering firms provided their information for the
MEP Giants program, with some newcomers or firms re-entering the program. A
tie (No. 62) is unusual, but not unheard of. Data and percentages are based on
the top 100 companies that responded to the request for information; the results
do not fully represent the construction and engineering market as a whole. How-
ever, with nearly identical questions asked in previous years and more than 100
engineering firms participating this year, we present a qualified portrait of where
the top engineering firms stand in 2017.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 35
 2017
Global M&A activity holds
steady as domestic M&A falls
More mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire protection
engineering firms are acquiring while other engineering sectors slow
deal-making activities.
BY NICK BELITZ, Morrissey Goodale, Denver
F
Interstate deal
activity (defined as
firms headquartered
in two different states
consummating a
deal) jumped in 2016
to its highest level in
the past 10 years, at
nearly 61% of overall
domestic M&A.
36 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
ollowing back-to-back years of
record-setting levels of mergers
and acquisitions (M&A) in the
architecture and engineering
(A/E) industry, the number of
transactions in the industry declined
modestly in 2016. Morrissey Goodale
tracked 347 A/E deals globally in 2016,
down slightly from 352 deals in 2015,
but still up from 341 deals in 2014 (see
Figure 1).
Consulting-Specifying Engineers 2017
MEP Giants somewhat defied the trend
and increased deal making in 2016, with
23% of the largest mechanical, electri-
cal, plumbing (MEP), and fire protec-
tion firms reporting at least one acquisi-
tion. This represents an increase in the
number of Giants involved in acquiring
another firm over prior years. In 2015
and 2014, 21% of the Giants made at least
one deal, while in 2013, only 16% of the
Giants completed an acquisition.
Domestic M&A down
While global M&A activity in 2016 was
approximately in line with the number of
deals done in 2015, domestic A/E indus-
try mergers and acquisitions fell from
241 deals in 2015 to 215 deals last year
(see Figure 2). This represents a bit of a
conundrum because M&A activity typi-
cally is tied to overall economic activity.
When the economy grows, so does deal
making; when the economy contracts,
mergers and acquisitions pause.
However, 2016 saw the opposite in the
United States: rising GDP and a decrease
in the number of deals. This is likely due
to the relative flurry of transactions seen
over the prior 2 years; pent-up demand
was released as the effects of the Great
Recession faded, transactions peaked in
2014 and 2015 after buyers and sellers
gained confidence in the market, and
then the domestic A/E M&A market
took a bit of a breather in 2016 after 2
torrid years of activity.
Interstate activity on the rise
Interstate deal activity (defined as
firms headquartered in two different
states consummating a deal) jumped in
2016 to its highest level in the past 10
years, at nearly 61% of overall domestic
M&A (see Figure 3). Even as the overall
number of U.S. deals fell in 2016 relative
to 2015, this indicates a high degree of
confidence in the general market as buy-
ers risked investment capital to expand
to new geographies and diversify client
bases across state lines. Interstate activ-
ity in 2016 represents a notable increase
over 2015, in which 57% of deals were
between firms not headquartered in the
same state, and also exceeds the previ-
ous high-water mark of interstate deals
set in 2008.
www.csemag.com
 Annual global M&A activity
341 352 347
332
318
303 295
252 254
Technology, health care, specialized 235
knowledge drive M&A
With general economic growth driv-
ing broad expansions in the U.S. com-
mercial, industrial, residential, health
care, education, and other markets,
MEP firms have widespread oppor-
tunities in the marketplace. Growth
through acquisition is a proven means 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
of expanding market share for MEP Year
Giants and interest in the sector
remained robust in 2016, as evidenced Figure 1: The number of global deals dipped slightly in 2016, as compared with 2015.
by the acquisitive nature of nearly one- All graphics courtesy: Morrissey Goodale
quarter of the MEP Giants.
While interest in the MEP sector was
Annual domestic M&A activity
broad-based, numerous acquisitions
by MEP Giants focused on sellers with 241
expertise in technology applications, 223
215
health care, or other specialized market
180 182 184
knowledge. Notably: 175 175
152 152
 No. 1 Jacobs Engineering (Pasade-
na, Calif.) acquired The Van Dyke
Technology Group Inc. (Columbia,
Md.), a cybersecurity firm special-
izing in access management, threat
mitigation, and cybersecurity con-
sulting.
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
 No. 6 JENSEN HUGHES (Balti- Year
more) acquired Stevenson & Asso-
ciates (Woburn, Mass.), a provider Figure 2: The domestic merger-and-acquisition market dipped a bit in 2016, likely due
of risk- and hazard-engineering to a very busy deal-making year in 2015.
consulting services for the nuclear
power industry as well as engineer-  No. 29 EYP Inc. (Albany, N.Y.) Stantecs acquisitions indicated a gener-
ing services for special-perfor- acquired Stanley Beaman & Sears al desire to round out the firms vertical
mance facilities. (Atlanta), a firm recognized for design capabilities, with deals in building
expertise in the design of childrens design and multidisciplinary engineer-
 No. 17 DLR Group (Minneapolis) hospitals. ing firms both in the U.S. and Canada.
acquired Westlake Reed Leskosky JENSEN HUGHES acquisitions sought
(Cleveland), a provider of inte-  No. 93 Ross & Baruzzini (St. Louis) to expand expertise in specific disciplines
grated engineering, building opti- acquired Mitchell Planning Associ- including fire protection, risk manage-
mization, and specialty consulting ates (Northbrook, Ill.), a provider ment, and forensic science and engineer-
services. of medical equipment planning ing consulting.
services. Also, frequent acquirer No. 44 NV5
 No. 22 TLC Engineering for Archi- (Hollywood, Fla.) made a splash by
tecture Inc. (Orlando, Fla.) acquired Repeat buyers active in the market acquiring fellow MEP Giant No. 60 JBA
Allan and Conrad Inc. (Winter Notable in 2016 was the activity of No. Consulting Engineers (Las Vegas). The
Park, Fla.), specializing in engineer- 4 Stantec and No. 6 JENSEN HUGHES, deal, when added to NV5s June 2017
ing for health care and entertain- which made five deals and four deals, acquisition of RDK Engineers (Bos-
ment facilities. respectively, to advance strategic goals. ton), is expected to vault NV5 to the top

www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 37

 Interstate M&A activity
2017

echelons of Consulting-Specifying Engi-

60.0% 60.9%
neers MEP Giants list. 59.2%
56.6% 56.1%
The road ahead for A/E M&A 55.4%
While 2016 and early 2017 repre- 57.3%
sents a bit of a cooling-off period for 55.3%
54.3%
the A/E M&A market, buyer interest in 52.7%
engineering firms remains strong, with
acquirers looking to expand geographic
reach and service offerings through tar-
geted, disciplined acquisitions. Sellers,
enjoying consecutive years of strong 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
financial performance, are looking Year
to capitalize on the value created, but
also want to select the best partner to Figure 3: Interstate deal activity jumped to a very high level. Deals havent been this
provide an orderly transition and more high since before the Great Recession.
opportunities for staff.
With both buyers and sellers in the
mindset of carefully evaluating prospective Nick Belitz is a principal with Morrissey firms Denver office, Belitz works with
deals, M&A activity in 2017 is expected Goodale LLC, a management consulting AEC firms to deliver M&A, consulting,
to continue at a steady, though somewhat and research firm that exclusively serves and financial advisory solutions. Mor-
subdued pace relative to the deal making the architecture, engineering, and con- rissey Goodale is a CFE Media content
of the last several years. struction (AEC) industry. Based in the partner.

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Congratulations,
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 LEED v4 updates and
impacts on lighting controls
LEED v4 has adopted ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010, which includes
a number of mandatory lighting controls requirements.
BY ROBERT J. GARRA JR., PE, CDT; CannonDesign, Grand Island, N.Y.
P
revious studies have shown that
Learning more electricity is consumed
objectives for lighting in commercial
 Explore ASHRAE 90.1-2010, buildings than for other appli-
the new basis for LEED v4. cations. With tighter opera-
 Understand how lighting tional budgets and enhanced focus on
control design can contribute supporting better environmental out-
to LEED v4 points through comes, organizations are committed to
best practices.
changing this. LEED v4 supports this
aim by using ASHRAE 90.1-2010: Energy
Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise
Residential Buildings as a baselinean
updated standard with an aggressive
goal of 30% energy-cost savings over
the previous standard. To help give an
Average energy savings
38%
38%
38%
38%
38%
Occupancy Daylight Personal Institutional Multiple strategies
harvesting tuning tuning (any combination
of the above)
Table 1: The Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory produced the best estimates of
the average energy savings for lighting for four primary lighting control strategies.
Courtesy: Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, 2011.
40 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
understanding of possible energy-savings
related to lighting controls, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
published A Meta-Analysis of Energy
Savings from Lighting Controls in Com-
mercial Buildings, an analysis of 240
energy savings estimates from 88 papers
and case studies, focusing on actual field
installations as opposed to simulations.
From this data, LBNL produced the best
estimates of average lighting energy sav-
ings for four primary lighting control
strategies (see Table 1).
Update to the energy
baseline in LEED v4
In prior versions of LEED, the energy
baseline was ASHRAE 90.1-2007. This
has now been increased to ASHRAE
90.1-2010. ASHRAE 90.1 is a standard
that provides minimum requirements for
energy-efficient designs for buildings.
The following is a comparison of
ASHRAE 90.1-2007 versus ASHRAE
90.1-2010 for specific highlights as they
relate to lighting controls:
Threshold for compliance:
 2007: Any new or retrofit proj-
ects encompassing 50% or greater
alteration of the connected lighting
load.
 2010: Any new or retrofit projects
encompassing 10% or greater altera-
tion of the connected lighting load.
www.csemag.com
Figure 1: This illustrates an occupancy sensor installed in a classroom that reflects one of the lighting control strategies dis-
cussed. Courtesy: CannonDesign.
Automatic shutoff of lighting:
 2007: Required in buildings larger
than 5,000 sq ft.
 2010: Required in all spaces.
Light-level reduction:
 2007: Not a requirement.
 2010: Lighting must be wired to
allow for a power reduction of 30%
to 70% in addition to turning off
the lighting by either dimming or
switching.
Daylight zones:
 2007: Not a requirement.
 2010: Daylighting control must be
automatic based on natural-light
contribution and must be installed
in spaces with windows and sky-
lights.
Exterior lighting:
 2007: Lighting must be off during
the day.
 2010: Lighting must be off dur-
ing the day and must be off or at a
reduced level at night.
Plug-load control:
 2007: Not a requirement.
www.csemag.com
 2010: 50% of receptacles in private
offices, open offices, and computer
classrooms must be automatically
shut off.
There are several control methods
available to incorporate the requirements
stated above. A networked lighting con-
trol system from a building level is one
option. Or installing multiple types of
systems (e.g., relay control, architectural
dimming systems, wall box dimming) is
another option. As we will see later, the
preferred option may be to use a net-
worked system to maximize the points
available in the LEED v4 scorecard.
Contributing to the LEED scorecard
Lighting control strategies can be
used to earn a maximum of 32 points
in six credits, housed in three credit
categories. It should be noted that the
maximum points per credit is not just
for lighting controls. There are several
design factors that will come together in
a given credit.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
The following gives a brief overview of
the credit and a lighting control strategy
to implement:
Energy and Atmosphere credit category
Enhanced Commissioningmaxi-
mum of six points. (Six points are
achieved by following Path 2 and Enve-
lope Commissioning).
 Intent of credit: To further sup-
port the design, construction, and
eventual operation of a project
that meets the owners project
requirements for energy, water,
indoor environmental quality, and
durability.
 Implementation: Develop a design
narrative that describes the intent
for the lighting control design.
This narrative will be used by the
commissioning authority to com-
mission the lighting control system
and ensure it meets the owners
requirements.
41
 LEED v4 and lighting controls
Optimize Energy Performancemaxi-
mum of 18 points:
n Intent of credit: To achieve increasing
levels of energy performance beyond
the prerequisite standard to reduce
environmental and economic harms
associated with excessive energy use.
n Implementation: Comply with
ASHRAE 90.1-2010. The following
strategies could be incorporated:
n Time/astronomical scheduling: Light-
ing in a defined area turns on or off,
or dims, based on a predetermined,
customizable schedule.
The lighting system can
be connected to the BAS
to use the detection signal
of occupancy sensors at all
hours to adjust mechanical
setpoints.
n Occupancy/vacancy control: In
each area of the building, lighting is
turned on or off based on detected
occupancy. With vacancy control,
users must manually turn on lights,
but lights are automatically turned
off when a space is vacant. Vacancy
sensors are generally considered more
efficient than, therefore preferable to,
occupancy sensors because they only
turn lighting off, not onusers have
to turn lights on manually.
n Daylight harvesting: Electric light
levels are automatically adjusted to
account for the amount of natural
sunlight in a space. Appropriate light
levels are maintained for functional
purposes, and total illumination is
evenly maintained throughout the
space.
n Task tuning: Maximum light levels
are set for a particular use or task
42 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
in a specific room to prevent over-
lighting.
n Personal control: Individuals can
tailor the lighting in their workspace
to their personal preferences.
n Control of emergency egress light-
ing: In the past, lighting on emer-
gency circuits was often on 24/7 as
a safety measure, burning through
the night long after occupants of a
building had left. Advances in con-
trol devices now allow emergency
lighting circuits to be controlled
by time schedules or by automatic
sensors. By equipping these devices
with a UL 924 emergency transfer
device, which can override the digi-
tal lighting control system if normal
power is lost, the system is able to
turn on all lights connected to the
emergency circuit and maintain
egress levels for occupant safety
without wasting energy.
The lighting control system can be
connected to the BAS to use the detec-
tion signal of occupancy sensors at all
hours to adjust mechanical setpoints.
If multiple lighting control zones are
provided in a single mechanical system
zone, the lighting control system can
accumulate the occupancy zones within
the mechanical zone to help refine the
efficiency of the HVAC system.
Specific area examples include:
n Interior private offices or rooms:
Occupants turn lights on and off by
pressing a low-voltage wall switch.
A ceiling-mounted vacancy sensor
turns the room lighting off if occu-
pants forget to turn it off when they
leave.
n Perimeter offices or rooms with
adequate daylight: Occupants turn
lights on and off by pressing a low-
voltage wall switch. This switch
turns the lights on to a level allowed
by a photo sensor that monitors
the amount of daylight hitting the
exterior of the window glass. A ceil-
ing-mounted vacancy sensor turns
off the room lighting if occupants
forget to turn it off when they leave.
n Corridors and lobbies: These are
the only building areas with two
modes of operation: during busi-
ness hours and after business
hours. In the corridors, an array of
occupancy sensors turn lighting on
and off according to occupancy and
the current response mode, dictated
by the lighting control systems
time clock. Perimeter areas are also
equipped with photo sensors to
adjust the amount of electric light
based on the amount of daylight in
the space. Luminaires in these areas
are adjusted to lower-level output
when a load-shed signal is sent.
n During business hours: Upon
detecting occupancy in a corridor,
the lighting control system turns
lights on and keeps them on until
the system enters after business
hours mode, after which point
it only turns lights on when the
building has occupancy, preventing
the corridors from lighting up on
holidays, snow days, and other low-
occupancy days. Once triggered,
lighting remains on in the corridor
throughout the business day, pre-
venting short on-off cycling of cor-
ridor lighting as occupants move
from space to space. At the end of
during business hours, the sys-
tem transfers to the after business
hours lighting control mode.
n After business hours: Occupancy
sensors control corridor lighting
via auto-on and auto-off functions.
After 15 minutes of non-detection,
lighting automatically turns off.
Minimum cycling of lighting is
expected during these low-occu-
pancy hours. Maximum light levels
are set during this time period, as
it is anticipated that the full light
level will not be needed.
www.csemag.com
  Restrooms and stair towers:
Lighting in these rooms is deter-
mined 24/7 by occupancy sensors.
After 15 minutes of nondetection,
the lighting automatically turns
off. Luminaires in these areas are
adjusted to lower-level output
when a load-shed signal is sent.
 Utility and storage rooms: Occu-
pants turn lights on and off by
pressing a low-voltage switch on the
wall. A 2-hour timeout sequence
starts when the switch is activated.
A blink warning occurs when 5
minutes remain in the 2-hour
countdown. If the user wants to
remain in the room, the switch can
be activated again, and another
2-hour timeout sequence commenc-
es. Luminaires in these areas are
adjusted to lower-level output when
a load-shed signal is sent. It is worth
noting that NFPA 70: National
Electrical Code, Article 100.26 (D),
requires a manual switch/override
for electrical rooms.
 Conference rooms: Occupants turn
the lights on and off by either press-
ing a low-voltage wall switch or
using a preset scene-dimming con-
trol station. Ceiling-mounted occu-
pancy sensors operating in vacancy
mode turn the lighting off if occu-
pants leave without turning off the
lights. Maximum light levels are set
for this space for certain tasks.
In order to maximize the credits
achieved, it is important to understand
the inputs to the energy model, and what
is required from the facility owner/occu-
pant. For example, eQuest, is an energy
modeling software that can model the
time based on lighting control, occu-
pancy control, and daylighting control.
For the time-based control strategy, input
is needed from the facilitys owner/occu-
pant in regards to the duration of the on/
off setting (i.e. on at 7 a.m., and off at 7
p.m.). In addition, input is needed for the
duration of occupancy for certain spaces.
www.csemag.com
For example, offices that are occupied on
average for approximately 5 hours per day
will need input for the lighting to be on
for that duration. Daylighting modeling is
done using sophisticated algorithms based
on simple inputs of length of window area,
depth of the daylit zone, and type of glazing.
Advanced Energy Metering
maximum of one point
 Intent of credit: To support energy
management and identify opportuni-
ties for additional energy savings by
tracking building-level and system-
level energy use.
 Implementation: Use a networked
lighting control system that has energy
metering incorporated.
Demand Responsemaximum
of two points
 Intent of credit: To increase par-
ticipation in demand-response tech-
nologies and programs that make
energy-generation and distribution
systems more efficient, increase grid
reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
 Implementation: Lighting control
can contribute to a buildingwide
Percent of buildings with control strategy
Demand responsive lighting
Multi-level lighting or dimming
Task tuning 1%
Daylight harvesting 2%
Occupancy sensors
Time-based scheduling
Table 2: These are the results of the 2012 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption
Survey. Courtesy: U.S. Energy Information Administration
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
effort to reduce demand. Lighting
is turned off or dimmed in pre-
determined areas at times of peak
demand. A networked lighting con-
trol system can receive an initiation
signal from a demand-response
program provider and will also
restore light levels at the end of the
demand-response event.
Indoor Environmental
Quality credit category
Interior Lightingmaximum of two
points:
 Intent of credit: To promote
occupants productivity, comfort,
and well-being by providing high-
quality lighting.
 Requirement specific to lighting
control: For at least 90% of indi-
vidual occupant spaces, provide
individual lighting controls that
enable occupants to adjust the
lighting to suit their individual
tasks and preferences, with at least
three lighting levels or scenes (on,
off, midlevel). Midlevel is 30% to
70% of the maximum illumination
level (not including daylight contri-
butions).
4%
7%
16%
18%
43
 LEED v4 and lighting controls
Implementation: By using the
strategies noted above in the Energy
and Atmosphere credit,
this credit should be realized.
Rising energy costs and more regulation through energy
codes are making energy management a top priority for building
owners and managers.
Innovation credit category
Innovationmaximum of two points:
Intent of credit: To encourage proj-
ects to achieve exceptional or innova-
tive performance.
Implementation: Nearly 30% savings
have been realized in lighting energy
consumption by implementing the
control strategies noted above. This
has qualified such projects for an
innovation credit.
In addition to more advanced light-
ing control systems, LED technology
has helped in being able to meet energy
codes and achieve LEED certification.
LED technology is increasingly afford-
able and is being used more frequently.
One advantage of LED lighting is that it
is inherently dimmable: If you pair the
LEDs dimmable driver with a compat-
ible control, additional components are
not required to tune the light. The 20%
to 30% additional cost is no longer neces-
sary for a controllable fluorescent ballast,
opening up the possibilities of light mod-
ularity as the norm instead of a novelty.
Rising energy costs and more regula-
tion through energy codes are making
energy management a top priority for
building owners and managers. This
environment emphasizes the importance
of LEED-certified buildings. The points
noted above give designers and engineers
additional tools to both meet and exceed
the expectations of current and future
energy code regulations.
Illustrated in Table 2, the strategies
that are discussed are not frequently
used. As lighting and electrical designers
become more familiar with the technolo-
gies available, energy savings will become
much more commonplace.
Robert J. Garra Jr. is a senior vice presi-
dent at CannonDesign. An engineering
leader who understands clients and their
goals, Garra applies his project leader-
ship and industry knowledge across the
firms market segments while providing
strategic direction to the engineering
group. He is a member of the Consult-
ing-Specifying Engineer editorial advi-
sory board.

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 How to use LEED v4
for lighting controls
Lighting requirements in LEED v4 have become more holistic, with a greater
emphasis on improving the quality of illumination for building occupants.
BY JOHN YOON, PE, LEED AP ID+C; McGuire Engineers, Chicago
Learning
objectives
 Review the new lighting
control requirements within
U.S. Green Building Councils
LEED v4.
 Understand associated
interdependencies of the vari-
ous prerequisites and credits
within the standard.
 Provide guidance in imple-
mentation and documentation
of LEED v4 project.
48 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
T
he lighting requirements in
LEED v4, governed by the
U.S. Green Building Coun-
cil (USGBC), have become
much more holistic with a
greater emphasis on improving the qual-
ity of illumination for the occupants of a
building. The associated new metrics for
lighting within the standard represent a
steep learning curve. The lighting credits
include new criteria, such as lamp life,
color rendering, reduction in the use of
direct-only lighting, surface reflectance
within a room, illumination uniformity
ratios, etc. Lighting controls, while part
of the prerequisite and credit options, are
relatively straightforward as compared
with these other new requirements.
The new lighting control requirements
within LEED v4 will be reviewed to
understand associated interdependencies
of the various prerequisites and credits
within LEED v4, and help provide guid-
ance in implementation and documenta-
tion. While this article focuses on LEED
v4 for Interior Design and Construction
(ID+C), the general concepts are usually
applicable for all versions of the rating
system. LEED v4 does not represent a
monumental change in lighting control
requirements as compared with those
incorporated into the prevailing energy
codes. It is vital to understand the new
criteria in LEED v4 in order to create a
successful LEED submission.
LEED prerequisites and credits
for lighting controls
The format and organization of LEED
prerequisites and credits have changed
between LEED 2009 and v4. While the
general classifications have not changed
much (for example, Energy & Atmo-
sphere, Indoor Environmental Qual-
ity, etc. are still present), the number-
ing of the various individual credits and
prerequisites has been eliminated from
the project-checklist spreadsheets pub-
lished by USGBC. Referring to EAc1.2
(which referred to Lighting Controls
under LEED 2009) is no longer allowed;
the actual title needs to be referenced
for that particular credit. While many
independent online references have
assigned numbers to the various cred-
its to aid in organization, they do not
appear in the authoritative USGBC
LEED v4 checklists.
The impact of lighting controls in
LEED v4 doesnt extend much beyond
what was commonly considered under
LEED 2009. The following is a list of
prerequisites and credits where lighting
controls apply:
 EA: Fundamental Commissioning
and Verification (prerequisite)
 EA: Enhanced Commissioning
(credit)
www.csemag.com
 n EA: Optimize Energy Perfor-
mance (prerequisite)

n EA: Advanced Energy

Metering (credit)

n EA: Demand Response

(creditBD+C and O+M rating
system only)

n EQ: Interior Lighting (credit).

Lighting controls is one potential com-

ponent of an overall strategy to consider
when the building systems are designed
to allow for adaptive reuse over the life-
cycle of the building structure.

Defining the baseline for

energy performance
LEED mandates a minimum level
of energy performance. The baseline
reference energy-conservation code
for LEED v4 is ASHRAE 90.1-2010:
Energy Standard for Buildings Except
Low-Rise Residential Buildings. This
is compared against ASHRAE 90.1-
2007, which used LEED 2009. While
not necessarily as stringent as more
recent versions of ASHRAE 90.1, the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
performed a study indicating that
ASHRAE 90.1-2010 still represented a
potential average improvement of 18%
across all building types as compared
with ASHRAE 90.1-2007.
All LEED projects must comply with
all applicable mandatory provisions of
ASHRAE 90.1-2010. To meet the LEED
Optimize Energy Performance pre-
requisite, it must be demonstrated that
there is an improvement in the proposed
performance beyond the baseline rating
as defined by ASHRAE 90.1-2010. LEED
v4 for ID+C projects provide two dif-
ferent compliance-path options; energy-
modeling compliance path where a mini-
mum of a 3% improvement is required
for the systems related to the area of
work, or a prescriptive compliance path
where a 5% reduction in the connected
lighting power density is required. The
5% reduction may be calculated using
Figure 1: Modern lighting control systems often use digital addressable devices for
status and control functions. This picture is of a Dali to DMX control gateway to auto-
mate control of tunable white LED light fixtures. All graphics courtesy:
McGuire Engineers Inc.
either the space-by-space method or the
whole-building lighting power allow-
ance. Credit points for additional light-
ing power reductions are also possible
including 10% for one point, 15% for two
points, 20% for three points, and 25% for
four points.
The LEED prerequisites state that
Energy Star appliances, office equipment,
electronics, and commercial food-service
equipment account for at least 50% (by
rated power) of the total Energy Star-eli-
gible products in the project. It is worth
mentioning that while there is an Energy
Star category for commercial lighting, it
does not apply to LEED. HVAC, lighting,
and building envelope products are spe-
cifically excluded. While outside of the
scope of this article, Energy Star certifica-
tion has been recently extended to several
other product categories, such as unin-
terruptable-power supplies (UPS) and
network and computer server equipment.
LEED review comments may include
requests to quantify these new categories
of Energy Star-eligible equipment that are
included in projects.
Energy modeling
If the energy-modeling compliance
path is chosen, selection of lighting con-
trols can help improve the models over-
all performance. While credit is not given
for spaces where ASHRAE 90.1 already
requires automatic controls, credit can be
taken if furnished for spaces where use
of specific types of controls is optional
(i.e., multilevel occupancy sensors, day-
light-adaptive dimming, etc.). Typically,
the result is an adjustment that allows
the reduction in the connected lighting
power usage by a control factor (cf ) as
defined by ASHRAE 90.1-2010, Table
9.6.2. Note that in 2012, Table 9.6.2
replaced Appendix G, Table G3.2, which
listed power-adjustment percentages for
automatic lighting controls in Adden-
dum cg. The control factors listed in
Table 9.6.2 are much more comprehen-
sive than Table G3.2. Table 9.6.2 also can
be used to provide an additional lighting
power allowance for the prescriptive path,
which can be a significant contribution
when attempting additional LEED credit
points for lighting power reduction.

www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 49

 LEED v4 for lighting controls
Prescriptive compliance either time-of-day, occupancy sen- can be accomplished via dimming,
The work associated with creating an sors, or a signal from another control alternate switching of fixtures,
energy model is not trivial, and the asso- or alarm system that indicates that turning off individual lamps with-
ciated cost is not justifiable for many the area is unoccupied. in a multilamp fixture, etc.
projects. In those cases, the reduced doc-
umentation requirements of the prescrip-  Automatic control devices shall be  Automatic daylighting controls
tive-compliance path make more sense. either manual-on (i.e., semi-auto- with multilevel control (including
For prescriptive compliance in ID+C, a matic or vacancy-sensing) or shall dimming) for side-lighted areas
simple checklist of lighting control code turn on lighting to not more to 50%. exceeding 250 sq ft or areas with
requirements per ASHRAE 90.1-2010 is The primary exception to this rule top lighting exceeding 900 sq ft.
required. BD+C forms are even more basic is where manual-on operation could
and omit any type of lighting controls endanger safety or security.  Space with multiscene control
information within the online EA mini- systems, shop and lab classrooms,
mum energy-performance forms. Instead,  Each space enclosed by floor-to- areas that require 24-hour lighting,
BD+C prescriptive paths need only upload ceiling partitions shall have inde- or where automatic shutoff would
supporting compliance documentation pendent control for the lights with endanger safety or security are
with either the ASHRAE Advanced Ener- that space. The control shall be exempt.
gy Design Guide or Advanced Building readily accessible and located so as
Core Performance Guide. to allow the occupants to see the Several states have already adopted
In comparison with ASHRAE 90.1- controlled lighting. energy-conservation codes more strin-
2007, ASHRAE 90-1.2010 has more gent than ASHRAE 90.1-2010. If adopted
stringent lighting control requirements  Each control device shall control no by the local authority having jurisdiction,
that apply to more space types. How- more than 2,500 sq ft for a space of the more stringent code takes prece-
ever, the control requirements are still 10,000 sq ft or less and a maximum dence. However, the additional control
relatively straightforward. The following of 10,000 sq ft for a space greater requirements in those more current
are general minimum lighting controls than 10,000 sq ft. energy-conservation codes can translate
required by ASHRAE 90.1-2010: to additional credit points under LEED.
 Automatic lighting shutoff controls  Controlled lighting shall have at
are required in all spaces (with some least one control step between 30% The optimize energy-performance
special exceptions). Controls may be and 70% in addition to all-off. This prerequisite
The Energy and Atmosphere Opti-
Are you ready for LEED v4? mize Energy Performance ID+C prereq-
uisite form also includes fields for Inte-
OCT. 31, 2016, was an important date for those who were working on a LEED project late last year rior Lighting Control credits. Inclusion
because it was the deadline for registering a project under the old LEED 2009 rating system. While the of daylight controls for at least 25% of
registration deadline was extended more than a year beyond the original date of June 27, 2015, many the connected lighting load is worth one
were still left scrambling in an attempt to get their projects submitted prior to the deadline. point. Inclusion of occupancy controls for
With a new rating system, there is always a period of uncertainty and apprehension. When the LEED at least 75% of the connected lighting load
v4 pilot program went live in 2013, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) expended a considerable is worth another point. These points are
amount of resources on education to support the adoption of the LEED v4 rating system. Nevertheless, in addition to the potential credit points
a survey of participants at the 2014 Greenbuild convention indicated that 61% of respondents were still offered by the environmental quality (EQ)
not ready or unsure if they were ready to pursue LEED v4. Few were compelled to attempt certifica- Interior Lighting credit.
tion under LEED v4 prior to the deadline. A search of the USGBC online project database only returned Filling out the portion of the form
2,320 LEED v4 projects versus an overall total of 57,159 LEED projects registered between Sept. 30, related to lighting controls is relatively
2013, and May 1, 2017. straightforward (Figure 1). However,
LEED has a reputation for driving innovation and efficiency in green building design. However, by the additional documentation beyond just
time the deadline came for the new rating system, LEED 2009 had been in effect for more than 7 years. filling out the form is required. Typi-
What was once innovative had become the de facto industry standard. As with any progressive standard cally, you will want to prepare a floor
in effect for that long without significant change, it had the potential to fall into irrelevancy without major plan specific to lighting controls, with
updates to keep pace with evolution of the green building industry that it originally helped define. While the primary goal of assisting the LEED
the revisions incorporated into LEED v4 helps maintain the standards position at the forefront of the green reviewer in easily visualizing the relative
building movement, the associated design practices now have to evolve as well. percentage of areas and associated light
fixtures controlled by each control type.

50 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com

The floor plan should indicate the room-
name identification, space type, and
lighting control type used in that area
along with the location of the associ-
ated controls. The information should
be presented in a clear and concise man-
nervisualization strategies, such as
color-coding rooms on the floor plan to
identify the control type that is present
in each room, may help (Figure 2). The
information that is presented on these
plans should be easy to cross-reference
with information entered on the form.
Remember that the LEED reviewer will
be seeing this information for the first
time and will not have the same intimate
familiarity with the project as the design
team. Anything that you can do to make it
easier for the reviewer to understand the
design methodology will help. The floor
plan that you create can also be used for
the EQ Interior Lighting credit if you
choose to pursue it.
EQ interior lighting credit
Providing a comfortable and visually
pleasing environment with high-quality
lighting has a greater emphasis in LEED
v4. USGBC has rewritten and expanded
the LEED 2009 IEQc6.1 Controllability
of SystemsLighting credit. Under LEED
2009, the credits only requirement was to
provide individual lighting controls for
a minimum of 90% of individual occu-
pants and 100% of multioccupant spaces
to enable adjustments to suit individual
task needs and preferences. Achieving
this credit was worth one point. The new
LEED v4 EQ credit Interior Lighting
has expanded that to two potential credit
points. There are two credit options to
choose from, each of which is worth one
point. Option 1 involves providing light-
ing controls above and beyond ASHRAE
90.1-2010. Option 2 offers eight strategies
involving the quality of illumination, of
which four must be implemented to meet
the minimum credit threshold. Both
options can be pursued for credit.
For the lighting controls option,
the basic requirement of providing at
least 90% of individual occupants with
lighting controls remains. However, it
www.csemag.com
Figure 2: Vacancy sensing lighting controls are a ASHRAE 90.1-2010 requirement for
several different space types. This picture is of a ceiling mounted dual technology
sensor with an integrated photocell. The DIP switches allow it to be configured as
either an occupancy (auto on/auto off) or vacancy (manual on/auto off) sensor.
has been expanded with a requirement are exceptions to this requirement for
that at least three lighting levels (on, off, certain space types that dont fall into
midlevel) are also provided. The midlevel the categories defined by ASHRAE 90.1-
must be 30% to 70% of the maximum 2010, Section 9.4.1.2b. Per the exception
illumination level. Daylight contribu- to Section 9.4.2.1.2c:
tions shall not be included in that assess- A remote control location shall be per-
ment. Any daylight contribution does not mitted for reasons of safety or security
qualify as a separate lighting level. While when the remote control device has an
motorized window treatments may be indicator pilot light as part of or next to
useful elsewhere within the rating sys- the control device and the light is clearly
tem, they have no impact for this credit. labeled it identify the controlled lighting.
In open-office environments, task The format for the Interior Lighting
lighting may still be used to satisfy the credit form is similar to the old LEED
individual control requirement. Task 2009 credit form. The form still separates
lights are not required to be hardwired to individual occupant and multi-occupant
meet this requirementplug-in type may spaces due to differences in the mini-
be used. The multilevel control require- mum compliance thresholds (90% ver-
ment also applies to shared multi-occu- sus 100%). The individual spaces must
pant spaces, such as conference rooms still be tabulated into specific groups
and classrooms. For both individual and (open-plan workstation, private office,
multi-occupant spaces, the percentage of etc.). The various group types are defined
compliant spaces is based on the num- via pull-down menus in the PDF credit
ber of occupant spaces, not percentage of form. For spaces not matching any of the
overall floor area per usage type. predefined options, there is an other
Another requirement is that the con- category in the pull-down menu. The
trols are in a location that is convenient shared multi-occupant section of the
to the occupants. This means that the form has an additional column, Meets
control is readily accessible and located Requirements for Switch Controls. As
so that occupants can see the controlled described in the fine print immedi-
lighting. For example, in health care ate below the schedule, this means that
projects, there must be considerations manual controls must be located within
for patient areasthe controls need to the space and have a direct line of sight
be accessible from the patient bed. There to the controlled luminaries.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 51
 LEED v4 for lighting controls
As with the EA prerequisite, provid-
ing proper supporting documentation
to this credit is critical. While the most
effective strategies for documentation
are debatable, ultimately the basic goal
should be to clearly and concisely convey
to the reviewer what controls are present
in which area. New additions to the credit
form include a section requiring a writ-
ten narrative description explaining how
individual occupant spaces and shared
multioccupant spaces were determined,
if certain spaces were excluded and why,
and the overall lighting control strate-
gies used for the project. Any floor plans
that are submitted should support this
information thats entered into the credit
form. Again, it may be effective to expand
on the documentation submitted for EA
Optimize Energy Performance lighting
controls category. Make sure that all sup-
porting information is uploaded so that
the reviewer doesnt have to reach out to
you to request it.
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Commissioning is fundamental
The most energy-efficient light fixture
is the one that doesnt turn on when it
isnt needed. However, what happens
when the lighting controls dont work as
expected and the lighting either doesnt
turn off or turns off when it needs to stay
on? LEED v4 specifically requires light-
ing control systems commissioning to
address these types of issues. The LEED
v4 commissioning requirements are not
particular unusual and encompass the
traditional documentation and func-
tional testing that was generally required
in LEED 2009. Most of the work is associ-
ated with the fundamental commission-
ing prerequisite, and the enhanced com-
missioning concerns the commissioning
authority (CxA). However, a significant
amount of input from the design team is
still required. The basic documentation
requirements for the design team, in addi-
tion to the general basis-of-design system
narrative, should include the following:
A member of the Panasonic Group
input #17 at www.csemag.com/information
n Develop a sequence of operation for
the lighting controls. This should
harmonize with the narrative
description included with the EA
Lighting Controls credit docu-
mentation.
n Where other credits are pur-
sued (i.e., Demand Response,
Advanced Energy Metering, etc.),
all associated aspects of the inter-
face of the lighting controls to those
systems should also be included in
the documentation.
n Include required setpoints (light
levels for multilevel dimming sys-
tem, daylit zones, etc.) and run
time schedules where time-of-day
controls are specified. Again, these
should harmonize with the docu-
mentation furnished for the other
lighting control prerequisites and
credits.
 n Preventative maintenance plan
based on the manufacturers recom-
mendations.
n Provide all of the project-specific
system manualsnot just the
manufacturers generic equipment
manuals.
n If monitoring-based commission-
ing is performed for credit under
the Enhanced Commissioning
credit, all aspects of the building
energy-usage measurement system
including the lighting must be
included.
Advanced energy meter and
demand response
By having reliable, quantifiable data
on the energy usage and performance of
the building, it is more likely that per-
sistent or improved energy efficiency
can be achieved. After all, its difficult to
improve what you cant measure. LEED
v4 has an EA credit for Advanced Energy
Metering. The credit requires that any
energy end use that represents 10% or
more of the total annual energy con-
sumption must be measured. Lighting
systems typical fall under this require-
ment.
Many modern lighting controls sys-
tems using a centralized server are able
to meet this metering requirement. The
two typical compliance solutions are
extrapolation and actual measurement.
The extrapolation method is based on the Figure 3: If direct line-of-sight to the light
assumption that a predefined light fixture fixtures is not possible due to security
power usage multiplied by the measured or functional concerns, ASHRAE 90.1-
run time for those lighting fixtures will 2010 require some way of annunciating
be representative of the actual energy the status (on or off) for the light fixtures
usage (i.e., a 100 W lamp multiplied by that are connected to any particular con-
100 hours of run time equals 10 kWh). By trol device. This shows a touchscreen
monitoring how long a particular light- lighting control in debug model. When
ing zone is on, the power usage can properly configured, it can display the
be determined if it is known what/how status of any lighting control zone for
many light fixtures are connected to that this system.

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LEED v4 for lighting controls
Figure 4: Automatic
lighting control is
required by ASHRAE
90.1-2010. For certain
space types, time-of-day
control is acceptable
way to comply with this
requirement. This is of
a stand-alone dimming
system that is also
capable of automatic
time-of-day control.
control zone. While it is a cost-effective Also, when a centralized server is used
approach due to its reduced hardware/ for lighting control, other features, such
metering equipment requirements, this as utility demand-response programs,
methodology only provides an estimate are much easier to implement. LEED
of energy usage. This is due to the fact v4 offers an EA credit for Demand
that it doesnt depend on direct measure- Response. However, this credit is only
System Integration Netwroking & Security Info Management
ments of the lighting branch-circuit cur- available under the BD+C and the O+M
rent draw. The accuracy of the estimated rating systems. It is not available for
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the accuracy of the predefined quantity is implemented, the functionality of these
of power required by any particular con- systems has to be verified through the
Engineers' Choice Awards finalists
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modifications/remodeling work is caus- Lighting control requirements span
ing a change in the quantity or type of several different LEED prerequisites
The netX network controller chip
family from Hilscher integrates
fieldbus and industrial Ethernets
for transparent protocol
conversion. One chip, 12 networks,
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light fixtures, or other similar variables and credits. Most prerequisites can be
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are anticipated that would impact the easily met through compliance with the
accuracy of the extrapolated data, this prescriptive requirements of ASHRAE
methodology is not recommended. In 90.1-2010. However, LEED v4 has
that case, use of a true electrical meter- evolved beyond a simple emphasis on
ing system incorporating current trans- specifying the basic parts of a light-
formers to measure current draw at the ing control system. LEED v4 brings a
branch-circuit level would be justified. renewed emphasis on functional testing
Some energy-metering and measure- of lighting control systems to make sure
ment systems will use a hybrid combi- that they function properly. Lighting
nation of these two methods to achieve control systems play a fundamental role
some level of cost savings. in LEEDs core concepts of environmen-
If provided, lighting system metering tal responsibility and providing build-
can also potentially contribute to the ing occupants with the ability to control
pilot credit Energy Performance Meter- their environment. They cannot be left
ing Path. The goal of this pilot credit as an afterthought in designs.
is to validate the energy-usage reduc-
tion that was estimated by the energy John Yoon is a lead electrical engineer at
model created for Option 1 of the EA McGuire Engineers Inc. and is a member of
Minimum Energy Performance pre- the Consulting-Specifying Engineer edito-
requisite. rial advisory board.
54 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
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 Understanding
overcurrent protection
Electrical engineers can use this guide to understand NFPA 70:
National Electrical Code requirements for overcurrent protection.
BY STEVEN EICH, PE, CDT, REP, LEED AP; Environmental Systems Design, Chicago
Learning objectives
 Understand the three types of overcurrent
conditions to consider in typical NFPA 70:
National Electrical Code applications.
 Ascertain how to protect a circuit from
dangerous overloads and short-circuits.
 Review overcurrent protection for certain
types of building equipment.
56 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
O
vercurrent protection
seems like a simple con-
cept: Limit the current
flow in a circuit to a safe
value. Electrical designers
face this task daily.
But there is much more to it. How do you
limit the current flow? What is a safe value?
The answers depend on the application,
the equipment being protected, and the
strength of the source.
Fortunately, NFPA 70: National Electric
Code (NEC) gives requirements for most
of the applications that electrical engi-
neers and designers encounter in their
work. Though at first glance, the NEC
requirements might not seem straightfor-
ward, there is solid reasoning behind the
overcurrent-protection code rules.
Overcurrent protection (OCP) protects
a circuit from damage due to an overcur-
rent condition. There are three types of
overcurrent conditions to consider in
typical NEC applications:
Overload: NEC 2017 defines overload
as operation of equipment in excess of
normal, full-load rating or of a conduc-
tor in excess of rated ampacity that, when
it persists for a sufficient length of time,
would cause damage or dangerous over-
heating. A fault, such as a short circuit or
ground fault, is not an overload.
Overload conditions are usually not as
time-critical as short circuits and ground
faults. Electrical equipment can usually
withstand some level of load current over
its rating for a length of time. Information
Figure 1: There are four types of short
circuits: 3-phase fault, line-to-ground
fault (the most common), line-to-line
ground fault, and line-to-line fault. A
3-phase fault usually results in the high-
est fault current. All graphics courtesy:
Environmental Systems Design
www.csemag.com
regarding equipment-overload capability
often comes from the manufacturer. How-
ever, some equipmentmotors, trans-
formers, and conductors, for example
have overload-protection requirements set
by the NEC.
Short circuit: A short circuit is defined
as flow of current outside the intended
current path. In a 3-phase circuit, two
types of short circuits are possible: sym-
metrical 3-phase faults and unsymmetri-
cal single-phase faults (Figure 1). Sym-
metrical faults result in the same current
flow in each phase during the fault condi-
tion. Unsymmetrical faults have different
fault currents in each phase. Symmetrical
3-phase faults rarely occur, but their anal-
ysis is useful in understanding a systems
response to a fault and usually results in
the worst-case fault levels. Unsymmetrical
faults are more common and usually result
in less fault current than a symmetrical
3-phase fault.
Ground fault: A ground fault is a spe-
cific type of short circuit involving at least
one of the phase conductors encountering
a grounded conductor or surface. Ground
faults include a single line-to-ground fault
and multiple-line-to-ground faults (Figure
1). The single line-to ground fault is the
most common type of fault.
The different types of faults are shown
in Figure 1 to illustrate the concept of
overcurrent protection.
What happens during an overload or
fault condition? Figure 2 depicts a simple
single-phase circuit operating in a normal
configuration. In this case, the load cur-
rent is 10 amps. The circuit is protected
by a 15-amp circuit breaker. The circuit
breaker does not open; the load current
flows and the conductors do not overheat.
Figure 3 illustrates the result of an over-
load condition. In the overloaded circuit,
the load current is nearly 20 amps. The
circuit breaker will allow the overload
condition to continue for approximately
2.5 minutes before opening the circuit.
The conductors will begin to heat up, but
will not be damaged.
Figure 4 shows the result of a short
circuit condition. The fault current is
approximately 10,000 amps. The circuit
www.csemag.com
Figure 2: Example of a circuit with no fault. The current can flow indefinitely without
tripping the overcurrent protection.
breaker will allow the short circuit cur-
rent to flow for only a short time. If the
fault current persists, the insulation will
melt and the conductors themselves will
be damaged.
Figure 5 shows a ground-fault condi-
tion. In this example, the ground-fault
path adds approximately .012 ohms of
resistance in parallel with the load resis-
tance, resulting in a much lower circuit
resistance. The fault current is approxi-
mately 5,000 amps. As in the case with the
short circuit, the circuit breaker will allow
the fault current to flow for only a short
time. Again, if the fault current persists,
the insulation will melt and the conduc-
tors will eventually be damaged.
How to protect a circuit from
dangerous overloads and short
circuits
The requirements for overcurrent pro-
tection of equipment can be found in the
NEC article that addresses that specific
equipment. NEC Table 240.3 provides a
list of the applicable sections. Sections for
articles pertaining to equipment typically
found in commercial buildings include:
 230 Services
 368 Busways
 406 Receptacles
 410 Luminaires
 422 Appliances
 427 Fixed electric heating for
pipelines and vessels
 430 Motors, motor circuits,
and controllers
 440 Air conditioning and
refrigerating equipment
 445 Generators
 450 Transformers and
transformer vaults
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
 460 Capacitors
 517 Health care facilities
 620 Elevators
 660 X-ray equipment
 695 Fire pumps
 700 Emergency systems.
The general requirement for overcur-
rent protection of conductors is provided
in Section 240.4, Protection of Conduc-
tors. The basic rule for overcurrent pro-
tection of conductorsother than using
flexible cords, flexible cables, and fixture
wiresis to protect the conductor in
accordance with the ampacities specified
in Section 310.15. Article 310 provides
the general requirements for conduc-
tors, insulation, markings, mechanical
strength, and ampacity rating.
Several articles applicable to commer-
cial buildings modify the general NEC
rule for overcurrent protection, as sum-
marized below:
 240.4(A) Power Loss Hazard. If
circuit interruption due to an over-
load condition could create a haz-
ardfor instance, shutting down a
fire pumpoverload protection is
not required. Short-circuit protec-
tion is required.
 240.4(B) Overcurrent Devices
Rated 800 amps or Less. This
section allows the next higher
standard overcurrent device rat-
ing (provided the rating does not
exceed 800 amps) to be used, as
long as the conductors it is pro-
tecting are not used to supply a
branch circuit with more than one
receptacle for plug-connected loads
and the ampacity of the conductor
57
 Overcurrent protection
does not correspond with a standard
ampere rating. If the overcurrent pro-
tective device is adjustable, it must be
adjusted to the value equal to or less
than the conductor ampacity.
 240.4(E) Tap Conductors. The gen- 
eral NEC rule requires the OCP to
be located upstream of the conductor
being protected. There are, however,
special rules allowing the OCP to be
placed in other locations of the circuit
provided all the conditions of the
NEC are met. For instance, house-
hold ranges and cooking appliances,
fixture wiring, busways, and motors
all have special rules allowing taps to
be used.
 240.4(F) Transformer Secondary
Conductors. The NEC, except in
Figure 3: Example of a circuit with an overload. The overload current can flow for 2 to
3 minutes before the overcurrent protection will open the circuit.
Figure 4: Example of a circuit with a short circuit. The short-circuit current will cause
the overcurrent protection to open the circuit immediately.
58 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
two special conditions involving
two-wire, single-phase, and delta-
delta 3-wire, requires transformer
secondary conductors to be pro-
tected by a secondary OCP.
240.4(G) Overcurrent Protection
for Specific Conductor Applica-
tions. The NEC requirements for
overcurrent protection for specific
applications are found in sections
other than 240. For example, the
requirements for air conditioning and
refrigeration equipment are found in
Article 440, parts III and VI. Capaci-
tor circuit conductor OCP require-
ments are found in Section 460.
Motors and motor-control conductor
overcurrent-protection requirements
are found in Article 430 parts II, III,
IV, V, VI, and VII.
Selecting OCP ratings
In the following examples, the rating
of the OCP trip value will be determined
along with the ampacity of the conduc-
tors used in the circuit. The short-circuit
current rating and interrupting rating
must also be determined based on the
available short-circuit current in the cir-
cuit. Calculation of the available short-
circuit current is outside the scope of this
discussion.
Branch circuits. The requirements for
branch-circuit overcurrent protection
are found in Section 210.20. The general
requirement is to size the OCP for no less
than 125% of the continuous load and
100% of the noncontinuous load. The NEC
definition of a continuous load is a load
where the maximum current is expected to
continue for 3 hours or more. See sidebar
on page 61.
For example, consider a single-phase
120 V circuit feeding an open-office light-
ing load (continuous) of 1,000 VA and a
small cooling units condensate pump load
(non-continuous) of 100 VA. The circuit
load for the purpose of sizing the OCP is:
OCP sizing load
= 1.25 x 1,000 VA + 1.00 x 100 VA
= 1,350 VA.
OCP sizing current
= 1,350 VA/120 V
= 11.25 amps
The next highest standard OCP
(see Table 240.6(A)) is 15 amps.
Now select a conductor in accordance
with sections 210.19(A) and 310.15. Sec-
tion 210.19(A) requires the conductor
to be sized in the same manner as the
OCPno less than 125% of the continu-
ous load and 100% of the noncontinuous
load. In the example above, the circuit
conductors copper heat-resistant ther-
moplastic (THHN) are routed through
the office environment in a conduit con-
taining six current-carrying conductors.
By referencing Table 310.15(B)(16), the
minimum conductor size allowed is
#14. Even though this example is using
copper THHN wire, rated for 90C, the
www.csemag.com
60C column must be used due to the
requirement of Section 110.14(C)(1)(a).
This section requires the use of the 60C
column in Table 310.15(B)(16), because
the terminations for equipment rated
100 amps or less is assumed to be rated
for 60C unless listed and labeled oth-
erwise. Further, Section 240.4(D), Small
Conductors, requires the OCP for #14
wire to be rated at 15 amps.
The general rule for NEC ampac-
ity selection is found in Section 310.15,
which refers to the tables in Section
310.15(B). Section 310.15 contains lim-
iting factors that must be applied to the
ampacity table values when determining
ampacity for your specific design condi-
tions. Of the factors to be considered, two
commonly encountered factors, or derat-
ings, are the ambient temperature and
the number of conductors in a raceway.
Looking through the tables in 310.15(B),
notice that some tables are based on an
ambient temperature of 30C and others
are based on 40C. Ambient-temperature
correction factors for 30C tables are
found in Table 310.15(B)(2)(a). Ambi-
ent-temperature correction factors for
40C tables are found in Table 310.15(B)
(2)(b). Adjustments for the number of
current-carrying conductors in a race-
way are found in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a).
There are some conditions under which
the derating factors do not apply, as seen
in 310.15(B)(3)(a)(2) through (4). For
example, the derating factors do not apply
to type armored cable (AC) and metal-
clad (MC) cables provided the cables do
not have an overall jacket, each cable has
not more than three current-carrying
conductors, the conductors are #2 AWG,
and not more than 20 current-carrying
conductors are installed without main-
taining spacing.
For this example, the wires are routed
through an office environment where
the highest temperature is expected to
be 85F during times when the cooling
systems are turned off. Table 310.15(B)
(2)(a) provides the ambient-temperature
correction factors, which must be applied
to the ampacities given in Table 310.15(B)
(16). For an ambient temperature of 85F,
www.csemag.com
Figure 5: Example of a circuit with a ground fault. The ground-fault current will cause
the overcurrent protection to open the circuit immediately.
the correction factor for copper THHN
90C wire is 1.0, so no ampacity adjust-
ment is required.
Next, derating for the number of con-
ductors in the conduit must be consid-
ered. In our example, there are six cur-
rent-carrying conductors routed in the
conduit. Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) is used
to determine the appropriate derating
factor. For four to six conductors in a
raceway, the derating factor is 80%.
Number of conductors
#14 copper THHN ampacity
= 25 amps x 0.8
= 20 amps
As discussed above, the 60C ampac-
ity of 15 amps must be used for the #14
wire in this example despite the higher
ampacity calculated.
Feeder circuits. The requirements for
feeder-circuit overcurrent protection are
found in Section 215.3 and are similar
to the requirements for branch circuits.
As with branch circuits, the general
requirement is to size the OCP no less
than 125% of the continuous load and
100% of the noncontinuous load.
Consider a 208 V, 3-phase feeder sup-
plying a panelboard with a noncontinu-
ous load of 10 kVA and a continuous
load of 30 kVA. The circuit load for the
purpose of sizing the OCP is:
OCP sizing load
= 1.25 x 30,000 VA +
1.00 x 10,000 VA
= 47,500 VA
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
OCP sizing current
= 47,500 VA/(1.73 x 208 V)
= 132 amps
The next highest standard OCP
(see table 240.6(A)) is 150 amps.
Next, select a conductor in accor-
dance with Sections 215.2 and 310.15.
Section 215.2 requires the conductor
to be sized in the same manner as the
OCPno less than 125% of the contin-
uous load and 100% of the noncontin-
uous load. In this example, the circuit
conductors (copper THHN) are routed
through a boiler room where the tem-
perature will not exceed 120F. The con-
duit will contain three current-carrying
conductors.
Referencing Table 310.15(B)(16),
the minimum conductor size allowed
for an OCP rating of 150 amps is #1/0.
As with the previous example, the wire
type selected is copper THHN, which
is rated for 90C. In this case, the
75C column must be used due to the
requirement of Section 110.14(C)(1)(a).
This section requires the use of the 75C
column in Table 310.15(B)(16), because
the terminations for equipment rated
100 amps or higher are required to be
rated for 75C unless listed and labeled
otherwise.
In this example, the wires are routed
through a boiler room where the highest
temperature is expected to be no higher
than 120F. Table 310.15(B)(2)(a) pro-
vides the ambient-temperature correc-
tion factors, which must be applied to
the ampacities given in Table 310.15(B)
59
 Overcurrent protection
(16). For an ambient temperature of 120F,
the correction factor for copper THHN
90C wire is 0.82. Thus, the calculated
ampacity for the #1/0 copper THHN wire
used in this example is:
Ambient temperature
#1/0 copper THHN ampacity
= 170 amps x 0.82
= 139.4 amps
Note that there is an exception to
Table 310.15(A)(2) that allows the higher
Some electrical distributuion manufacturers
provide slide-rule-type guides to help select
motor-circuit ratings.
ampacity to be used for cables having dif-
ferent ampacities where the lower ampac-
ity does not exceed 10 ft or 10% of the total
circuit length.
Next, derating for the number of con-
ductors in the conduit must be consid-
ered. In the example above, there are
three current-carr ying conductors
routed in the conduit. Since the ampaci-
ties in Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) already
account for up to three current-carry-
ing conductors, no further derating is
required.
Once the ampacity is determined, the
voltage drop should also be considered.
Figure 6: A common overcurrent protective device (OCP) is a circuit breaker. These
power circuit breakers are commonly used for large feeder circuits and have an
adjustable trip setting.
60 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
For long circuits, the conductor size
may need to be increased to maintain
minimum voltage-drop requirements.
The NEC has informational notes con-
cerning voltage drop for branch circuits
and feeders, but it is not a code rule.
However, many authorities having juris-
diction have made voltage drop a code
requirement. Also, energy codes require
voltage drop to be considered.
After applying the appropriate derat-
ings, the calculated ampacity of the #1/0
wire is adequately protected by the 150-
amp OCP selected above. Consideration
should be given to load growth. The load
and cable ratings calculated above are
minimum values. It is common practice
to add 20% of the minimum cable rating
to be used for future load additions.
Requirements for
motor-circuit protections
The requirements for motor-circuit
overcurrent protection start with Table
240.4(G), Specific Conductor Applica-
tions. Table 240.4(G) requires Article 430
to be used for selection of motor-circuit
overcurrent protection. The require-
ments for motor-circuit overcurrent
protection are different than branch and
feeder circuits, often leading to confu-
sion. For motor circuits, overload protec-
tion is provided by the motor-overload
protector (refer to Article 430 Part III).
The motor-overload protector is usually
a device, located in the motor starter, that
responds to motor current and is set to
trip open the motor controller when
the motor current exceeds 125% of the
nameplate current for 1.15 service fac-
tor motors or 115% of nameplate current
for motors without a service factor. The
OCP used to provide power to the motor
controller and motor has to then provide
short-circuit and ground-fault protection
for the motor circuit. The requirements
for determining the maximum rating or
setting for motor-branch-circuit short
circuit and ground-fault protection can
be found in Table 430.52. To use this
table, you must know the type of motor
used in the circuit and the type of OCP
used to protect the circuit.
Consider a 460 V, 3-phase motor
branch circuit supplying power to a 100-
hp, squirrel-cage motor protected by an
inverse-time molded-case circuit breaker.
The copper THHN circuit conductors are
routed in an area with an ambient tem-
perature not exceeding 104F, and the
number of current-carrying conductors
in the raceway is three. For this example,
Table 430.52 allows a circuit breaker with
a maximum rating of 2.5 times the full-
load current of the motor. The motor
full-load current used in this calculation
is not the nameplate current, but the cur-
rent value found in Table 430.250.
Motor current
= 124 amps
Max OCP rating
= 2.5 x 124 amps
= 310 amps.
Section 430.52(C)(1) has an excep-
tion that allows the next higher standard
rating to be used. In this case, the maxi-
mum OCP rating is then 350 amps. If
www.csemag.com

the motor starting torque and time to
reach operating speed is such that the
motor will not start, Section 430.52(C)
(1), Exception 2, allows the OCP rating
to be raised even higher. In the case of an
inverse-time circuit breaker for the motor
in this example, Exception (c) allows the
OCP rating to be increased from 250%
to 300%. However, the next higher rating
allowance does not apply to Exception
(c). An OCP rating of 300% higher than
the full-load current is 3 x 124 amps =
372 amps. This rating falls between the
standard ratings of 350 amps and 400
amps. In this example, the OCP rating
cannot be increased above 350 amps.
Typical practice is to use an OCP rating
less than the maximum calculated above.
Some electrical distribution manufactur-
ers provide slide-rule-type guides to help
select motor-circuit ratings. Phone apps
are also available that provide the same
function as the slide rule. Three differ-
ent manufacturer slide-rule guides were
checked; they all recommend a circuit
breaker OCP rating for 200 amps for the
following example.
The conductor ampacities for a motor
circuit can be determined using Article
430, Part II. Section 430.22 applies to this
example in that it is a single motor circuit.
The requirement for sizing the conductors
is simply 125% of the full-load current
specified in Table 430.50.
Motor circuit conductor ampacity
= 1.25 x 124 amps
= 155 amps.
Referring to Table 310.15(B)(16), using
the 75C column, the minimum size wire
acceptable is #2/0 with a rating of 175
amps. Note that the maximum OCP rating
is 350 amps, which is significantly higher
than even the 90C column ampacity of
195 amps. This condition is allowed by
the NEC because overload protection is
provided by the overload protector in the
motor starter, which is set at 125% of full-
load nameplate current for a motor service
factor of 1.15. The motor-circuit OCP is
providing only short-circuit and ground-
fault protection.
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Continuous and noncontinuous loads
NFPA 70: National Electric Code (NEC) gives little guidance regarding continuous and
noncontinuous loads and why this is important. It is important to have a distinction continuous
and noncontinuous loads because of heat. Consider a 25-amp load flowing in a circuit. In the
noncontinuous case (for example, a large sump pump), the load might be active for less than a
minute. In the continuous case (for example, a chiller), the load might be active for 8 hours or
longer. Comparing the two cases, the chiller circuit conductors will be at a higher temperature
during operation than the sump pump circuit conductors. The NEC requires a more conservative
selection (125%) in the case of continuous loads due to increased heat dissipated by the circuit
conductors as compared with noncontinuous loads. Some examples of continuous loads include
office lighting, exterior lighting, data center equipment, fixed storage-type water heaters with
capacities of less than 120 gal (450 l; as per NEC 422.13), and chilled/hot-water circulating
pumps. Some examples of noncontinuous loads include food-waste disposers, sump/sewage
ejector pumps, garage door operators, and electric pencil sharpeners. Determining whether a
load is continuous or noncontinuous is not always clear. Consider the case of an office storeroom
lighting circuit. If designed to current energy code requirements, it should have a vacancy sen-
sor to automatically shut off the lights when there are no occupants detected. This seems like
an example of a noncontinuous circuit. What if the sensor failed or the room was temporarily
repurposed as an office? Some permit reviewers might require this to be considered a continuous
load. In cases where a load is certain to be noncontinuous, size the circuit to 100% of the load.
If the load is debatable, be conservative and design for a continuous load.
In this example, the wires are routed These values are generally higher than
through an environment where the the FLA values found on the actual
highest temperature is expected to be no motor nameplate, resulting in conserva-
higher than 104F. Table 310.15(B)(2)(a) tively selected OCP and conductor rat-
provides the ambient-temperature cor- ings. In the case of hermitically sealed
rection factors, which must be applied to motor compressors, the motor FLA
the ampacities given in Table 310.15(B) values found in Article 430 will not be
(16). For an ambient temperature of higher than actual motor values due to
104F, the correction factor for copper the cooling effect the refrigerant has on
THHN 90C wire is 0.91. The calculated the motor windings.
ampacity for the #2/0 copper THHN wire For example, a 1.5-hp motor used in a
used in this example is: hermetically sealed compressor might be
able to do 2 hp of work because heat is
Ambient temperature being removed from the motor windings,
#2/0 copper THHN ampacity allowing higher currents to flow with-
= 195 amps x 0.91 out exceeding the winding-conductor
= 177.5 amps. temperature rating. For this reason, the
manufacturer must provide data specific
The conductor ampacity derated for to the air conditioning and refrigerat-
ambient temperature is higher than the ing equipment being used. Specifically,
75C ampacity column, so it is acceptable the maximum overcurrent-protection
for use in this example. (MOP) value must be used to deter-
Air conditioning and refrigerating mine the rating of the air conditioning
equipment circuits. As with motors, the or refrigerant circuit. Also, minimum
requirements for motor-circuit overcur- circuit amperes (MCA) must be used
rent protection start with Table 240.4(G), to determine the minimum conductor
Specific Conductor Applications. Table rating. This data will be found on the
240.4(G) requires Article 440 to be used equipment nameplate and can also be
for selection of motor-circuit overcur- obtained from the manufacturer in the
rent protection for air conditioning and form of a data sheet. The air condition-
refrigeration equipment. ing and refrigeration equipment manu-
When determining OCP ratings for facturer must also indicate whether a fuse
motors, the full-load ampere (FLA) or circuit breaker can be used to supply
values given in Article 430 are used. the equipment.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 61
Overcurrent protection
Consider an example of an air condi-
tioning unit with a MOP (circuit breaker
or fuse) of 50 amps and an MCA of 31.0
amps. In this example, the air condition-
ing unit is fed using copper THHN wire
in a conduit containing three current-
carrying conductors. The air condition-
input #19 at www.csemag.com/information
ing unit is located outdoors with a maxi-
mum ambient temperature of 120F.
In this example, the OCP is simply
equal to the manufacturer-supplied
MOP value of 50 amps, since 50 amps
is a standard OCP rating per Table
240.6(A). Either a circuit breaker or fuse
could be used since the manufacturer
listed the equipment with both types of
OCP device.
The wire size will be based on the
manufacturer-supplied MCA value,
which in this case is 31.0 amps. Using
Table 310.15(B)(16), the 75C column,
the minimum wire size is #8. The #10
wire has sufficient ampacity, but per
Section 240.4(D), it must be protected
with an OCP with a rating of 30 amps
or less. This example requires a 50-amp
OCP, therefore a #8 wire must be used.
Since there are only three current-car-
rying conductors in the conduit for this
example, derating for the number of
conductors is not required. The cable
ampacity must be corrected for an ambi-
ent temperature of 120F. Referring to
Table 310.15(B)(2)(a), the correction
factor for 90C-rated copper THHN
wire with a maximum ambient tempera-
ture of 120F is 0.82.
Temperature derated ampacity
= 0.82 x 55 amps
= 45.1 amps.
The derated temperature rating is high-
er than the MCA value of 31.0 amps for
the #8 conductor, which is acceptable for
this example.
There are several applicable sections
of the NEC that set the requirements for
the selection of OCPs and conductors for
commercial buildings. Several of the NEC
sections are modified for all the specific
installations and equipment found in
commercial buildings. By paying attention
to the details, OCP ratings can be selected
to provide safe and reliable operations for
the lifetime of the equipment.
Steven Eich is a vice president and elec-
trical technical director at Environmental
Systems Design in Chicago. His expertise
includes 29 years of designing electrical
systems for industrial and commercial
projects including high-rise buildings, hos-
pitals, schools, theaters, museums, hotels,
convention centers, manufacturing facili-
ties, water treatment plants, and nuclear
power facilities.
62 Consulting-Specifying Engineer
 Consulting-
Specifying Engineer
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 Developing
a circuit schedule
Circuit protection, as defined by NFPA 70: National Electrical Code, can be
interpreted in many ways, depending on building load and use. Electrical
engineers should design a circuit schedule that can be used on the project.

BY BRIAN MARTIN, PE, AECOM, Portland, Ore.

T
o efficiently, quickly, and cost- conditions for which it is built. Typically,
Learning effectively design electrical we need to know the ambient conditions,
objectives systems, developing a circuit quantity of current-carrying conductors,
 Learn how to create a cir- schedule that all engineers and temperature rating of the terminations,
cuit sizing standard. designers can use on the proj- conductor material, and the conductor
 Know the applicable codes ect is required. With advance planning, type and temperature rating. Unless
and standards for circuit siz- circuit schedules can be created that han- otherwise noted, the examples below
ing and protection. dle the overwhelming majority of design will assume:
 Understand how to develop conditions and ensure continuity across
a circuit legend that can be the design. Now that many programs are  30Cthe default condition from
applied to electrical modeling
software.
evolving from simple CAD programs to NFPA 70: National Electrical Code
modeling programs, development of a cir- (NEC) Table 310.15(B)(16).
cuit schedule can help engineers fully use  Three current-carrying conductors.
their modeling capabilities.  Termination provisions of the
Table 1 Developing the circuit standard can be default condition as per NEC
Circuit designator OCPD broken down into a few key steps, typically Article 110.14(C)(1):
20CU-1 20 amp completed in sequence: -60C for 100 amp and lower.
30CU-1 30 amp
-75C for higher than 100 amp.
 Determine the design conditions  Thermoplastic high heat-resistant
40CU-1 40 amp
for which to build a circuit legend. nylon-coated (THHN) wiring
Table 1: This is a basic single-phase cir-  Decide upon a naming standard. (90C).
cuit legend, partially complete. This will  Determine standard circuit sizes.  Copper conductors.
be expanded upon as the calculations  Determine standard ground sizes.  A maximum conductor size of 600
progress. All graphics courtesy: AECOM  Develop circuit legends for kcmil. This size of conductor is
special conditions. widely accepted on terminations
Table 2 for large size breakers while 750
Following these basic kcmil is less widely accepted.
Circuit Current-carrying Allowable
designator
OCPD
conductors ampacity steps, we can develop a
20CU-1 20 amp 2 x 12 AWG THHN 20 amp legend for our most com- Naming standard
30CU-1 30 amp 2 x 10 AWG THHN 30 amp
mon design conditions. There are many different schools of
thought when deciding upon a circuit-
40CU-1 40 amp 2 x 8 AWG THHN 40 amp
Design conditions naming standard. Many legends choose
Table 2: This is the single-phase circuit legend without The circuit legend is to either use sequential naming, alpha-
grounding conductor sizing completed. only good for the design numeric combinations, or circuit-

64 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com

 Nonlinear load example
In the simple example as shown in Figure 1, what
circuit from the schedule in Table 5 is required for THHN
conductors? To answer this question, use the steps
outlined below:
conductor ampacity. The naming in this
article will be based on the overcurrent 1. Calculate the overcurrent protection size: 23.0
protective device (OCPD), conductor amp x 1.25 = 28.75 amp. NFPA 70: National Elec-
material (e.g. CU), and an indication of trical Code (NEC) 210.20(A) requires that the over-
phase quantity (-1 for single, -3 for three). current protection be greater than 28.8 amp, so
when referring to Table 2, the next size up would
Naming the circuit with the OCPD will
be a 30-amp breaker.
enable us to easily select trip sizes dur-
ing one-line drawing development and 2. Choose the circuit: The circuit for a 30-amp
allow us to closely align our circuit leg- breaker is 30CU-3N. Figure 1: This provides a contin-
end with programs like Autodesk Revit, uously nonlinear load example.
3. Check the ampacity of the circuit:
which uses the OCPD to determine the
circuit conductors. Check the terminations. Per NEC 210.19(A)(1)(a), the ampacity of the circuit must be
125% of the continuous load.

Single-phase legend 23 amp x 1.25 = 28.8 amp.

Developing a circuit schedule for sin-
The ampacity of our conductor using 60C terminations is 30 amp, so our circuit is
gle-phase circuits is relatively easy. The acceptable.
first steps are to create a table with the
standard overcurrent protection sizes Per NEC 210.19(A)(1)(b), the adjusted ampacity of the circuit must be greater than the load
listed from NEC Article 240 and to assign we are serving. Our load is 23 amp and, per Table 7, the adjusted ampacity is 32 amp,
therefore circuit 30CU-3N is acceptable.
a circuit designator (see Table 1).
Next, we look up the ampacity of con-
ductors in the 60C column of NEC Table Table 3
310.15(B)16. For example, #12 AWG is
Current-carrying Allowable
rated 20 amp in the 60C column. There Circuit designator OCPD
conductors ampacity
are also two asterisk (**) next to #12 20CU-3 20 amp 3 x 12 AWG 20 amp
AWG, referring to NEC 240.4(D), which
30CU-3 30 amp 3 x 10 AWG 30 amp
limits the overcurrent device size for
40CU-3 40 amp 3 x 8 AWG 40 amp
12-AWG conductors to 20 amp. There-
300CU-3 300 amp 3 x 300 kcmil 285 amp
fore, we can fill in circuit 20CU-1 in Table
2 with an allowable ampacity of 20 amp 400CU-3 400 amp 3 x 500 kcmil 380 amp

and 2- to 12-AWG conductors. Circuits 800CU-3 800 amp 2 x (3 x 500 kcmil) 760 amp
30CU-1 and 40CU-1 use the same logic. 1200CU-3 1,200 amp 3 x (3 x 600 kcmil) 1,260 amp

3-phase legend
We can apply a similar methodology
to build a 3-phase, 3-wire circuit legend
(Table 3). The circuit legend will need
circuits rated higher than 100 amp. NEC
110.14(C)(1)(b) allows us to use the
75C column of NEC Table 310.15(B)16
for circuits rated higher than 100 amp.
An example of a few of these circuits is
shown in Table 3.
Circuits 300CU-3, 400CU-3, 800CU-3,
and 1200CU-3 in Table 3 require expla-
nation. First, for circuits 800CU-3 and
1200CU-3, the circuit ampacity requires
some simple calculations as shown in
Table 4.
For circuits 300CU-3, 400CU-3, and
800CU-3, the allowable ampacity of the
circuit is less than the size of trip. For
overcurrent devices rated 800 amp or
Table 3: The beginning step to developing the 3-phase legend closely follows the
method used for the single-phase legend. This is the 3-phase circuit legend without
grounding conductor sizing completed.
Table 4
Circuit
Individual conductor ampacity Number of
Allowable
per Table 310.15(B)(16), conductors per
designator ampacity
75C column phase
800CU-3 380 amp 2 760 amp
1200CU-3 420 amp 3 1,260 amp
Table 4: In order to complete the 3-phase legend, we must multiply by the number of
conductors per phase to determine the total circuit ampacity.
lower, NEC 240.4(B) allows the next tors must be equal to or greater than
higher standard overcurrent device rat- the rating of the overcurrent device.
ing (above the ampacity of the conduc- For circuit 1200CU-3, the overcurrent
tors being protected) to be used. device is more than 800 amp, therefore
Lastly, NEC 240.4(C) states that for the ampacity of the conductors must at
overcurrent devices rated more than least be equal to the rating of the overcur-
800 amp, the ampacity of the conduc- rent device.

www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 65

 Developing a circuit schedule
Ground-circuit sizing developed. Design conditions that can conditions happen commonly enough in
Now that we have the current-carrying impact the application of our circuit the design, it saves time to make addi-
conductor sizing determined, we need to schedule include: tional circuit schedules to quickly deter-
size the ground wires. For our example mine the proper circuit size for those
circuit schedule, NEC Table 250.122  More than three current-carrying circumstances.
describes the required sizes of ground- conductors in a raceway. Ampacity adjustment and correction,
ing conductors based on the rating of the  Ambient temperature. or derating, is frequently required and
circuits overcurrent device. Using this  Adjustments due to voltage drop. can be confusing. In this case, assume
table, we can fill out our circuit schedule  Adjusting ground conductor sizing. that we have several 4-wire circuits that
as shown in Table 5. feed nonlinear loads. Per NEC Article
Creating new circuit-protection stan- 310.15(B)(5)(c), we must count the
Special conditions dards for these conditions requires cal- neutral conductor as a current-carrying
Many different conditions may impact culations and the proper application of conductor. The adjustment factor for
the basic circuit schedule that we have additional sections of the NEC. If these more than three current-carrying con-
ductors in a raceway is given in NEC
Table 5 Table 310.15(B)(3)(a). The adjustment
required for four to six current-carrying
Circuit Current-carrying Allowable Ground
designator
OCPD
conductors ampacity conductor
conductors is 0.8. Now lets convert our
3-wire branch-circuit table to a 4-wire
20CU-3 20 amp 3 x 12 AWG 20 amp 1 to 12 AWG table.
30CU-3 30 amp 3 x 10 AWG 30 amp 1 to 10 AWG To calculate the ampacity adjustment,
40CU-3 40 amp 3 x 8 AWG 40 amp 1 to 10 AWG as long as our conductor is rated 90C,
300CU-3 300 amp 3 x 300 kcmil 285 amp 1 to 4 AWG we can use the 90C column of Table
400CU-3 400 amp 3 x 500 kcmil 380 amp 1 to 3 AWG 310.15(B)(16). NEC Article 110.14(C)
800CU-3 800 amp 2 x (3 x 500 kcmil) 760 amp 1 to 1/0 AWG
states that Conductors with tempera-
ture ratings higher than specified for
1200CU-3 1,200 amp 3 x (3 x 600 kcmil) 1,260 amp 1 to 3/0 AWG
terminations shall be permitted to be
Table 5: The next step in completing the circuit legend is determining the proper used for ampacity adjustment, correc-
ground conductor sizing. This table includes the 3-phase circuits with the ground tion, or both.
sizes determined.

Ambient temperature correction

In Figure 2, assume that we need to feed a 286-amp continuous load in a space with an ambi-
ent temperature of 59C and we are using THHN wire.

Applying the same methodology and Table 8 from our previous examples:

1. Calculate the overcurrent protection size: 286 amp x 1.25 = 357.5 amp. NFPA 70: National
Electrical Code (NEC) 210.20(A) requires that the overcurrent protection be greater than
357.5 amp, so when referring to Table 8, the next size up would be a 400-amp breaker.

2. Choose the circuit: The circuit for a 400-amp breaker is 400CU-3_60.

3. Next, check the ampacity of the circuit:

Check the terminations. Per NEC 210.19(A)(1)(a), the ampacity of the circuit must be 125%
of the continuous load.

286 amp x 1.25 = 357.5 amp.

The ampacity of our conductor at 75C must be greater than 357.5 amp. In this case, our
circuit ampacity is 525 amp, so our circuit is acceptable. Figure 2: This design needs to feed a
Per NEC 210.19(A)(1)(b), the adjusted ampacity of the circuit must be greater than the load 286 amp continuous load in a space
we are serving. In this case, our adjusted circuit ampacity is 369.2 amp and our load is with an ambient temperature of 59C
286 amp, thus our circuit is acceptable. and uses THHN wire.

66 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com

Table 6
Circuit Individual conductor ampacity per Ampacity adjustment
OCPD Conductor Adjusted ampacity
number Table 310.15(B)(16), 90C column factor
300CU-3N 300 300 kcmil 320 amp 0.8 256 amp
400CU-3N 400 600 kcmil 475 amp 0.8 380 amp

Table 6: To properly size our circuits, ampacity adjustments must be made for four wire circuits. The table includes the results of
the ampacity adjustments using Table 5 as the basis.

First, lets try and use a few of the Table 7

conductors from Table 5 and see if the Circuit Current-carrying Termination Adjusted
OCPD
circuit is still properly protected. For the designator conductors ampacity ampacity

300CU-3 circuit, the conductor ampacity
per Table 310.15(B)(16), 90C column,
is 320 amp.
320 amp x 0.8 = 256 amp
Because the next highest trip rating
is 300 amp, as long as the load current
does not exceed 256 amp, this circuit can
remain the same.
For the 400CU circuit, the conductor
ampacity per Table 310.15(B)(16), 90C
column, is 430 amp.
430 amp x 0.8 = 344 amp
Because the next higher trip rating is
350 amp, we need to increase the size
of the current-carrying conductors for
this circuit so it can be protected by a
400-amp breaker. The results are shown
in Table 6.
For these circuits, we need to keep a
table of the allowable ampacities for ter-
minations as well as adjusted ampacities.
NEC Article 215.2(A)(1) and 210.19(A)
(1) require that the conductors must be
sized to carry the larger of either:
n The sum of the noncontinuous load
plus 125% of the continuous load.
n An allowable ampacity not less than
the maximum load to be served after
ampacity adjustment (refer to Exam-
ple 3 for the application of continu-
ous and noncontinuous loads).
Because of this, our conductors must
be calculated for the ampacity of the con-
ductor at its normal temperature rating in
accordance with NEC 110.14(C) and the
ampacity of the conductors after derating.
20CU-3N 20 amp 4 x 12 AWG 20 amp 24 amp
30CU-3N 30 amp 4 x 10 AWG 30 amp 32 amp
40CU-3N 40 amp 4 x 8 AWG 40 amp 44 amp
300CU-3N 300 amp 4 x 300 kcmil 285 amp 256 amp
400CU-3N 400 amp 4 x 600 kcmil 420 amp 380 amp
800CU-3N 800 amp 2 x (4 x 600 kcmil) 840 amp 760 amp
1200CU-3N 1,200 amp 3 x (4 x 750 kcmil) 1,425 amp 1,284 amp
Table 7: Now that the conductor ampacities have been adjusted, the 3-phase legend
including grounded conductors can be completed.
In Tables 7 and 8, these will be referred Because 750- kcmil conductors are
to as termination ampacity and adjusted unlikely to terminate on a 400-amp
ampacity, respectively. The 3-phase cir- panelboard, two conductors per phase
cuit legend in Table 5 has been recalcu- are necessary. Using two 4/0 conductors
lated with current-carrying grounded per phase:
conductors in Table 7.
520 amp x 0.71 = 369.2 amp
Ampacity adjustment: ambient
temperature correction This is acceptable to use on a 400-
Assume that we plan to route conduc- amp breaker. Repeating this method, the
tors to a 400-amp panelboard through a results for a 60C compensated circuit
building with an ambient temperature legend are shown in Table 8.
of 60C. We can apply the same basic
methodology to create a circuit sched- Circuit adjustment:
ule for those conditions. NEC Table ground conductors
310.15(B)(2)(a) describes derating fac- Note that, in the examples above
tors for conductors operating in ambi- for ampacity adjustment, we did not
ent temperatures higher than 30C. For specify the ground conductor size.
a 60C ambient, the correction factor NEC 250.122(B) requires that Where
is 0.71. ungrounded conductors are increased
Starting with the 400CU circuit in in size from the minimum size that has
Table 5, the conductor ampacity per sufficient ampacity for the intended
Table 310.15(B)(16), 90C column, is installation, wire-type equipment-
475 amp. grounding conductors, where installed,
shall be increased in size proportionately
475 amp x 0.71 = 337.3 amp according to the circular mil area of the
ungrounded conductors.
Because the next highest trip rating Please note that 250.122(B) is not
per NEC 240.6 is 350 amp, we cannot consistently applied across all juris-
apply this circuit with a 400-amp breaker dictions. In many jurisdictions, you
in this application. only need to adjust the equipment-

www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 67

 Developing a circuit schedule
grounding conductor if the ampacity,
based on Article 240, is adjusted (typical-
ly voltage drop). In other jurisdictions,
however, any adjustment to ampacity
requires a proportional increase in the
equipment-grounding conductor. For
our purposes, we will assume the latter.
Using our example for calculating
4-wire circuits (Table 6), our 400-amp
conductor increased in size from 500 to
600 kcmil; therefore, the size of our new
ground conductor increased in size:
600/500 = 1.2
Our existing ground was a #3 AWG,
which per Chapter 9, Table 8, is 52,620
circular mils.
52,620 circular mils x 1.2 =
63,144 circular mils
Because a #2 AWG is 66,360 circular
mils, our new ground conductor will be
a #2 AWG.
Apply the circuit standard
and protect the circuit
Now that we have developed a circuit
schedule, we must properly apply the
rules governing branch circuits and feed-
ers. For both branch circuits and feeders,
we can apply this basic methodology:
 Determine the overcurrent
protection required.
 Choose the circuit that matches
the OCPD.
 Verify that the calculated ampac-
ity of the circuit is greater than or
equal to the required ampacity.
NEC Article 210 covers the protec-
tion of branch
circuits. While there are many rules that
govern the protection of branch circuits,
the most important one to understand is
the difference between the requirements
for continuous and noncontinuous loads.
A continuous load is defined in NEC
Article 100 as a load where the maxi-
mum current is expected to continue for
3 hours or more. For branch circuits,
the rating of the overcurrent protective
device must be at least the rating of 125%
of the continuous load plus 100% of the
noncontinuous load per NEC 210.20(A).
Circuiting using modeling programs
As you can see from the examples, cal-
culating a custom circuit legend for mul-
tiple conditions can get tedious. Recently,
modeling programs, such as Revit, have
included preloaded circuit legends. With
these programs, you typically must select

Feeder example
The requirements that were applied to branch circuits also
apply to feeders, although those requirements are detailed in NFPA
70: National Electrical Code (NEC) Article 215.2(A)(1) and 215.3. In
Figure 3, we have three continuous loads fed by THHN conductors.

Using the same procedure from the previous branch-circuit sec-

tion, we determine the overcurrent protection (X) and the feeder
circuit (Y):

1. Overcurrent protection: Per NEC 215.3, the overcurrent

device must be not less than 125% of the continuous load.

X 1.25 x (286 amp + 310 amp + 23 amp) or

X 773.8 amp

Therefore, the overcurrent protection must be at least 774

amp. This is not a standard size; the next size up in Table 7
is 800 amp.

2. Choose the circuit: The circuit in Table 7 next to the 800-amp

OCPD is 800CU-3N. Figure 3: A feeder calculation is shown with three continuous
loads fed by THHN conductors.
3. Next, check the ampacity of the circuit:

Check the terminations. Per NEC 215.2(A)(1)(a), the ampacity of the circuit must be 125% of the continuous load.

1.25 x (286 amp + 310 amp + 23 amp) = 773.8 amp.

The ampacity of our conductor at 75C must be greater than 773.8 amp. In this case, our termination ampacity is 840 amp, so our circuit is
acceptable.

Per NEC 215.2(A)(1)(b), the adjusted ampacity of the circuit must be greater than the load we are serving. In this case, our adjusted circuit
ampacity is from Table 7 is 760 amp and our load is 286 amp + 310 amp + 23 amp = 619 amp, therefore our circuit is acceptable.

68 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 www.csemag.com

Table 8
Current-
Circuit Termination Adjusted
OCPD carrying
designator ampacity ampacity
conductors
20CU-3_60 20 amp 3 x 12 AWG 20 amp 21.3 amp
30CU-3_60 30 amp 3 x 10 AWG 30 amp 28.4 amp
40CU-3_60 40 amp 3 x 8 AWG 40 amp 39.1 amp
3 x 400
300CU-3_60 300 amp 335 amp 269.8 amp
kcmil
2 x (3 x 4/0
400CU-3_60 400 amp 520 amp 369.2 amp
AWG)
2 x (3 x 750
800CU-3_60 800 amp 1,070 amp 759.7 amp
kcmil)
4 x (3 x 500
1200CU-3_60 1,200 amp 1,520 amp 1,221.2 amp
kcmil)

Table 8: Using the same basic methodology as was shown in

Table 7, we can develop a legend for an ambient temperature
adjustment that is frequently encountered in our design. The
table shows the ampacity adjustment for an ambient tempera-
ture of 60C.

the conductor material, termination temperature rating, and the

insulation type to use in your project. Based on that, preselected
circuit legends are loaded into the project. That legend is then
available for circuiting in the model. The circuit size is automati-
cally selected from the legend based on the size of the upstream
OCPD that is circuited.
However, there are a few shortcomings to some of these pro-
grams. For example, if you select a 400-amp OCPD and conduc-
tors with an ampacity of 380 amp, most programs will allow you
to load the circuit to 381 amp with no errors. Many either do not
apply ambient temperature correction or apply it to the entire
model rather than a room or space. You may also disagree with
the tables that are preloaded. For these cases, the true power of
these programs is the ability to create custom legends similar to
the circuit legends that we created above. For example, we can
create a custom legend based on Table 8, 60C Corrected Circuit
Schedule, and then select circuits from that legend every time
the circuit enters the 60C ambient area.
When developing a circuit schedule, it must meet the require-
ments of the NEC, but it also must meet the objectives of the
design. Circuit schedules can be developed to use 100%-rated
breakers effectively, to account for voltage drop or to migrate
easily into short-circuit, protection, and arc-flash-calculation
software. By determining the important elements of the design
early and developing circuit schedules around those elements,
an engineer can enable design teams to quickly and consistently
design a facility.

Brian Martin is a senior electrical engineer, buildings and places,

with AECOM. Martin has more than 20 years of experience in
engineering planning, project management, design, purchasing, and
start-up of industrial projects. He is a member of the Consulting-
Specifying Engineer editorial advisory board.

Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 69 input #20 at www.csemag.com/information

E ngineers Benefit from
Reliable Controls
Consultant and Engineer
Support Center

To obtain credentials:
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homepage and choose Support Center
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input #21 at www.csemag.com/information

Education and personal development are vital to the advancement
of the engineering community. We invite you to explore and
celebrate the educational efforts of the following companies
participating in our annual Educating Engineers program:

AAon Linx Industries

Air Monitor Corp.
ARCoM
Armstrong International
Baldor
Belimo Air Controls
Carlo Gavazzi Inc.
Carnes Company
Cleaver-Brooks
Connectrac
Contemporary Controls
Daikin Applied
Data Aire Inc.
Douglas Lighting Controls
Grace Engineered Products, Inc.
Greenheck Fan Corporation
Gripple
L&T Technology Services
LSI Industries, Inc.
national Lightning
Protection Corporation
Polywater
PVI Inc.
Red-White Valve Corp.
Reliable Controls
RenewAire
Reznor
Rheem Manufacturing
Company
Snake Tray
Stored Energy Systems (SEnS)
STULZ Air Technology Systems
Titus
UV Resources
Varco Pruden Buildings
AAON believes in the
importance of education,
offering many different
learning opportunities for
building industry professionals

AAON offers many education opportunities

for consulting-specifying engineers, building
owners, contractors, and service technicians.
At both the Tulsa and Longview manufactur-
ing facilities, AAON offers customer visits that
include tours and training by AAON person-
nel. The Tulsa University Room has seating for
up to 100 people with high definition video and
audio capabilities. Training topics are focused
on what is most important to the customer.
Tours include a complete walkthrough of the
state-of-the-art AAON manufacturing facilities
and new research & development laboratory.
AAON provides multiple Product Showcase
Trailers that travel throughout North America
year-round directly to customers offices.
These trailers allow customers to kick the
tires of real AAON equipment and often
include supplemental training on the features
and applications of the products.
details, and general HVAC engineering training, such as
psychrometrics. AAON webinar training is available to AAON
representatives and their customers with video recordings
available after the live sessions are completed.
Throughout the year AAON provides hands-on service technician
training. During this training AAON Warranty and Service person-
nel cover the unique features of AAON equipment and what to
expect during startup and maintenance. This training includes
information on all the available AAON controls options.
AAON provides Technical Brochures on the AAON website
about many HVAC related topics, including fans, motors,
humidity control, cabinet construction, and energy recovery.
Technical brochures allow customers to learn about industry
topics on their own schedule.
AAON believes education is the key to our shared success.
Contact your local AAON representative to learn more.

Online webinar training is provided by AAON

engineering and sales personnel throughout
the year. These trainings cover a wide range
of topics including new and current product
insights, product application, system design marketing@aaon.com 918-583-2266 www.aaon.com/RepSearch

input #22 at www.csemag.com/information

A RCOM is dedicated to
providing reliable,
accurate, and up-to-date
specifications to engineers.

ARCOM, the specification experts, specializes

in master specifications, specification
productivity software, and specification
decision-making tools for the construction
industry. ARCOMs team of full-time
specification writers is the most experienced
in the industry with over 300 years of
combined specification writing experience.
Master Guide Specifications Written by
engineers, for engineers
MasterSpec the most trusted and compre-
hensive master guide specification system,
contains building engineering specifications
used by over 80% of the top engineering firms.
SpecText master guide specification system
focuses on infrastructure construction,
including the most complete water and waste-
water specifications. Each specification section
includes editing instructions, reference
standards, manufacturer and product
comparisons, and supporting documents.
Specification Productivity Tools
MasterWorks automates many of the word
processing functions associated with
specification editing and production.
Additional checklist and reporting tools make
assembling project manuals quick and easy.
of MasterSpec specifications. Based on the users answers to
specific product needs, SpecBuilder Desktop automatically and
intelligently edits each MasterSpec specification.
SpecBuilder Cloud, our latest innovation, revolutionizes the
way people can create, edit and collaborate on specs from
virtually anywhere.
Manufacturer and Product Tool used to globally select, find
and specify products and manufacturers for specific sections,
eliminating hours of research and editing time.
Sustainability Tool helps you easily specify multiple
sustainability requirements, automatically incorporating
preferences within MasterSpec sections.
Supporting Documents:
Summary Section scope overview
Evaluations Industry recognized comprehensive
background information on section topics
Checklists Drawing and specification coordination checklists
To ensure users get the most out of ARCOMs products,
continuing education, webinars, and workshops are available.
MasterSpec and SpecText are endorsed by ACEC and NSPE.

SpecBuilder Desktop, a powerful question- 800.424.5080

and-answer wizard, works on a database arcomnet.com/engspecs
input #23 at www.csemag.com/information
C entury-old, Family-Owned
Company Provides
Intelligent System Solutions to
Optimize and Boost Thermal
Utility System Efciency
For more than a century, Armstrong
International has been the global leader in
energy management by providing intelligent
solutions in steam, air and hot water for a
wide and growing range of industries. As a
fth-generation family-owned company, our
sage knowledge and in-depth experience has
made us uniquely skilled in designing and
producing the rugged, reliable products
paired with unparalleled digital technology
that successfully reduce emissions and
improve energy efciency for customers all
over the world.
Our complete range of industry-leading
products, packaged solutions, and advance-
ments in steam and hot water system
technology consistently deliver best-in-class
quality as they work together to create the
most intelligent system solutions. Armstrongs
solutions are backed by our global enterprise
represented by more than 3,000 employees
and representatives.
Our digital utility monitoring technology
SAGE enables you to maximize equipment
Often the rst to market, Armstrong was the inventor of the
IB trap, and holds more than 50 patents on exceptional products
and software.
Our wide-range products and solutions for Industrial and
Institutional Systems include:
6 Steam System Equipment
6 Steam and Hot Water System Monitoring Technology
6 Digital Hot Water Solutions
6 Humidication Solutions
6 Heating and Cooling Coils
6 Refrigeration Equipment
6 Flow Measurement Solutions
Learn more about Armstrongs industry-leading products,
solutions and support at www.armstronginternational.com.
Armstrong University
We take pride in our wealth of knowledge, experience and insight
we have derived from more than a century. Through Armstrong
University, we give you access to this unique legacy of in-depth
knowledge by providing seminars, online training and education.
Armstrong can even create a curriculum custom-tailored and
delivered at your site.





 


reliability, efciency and safety in real time,
marketing@armstronginternational.com
making it the most state-of-the-art steam and armstronginternational.com
hot water system management available today. armstronginternational.com/sage

input #24 at www.csemag.com/information

T he Heat of the Matter:
Motor Selection
Considerations to Reduce
Failure due to Heat

When can you start to actively prevent

motor failures? The answer is, before you
purchase the motor. Motors dont fail only
because of age or hours of operation.
Stresses from heat, power supply,
moisture, contamination, improper
lubrication, and unusual mechanical loads
work in conjunction with time to degrade Dirty motors will run much hotter, due to a reduction in
components within a motor, resulting in effective cooling properties. Air inlet screens and passages
motor failures. Failures due to excess heat should be kept free of obstruction. Ventilation filters should
show the critical need to properly select be checked periodically and cleaned or replaced as
and size the right motor for your application. necessary. Motor enclosures dissipate heat differently and
offer varying protection levels so it is important to consider
Temperatures over the design rating take both of these needs when selecting enclosure type to ensure
their toll on the motor in various ways. adequate ventilation and protection.
Electrical insulation deteriorates at a rate
that doubles for every 10oC over rated Overloading and high ambient temperatures are other
temperature. This can shorten the life of a contributors to excess heat on the motor. Properly sizing
motor by one-half, making heat the number the motor for the load and ensuring the motor insulation
one cause of reduced insulation life. system is rated for the environment are simple, upfront ways
Excessive temperature also causes to prevent heat failures.
separation of greases and breakdown of
oils causing premature bearing failure.

Motors require proper ventilation and are

designed to dissipate heat. However,
proper motor installation and maintenance
is required. www.baldor.com

input #25 at www.csemag.com/information

C ARNES has provided
engineers and design
professionals product
education for over 75 years.

Carnes, a global manufacturer of HVAC

equipment, has been providing solutions and
innovative building products to the HVAC
industry for over 75 years. Our extensive
product offering includes Registers, Grilles,
Diffusers, Terminal Units, Fans, Louvers,
Penthouses, Energy Recovery Units, and
Humidifiers. Carnes is dedicated to educating
Product submittals with fan curve data can be developed in Carnes Complete.
the engineering and design communities in
properly sizing and selecting our products.
in engineering and design professional offices. The topics are
Sizing and Selecting Made Easy determined by you and your design and specifying needs.
Carnes Complete is our web based selection Our past seminars have included fan application, sizing, and
software which makes sizing and selecting selection. The seminar length is determined by you. We can
our complete line of products easy. Product tailor our programs to fit your needs. Go to our website to find a
submittals with fan curve data can also be sales representative near you. If a sales representative is not in
developed in Carnes Complete along with your area, contact Carnes via our website and we will get you in
complete model numbers for easy specifying. contact with the appropriate product manager.

If you have been frustrated when using If an onsite program is not convenient we can develop a
complicated competitor selection programs, webinar to fit your educational requirements. Webinars
then go to www.carnes.com and register to generally run under one hour and can cover specific Carnes
begin using Carnes Complete. products. Contact us for details.

Technical Seminars
Carnes product managers and our nationwide
network of independent sales representatives
team up to provide scheduled technical 608-845-6411 carnes@carnes.com
seminars which can include lunch and learns www.carnes.com

input #26 at www.csemag.com/information

D ispelling Common
Myths about Condensing
Boiler Systems

Many engineers have been led to believe

that condensing boilers do not fit a variety of
design applications, but this is often untrue.
In most applications, condensing boilers can
be used in place of standard non-condensing
boilers, and with a few system modifications,
the energy savings associated with condens-
ing boilers can be realized.

Below are some common myths associated

with implementing a condensing boiler:
Myth 5 Hot water supply temperature is important
Myth 1 Maintain 180F hot water supply. for efficiency. This is a minor part of the equation, but is not
Most hydronic systems can operate with a the defining point in determining a boilers efficiency.
reduced supply temperature, either full-time
Myth 6 Maintenance is more difficult. A condensing boiler
or with a temperature reset strategy, which
has a stainless steel heat exchanger, which is more resistant
in turn lowers the return water temperature.
to condensate that is produced in condensing mode than
The return water temperature is key to
materials used in a standard, non-condensing boiler.
condensing boiler efficiency.
There are many technologies available in the condensing
Myth 2 Maintain a 20F system T. boiler segment. High-mass firetube condensing boilers can
In condensing systems, temperature differen-
be piped in a variety of systems with success.
tials of 30F or higher can be designed.
When making a boiler selection, be sure to understand
Myth 3 Hot water reset doesnt work. each boilers operating requirements as well as total cost
With condensing boilers, the hot water reset
of ownership.
functionality based on outside air is generally
built-in.

Myth 4 Variable-flow-primary systems

are more complex. Variable-flow-primary
systems require one set of pumps to handle Tel: 888-352-5933 hydronics@cleaverbrooks.com
everything in the system. www.cleaverbrooks.com/myths

input #27 at www.csemag.com/information

D aikin Applied Learning
Resources Help You
Achieve Better Customer
Outcomes

Technology is creating new value chains

and networks of people, places, and things,
helping engineers create smarter, more
efcient solutions for your customers.
Increasing our reliance on technology also
adds extra pressure to stay ahead of these
changes. Daikin is committed to helping
the industry grow by providing technical
training and hands-on experiences with our
HVAC solutions, so you can create better
outcomes throughout your career.
The Daikin Learning Institute
will help you build your under-
standing of the principles and
gain experience that sets you
apart as the trusted advisor for your
clients. We offer classes for every level,
ranging from fundamental principles to
specic training to develop a higher
prociency in operation, maintenance,
and service of todays advanced HVAC
technology. World-class textbooks and
reference tools are also available for
purchase from our store.
Daikin Learning Institute delivers industry-leading training
For more hands on experience, Daikins Solutions Plaza
puts innovation front and center with product
demonstrations and a series of IACET-accredited classes
to polish your skills. Experience our advanced technology
in person through operational, real-world residential,
commercial, and applied equipment exhibits. Visitors return
home with a comprehensive understanding of the latest of
Daikin equipment, systems, and technology, ready to design
the right solution.
When traveling isnt possible, Daikins social media is a
go-to learning resource. Daikin provides industry insights
and innovation on all social platforms and our blog.
Daikin invests in creating access to expert resources both
in-person and online to give engineers an advantage for
better outcomes.

Daikin Applied is accredited by the Interna-

tional Association for Continuing Education
and Training (IACET) and is authorized to Daikin Applied
award Continuing Education Units (CEUs). 
  

   

input #28 at www.csemag.com/information

D ata Aire educates engineers
through best practice
examples of solutions and
equipment applications

Extensive support
Data Aire supports engineers extensively
through a series of Education and Training
Workshops at our California facility,
through our video library and online
resources, as well as in the field support
from our technical sales professionals.

The 30 Year Mission: Cooling for Uncle Sam Scott Hawkins, building Project Manager of the
John Duncan Federal Building, Knoxville, Tennessee
The John Duncan Federal Building has been
home to a wide range of government agen-
Your average HVAC units last 10 years. Data Aire units at
cies over the years including the Social
30 years are still going strong, states Hawkins.
Security Administration, the FBI, the IRS, the
ATF, the Department of Homeland Security
Chris Finger, Chief Engineer of H&S, has worked at the facility
and the Secret Service. Currently, the main
for 23 years. His team maintains the data center. The thing to
tenant is the Office of Surface Mining
learn is that with proper maintenance, Data Aire units are easy
Reclamation and Enforcement a division of
to sustain, and exceed all expectations as far as AC equipment
the Department of the Interior.
for a computer room. Other units dont hold up as well.

The Keepers of the Cool
Data Temp Series floor-mounted CRAC
equipment, installed in 1987, has been
cooling the data center servers and related
equipment pretty much without a hiccup for
an entire 30-year time period.
The sales and engineering staff at Data Aire are happy to
assist you in determining the best solution for your particular
installation even if that means customization of a standard
product to meet your unique needs. Data Aire is equipped to
provide you with product configurations and options to match
your installation requirements.

Scott Hawkins of H&S Resources has been

the building Project Manager since 2002 800-347-2473 sales@dataaire.com
and has worked at the location since 1997. dataaire.com

input #29 at www.csemag.com/information

C ontinuous Remote
Temperature Monitoring
of Electrical Systems Offer
Safety Benefits Beyond Costly
Infrared (IR) Inspections

GraceSense Hot Spot Monitor (HSM)

provides non-conductive temperature
monitoring and alarming that identifies
potential hot spots and failure points within
electrical equipment. Identifying faults
before they occur saves money when
unplanned outages, service interruptions,
and equipment failures are avoided. The
HSM installs into any new or existing
electrical systems up to 38kV and the
design flexibility allows the use in either
stand-alone or fully integrated into a
plant-wide information system.
Current flowing through electrical connections at these PFPs
Mounting the temperature probe (lugs, screw terminals, circuit breaker stabs, bus-bar joints,
assemblies is easy as they piggy-back etc.) is the main cause for electrical hot spots.
onto existing secure bolted connections
inside of the electrical equipment where Furthermore, some critical hot spots are inaccessible by
heat sources (bus-bars, lug connections, infrared thermography, and therefore, go unnoticed because
etc.) or hot spots often originate. Once an infrared camera cannot obtain an acceptable temperature
bolted to the connection point, the fiber measurement. Infrared inspections are only a snap-shot in
optic leads are routed through the equip- time and are typically performed with the electrical equipment
ment and terminated to the HSM module doors open or using IR windows and the system is energized
mounted on a DIN rail channel inside the under normal load conditions, which exposes workers to the
control or low voltage compartment. risk of arc flash and shock hazard.

All power distribution systems have the

Phone: 563.386.9596
potential of developing hot spots at critical
Toll Free: 800.280.9517
connections that could turn into Potential info@grace-eng.com
Failure Points (PFPs). www.gracesense.com

input #30 at www.csemag.com/information

G reenheck, the worldwide
leader in manufacturing
and distributing air movement,
conditioning and control
equipment, offers educational
opportunities for engineers.
Greenhecks vast product line includes
roof-top and wall-mount exhaust fans and
ventilators, and an ever-growing selection
of special-purpose products such as
dampers, energy recovery ventilators, make-
up air units, centrifugals and vane axials,
louvers, lab exhaust systems and more.
Along with this comprehensive product line,
Greenheck offers online opportunities for
engineers to learn more about a wide range
of HVAC subject areas. Visit greenheck.com
and click on the Library tab. There you will nd
numerous application and industry articles,
project proles and podcasts discussing
topics such as motor starters and mixed ow
inline fans. Instructional videos cover topics
such as Vari-Green motors and Greenhecks
latest cloud-based eCAPS software that
helps engineers select the best value fan or
louver for the application.
Engineers can earn Professional Development
Hour (PDH) credits through Greenhecks HVAC
University developed specically for HVAC

offering practical, relevant knowledge that will
help you improve your understanding of the
latest HVAC trends, applications and codes.
HVAC University is held at various times
throughout the year at Greenhecks Schoeld, Wisconsin
headquarters and a limited number of seats are available.
Learn more at greenheck.com/hvacu or contact your
Greenheck rep for more information.
Engineers can also earn PDH credits through several Greenheck
online training courses that can be taken for free at your
convenience. Courses include:
8

Fan Fundamentals Modules 1.1 and 1.2 (1 hour PDH credit each)
8

Fan Coatings (.25 hour PDH credit)
8

Fan Construction Materials (.25 hour PDH credit)
8

Fan Accessories (.25 hour PDH credit)
8

Fan Bearings (.25 hour PDH credit)
8

Fan Motors (1 hour PDH credit)
For more on these courses, visit greenheck.com and click on
the Education tab. To receive certicates of completion for PDH
credits earned, engineers must set up a My Greenheck account.




 



design engineers. Choose from 25 courses www.greenheck.com

input #31 at www.csemag.com/information

G ripple: Your Trusted
Partner for the
Suspension and Bracing of
Ductwork, Lighting, Electrical
Services, and Piping

With manufacturing facilities in the USA and

UK, Gripple prides itself on having created
the cable hanger industry as a preferred
means of installing all types of suspended
services for construction. Gripple cable hangers offer many advantages, including:
Ready-to-use kits that have been pull-tested - Includes a
For almost two decades, Gripple has
length of cable with your choice of end fixing and a Gripple
revolutionized the way contractors suspend
fastener. No cutting or tools are needed to install.
Ductwork, Mechanical, Piping, Lighting, and
Electrical services. As a proven, certified, Five load rated hanger sizes with cable diameters ranging
from 1/16" to 1/4", 7x7 and 7x19 cable construction, and SWLs
load-rated, and adjustable alternative to
from 25 to 715 lbs per hanger, all with a 5:1 safety factor.
hanging with threaded rod, strap, jack chain,
or other methods, Gripple works with Installation solutions for every type of building structure
contractors to develop new and innovative Precast concrete, metal deck, wood, etc.
products that solve suspension challenges Lightweight & compact products - Means fewer materials to
and save hours of time on installations. transport and less carbon emissions, increased job site safety,
and reduced loading of the interior structure.
Gripple products have numerous approvals Technical and Take Off Services Free technical and take
including SMACNA verification, UL & CSA off services for any construction project, showing the
listings, and MSS & ICC compliance. In locations and quantities of Gripple cable hangers or braces
addition, Gripple boasts an impressive needed to suspend or seismically brace your services.
resume of suspending or bracing services
on thousands of construction projects in
North America, including major sports stadi-
ums, retail chains, medical facilities, data
centers, and government & military projects.
1-866-474-7753 or 1-630-406-0600
grippleinc@gripple.com www.gripple.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/GrippleTV

input #32 at www.csemag.com/information

E ngineering the Change
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) is a
leading global pure-play engineering services
company, built upon a 75 year old legacy and
heritage of the Larsen and Toubro. We are
engineers who believe in engineering better
products and discovering novel ways to build
a sustainable future.
We provide practical, economical, and
scalable business solutions in the form of
Engineering Research & Development
(ER&D) services to help customers achieve
faster time-to-market for their end products
and services, innovate to create new
products and solutions, reduce cost of
development and meet increasing regulatory
requirements more effectively. LTTS has 13
delivery centers across the globe, six of them
in the United States.
We also work closely with international scien-
tific institutions to continually source ideas
for engineering solutions. Tech Panorama
is our largest internal innovation event and
serves as a platform for employees to
showcase their skills to ideate and innovate
on a variety of topics related to major
industries and technologies.
Core Engineering
LTTS offers high end services and solutions
that span the entire engineering life cycle
(conceptualization to aftermarket) to all major
input #33 at www.csemag.com/information
L&T Technology Services delivery center in Peoria, IL
industries, and is proud to provide services and solutions to
52 Fortune 500 customers.
Digital Portfolio
Through our Digital Engineering (DE) portfolio, we provide
end-to-end support through the entire lifecycle of design,
engineering, planning, production, warehousing and distribution
of products. Our Smart Products & Services along with
Smart Manufacturing offerings provide seamless integration of
physical and virtual worlds across the industry and technology
eco-system.
LTTS has developed mature solutions such as IoT platform
UBIQWeise and smart buildings framework iBEMS in
emerging technology areas to support our customers. The
UBIQWeise platform provides insights on information such as
operational efficiency and preventive maintenance schedules by
collecting operational data on a near real-time basis, which is
then sent to a cloud platform.
Tel: +91 80 6767 5173 Aniruddha.basu@lnttechservices.com
www.lnttechservices.com
P revent thermal bridging
and water condensation
on hvac duct systems

What is thermal bridging?

In systems joined with sheet metal flange
connections, flanges produces a thermal
conduit, or short circuit, where the cold air
flowing inside the duct causes the warm
flange and the adjoining ductwork to cool.
The cool surface and flange temperature Problematic water condensation on standard hvac system

create an ideal situation for water conden-

sation. The calculation to determine the
heat gain to the cold air moving inside the
duct for the entire system is complex, but
let us contemplate an example.
Consider a system and environment
consisting of 22" average inside diameter
of double wall duct, 500 linear feet of duct
with flanges every 10 feet, $0.10 per kwH,
75% overall efficiency for cooling, 24/
hours/day, and 365/days/year, thermal
bridging results in an order of magnitude of
$500/year in added energy costs.
The solution is Linx EnergyX Double Wall
with the Safe gasketed connection.
The EnergyX duct system is constructed
with an insulation stop made of a closed-
cell elastomeric foam with a maximum
conductivity factor (k) of 0.28 BTU-in/hr
x ft2 x F and an operating temperature
range of -70F to +220F. When duct and
fittings are joined, the EnergyX connections
compress to maintain the integrity of the insulation and
the continuity of the thermal insulation across the joint.
Linx EnergyX systems consist of a perforated or solid
inner liner, glass fiber insulation, a solid outer pressure
shell, and the EnergyX connection. The system is self-
sealing. The simple single slip-fit connection outperforms
ASHRAE Leakage Class 3 requirements without the use of
external sealants all while preventing thermal bridging
in the process.
Learn more
Contact the Linx Engineering Department for technical
details or download valuable comparison literature to learn
how Energy X can resolve the thermal bridging challenge.
Linx Industries
www.li-hvac.com
(800)797-7476

input #34 at www.csemag.com/information

T here are over 22 million
lightning strikes
in the USA every year

There are three major areas of concern

from a lightning strike to your facility:
personnel safety, environmental impact,
and financial consequences. Each of these
concerns can have a substantial impact
from property loss, business interruption,
systemic breakdown, production loss, and
potential cleanup costs (which may include
environmental lawsuits and costs incurred
from Federal oversight).
Budgetary pricing is available, which is typically less
A lightning strike can damage computer than 0.005% of the project cost when installed during
networks, machinery, PLCs, and new construction.
diagnostic or control systems which
could easily cause a facility shutdown. Make an Educated Decision
Be informed and make an educated decision for your
In the aftermath of a lightning strike there facility. Have this option made available for your design/
may be hidden damage to electrical construction teams consideration. National Lightning
distribution systems, motor relays, Protection is ready to provide risk analysis and design
transistors, and circuit boards. Last but not services for your project at no cost or project commitment.
least, the risk of fire caused by a lightning
strike makes it the most probable cause of To learn more please contact us at 800-628-2816.
catastrophic damage insurance claims.

A simple risk assessment of your facility

can determine whether or not a lightning
protection system is required. With the risk
assessment in hand, a preliminary design
of a lightning protection system to current Tel: 800-628-2816 sales@nlpcorp.com
standards can be produced and evaluated. www.NationalLightning.com

input #35 at www.csemag.com/information

C able Installation,
Conduit Design and
Conduit Sealing Seminar
Course Content to be Presented:
Cable Installation and Conduit Design
Use Pull-Planner 4.0 computer software
to optimize cable installation. FREE for
attending the seminar!
Using pulling theory to optimize cable
installation and conduit design.
Coefficient of friction determination and
how friction affects cable installation
tension and sidewall pressure.
Cable pulling lubricant for fire rated cable
systems using Low-Smoke Zero-Halogen,
CPE, CSPE, and Hypalon cables.
Conduit Sealing Solutions to Meet ALL Five of
the NEC Codes. Stop Water & Gas
Polywater FST- Foam Duct Sealant
installation techniques and performance.
Understand the NEC Codes 225.27, 230.8,
300.5(G), 300.7 (A), 501.15 (B)(2) for
Raceway Seals.
How to increase reliability and reduce
outages of electrical systems.
Pad Mounted Transformer Entrance Protection
Polywater InstaGrout seals the pad
openings to transformers, sectionalizing
cabinets and switchgear to keep
animals out.
input #36 at www.csemag.com/information
Refurbishment and Cable Removal
How to get stuck wires and cables out of conduit systems.
Conduit Joining Techniques for HDPE conduits
BonDuit Conduit Adhesive for bonding HDPE to PVC, rigid
steel and fiberglass.
Learning Objectives of the Seminar:
A. To understand pulling theory and friction as it relates
to cable installation tension, sidewall pressure, and
properly planned pulls.
B. To be able to estimate cable pulling tensions and side
wall pressure before the pull begins.
C. To learn about where sealants can be used effectively
to meet the NEC codes.
D. To master the Pull-Planner 4.0 software free to
anyone who specifies Polywater products.
Two ways to attend our seminar
Contact us to set up a lunch and learn or office visit.
Contact us to attend an engineering webinar.
CEU credits may be applied.
support@polywater.com
651-430-2270 ext. 825
www.polywater.com
R WV Fixed Orifice
Balancing Valves

Red-White Valve Corp. has been

manufacturing Balancing Valves for 20
successful years. All Engineering, Design,
Testing and Manufacturing is done at the
companys plant in Italy. By manufacturing
these valves from solid brass bar stock to
the finished product gives Red-White Valve
Corp. a strong advantage in the HVAC
market. In essence everything is done
under one roof.
The 9510 valves are manufactured with a
Fixed Orifice Venturi Insert which allows
a more precise and accurate measure-
ment so that the desired flow rate will be
achieved with an accuracy that is not
attainable with a Variable Orifice.
differential manometer. The 9510 series has the capability of
reaching flow rates as low as 0.12 GMP with an accuracy of
+/-3%. It has an Integral Memory Stop to ensure the valve
is return to its set-point after using the positive Shut-Off
function. Connections are available in Sweat, IPS or Press.
Download RWV app
To assist Engineers and Contractors on the simple procedure
of operating the 9510 Balancing Valves a Utility Software and
Smartphone app have been developed and made available
for down-loading.

DZR Brass is standard to prevent
Dezincification in adverse water conditions.
Regardless of the application the 9510
Series covers the need for both Potable
Water and Closed Loop HVAC systems.
Red-White Valve is recognized in Master-
spec and has Revit capability for Engineer
and Contractor availability.
Other HVAC products available: Commercial Flanged
Balancing Valves 2" thru 12", Automatic Balancing from "
thru 12", Pressure Independent Control Valves, Actuated
Balancing, and Coil Kit Hook-ups.
To learn more, please visit us on our Website at
www.redwhitevalvecorp.com or call 1-800-222-7982.

The 9510 valves have three functions. It

acts as Shut-Off valve, a Balancing Valve, 1-800-222-7982
and a Meter-Station to measure flow via a www.redwhitevalvecorp.com

input #37 at www.csemag.com/information

T he New RenewAire
Experience: Empowerment,
Integration, Innovation
and Sustainability
Its an exciting time at RenewAire. Were
introducing an online tool to facilitate business,
were unveiling several new products and we
moved into a larger facility seeking LEED Gold
certification.This adds up to the new RenewAire
experience, which is one of empowerment,
integration, innovation and sustainability.
New products include:
CORES COMING JANUARY 2018 Electric Duct Heater: Duct-mounted configurable heater for
Configure | Order | Report | Estimate commercial ERVs..
& Energy Analysis | Submittal Indirect Gas-Fired Duct Furnace: Duct-mounted configurable
heater for commercial ERVs.
RenewAires new online tool, CORES, will
Bypass Economizer: Allows HE indoor units to capitalize on
enhance the user experience from project
free cooling.
conceptualization to unit commissioning and
Integrated Programmable Controls: Intelligent BMS-capable
empower our network anytime, anywhere.
controls optimize usability and commercial ERV performance.
Key benefits for engineers include: New Residential ERV (EV240): As a new addition to our
Increase operational efficiencies: robust line, the EV240 provides a 240 CFM airflow option.
Streamline the sales process, reduce
errors and improve communication. New and Larger Facility
Accelerate the speed of business: Committed to sustainability, RenewAire moved into an
24/7 access will empower customers by 111,000-square-foot facility thats seeking LEED Gold, Green
increasing autonomy and flexibility. Globes and ENERGY STAR certifications to meet rigorous
environmental standards. This state-of-the art facility has
Register now for updates:
adopted numerous ventilation strategies, including 100%
http://conta.cc/2sx5zwd
outdoor air without recirculation, thus creating healthy IAQ and
offering training opportunities to demonstrate real-time energy
New Products and cost savings.
RenewAire is constantly developing an ever-
growing, controls-focused and holistically Learn more at
integrated product line to meet growing demand www.renewaire.com.
for our Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs). 800.627.4499

input #38 at www.csemag.com/information

F or the Right Rooftop
with the Right Spec
Right Now, Engineers
Turn to Reznor

Reznor light commercial packaged roof-

tops are highly configurable at the factory,
so consultant engineers or design-build
contractors can get the exact spec unit
they need delivered to the job site.
The Right Features
Foam panel construction and hinged panel
doors are standard. The one-inch foam
panel wall construction ensures indoor air
quality is fiberglass-free, and inhibits mold
growth. Panel walls are easy to clean and
provide a super high R-value. High-quality
hinges eliminate screws on the roof and
keep the access doors in place, even in
high wind conditions.
The Right Efficiency
At 12.7 IEER, Reznor light commercial
packaged units meet federal minimum
efficiency standards for 2018, which
puts the product ahead of many units on
the market.
manufacturing process in the industry. To ensure
accuracy, each unit is bar-code verified to the bill-of-
material components as it rolls down the line.
The Right Spec
With over 35 options per tonnage size, there are over
750,000 unit configurations available. Having the units
built to spec at the factory increases product quality
while lowering installation labor costs. Have a fast-track
job? No problem. A quick-ship option is available out
of our factory in Dyersburg, Tennessee.
When you choose a rooftop with all the right options,
you get the right spec for your needs. Find out why
successful engineers rely on Reznor.
Go to www.reznorhvac.com or call your local Reznor
Sales Engineer at 800-695-1901.

The Right Quality

Specific components are factory-installed
using Demand Flow Technology (DFT), the
most advanced and flexible quality-control 1-800-695-1901 www.reznorhvac.com

input #39 at www.csemag.com/information

W hen Time is Money
Go the EZ Route

The Rheem Commercial Condensing

Tankless line is here to make your job
easier. Our engineers have created
products designed specifically with
plumbers in mind to save time, money
and energy.

Rheem tankless units not only provide

continuous hot water to keep up with the
hot water demand for businesses, but
there are many features to speed up
installation. For example, Rheem units can
be installed using the Tankless EZ- Rack
Kit. The EZ-Rack Kit holds two units
back-to-back when set-up as a free-
standing system. When wall-mounted,
a hanging bracket attaches the tankless
accessory rack with one tankless water
heater to the wall.
Ideal for hotels, restaurants, large offices
and even schools and senior centers
the Rheem Commercial Condensing
Tankless line comes Manifold Control
Ready which allows up to 20 units to be
connected in daisy-chain configuration
with the included cable.
Also, these units are Common Vent Compatible, meaning
up to eight Rheem Commercial Tankless Water Heaters can
be in-line common vented by using available header kits.
Venting units together can help save space, materials and
reduce the number of penetrations to an outside wall.
And to make installing tankess water heaters even easier,
specificers and contractors now have access to Rheems
online sizing tool and a full-time Tankless Application
Engineer to assist in choosing the right model, number of
units and accessories needed for a tankless application.
Only Rheem offers the industrys complete Commercial
Tankless Line that includes Manifold Control Ready Units,
Hot Start Programming, Overheat Film Wrap and EZ-Rack
Kit. Visit www.Rheem.com/Commercial-Tankless
for more information.

Once connected, the tankless units work

together as a load-sharing systemso if
one heater goes down, the business can info@www.rheem.com
stay up and running. www.Rheem.com/Commercial-Tankless

input #40 at www.csemag.com/information

E ngineers Solve Problems!
Snake Tray Delivers the
Solutions for Cable Pathways!

Snake Tray BISCI CEC Training Programs

Designing cable pathways that are not
only code compliant but provide the
best solution to keep up with changing
Snake Tray Resource Center
technologies requires strategic planning.
Snake Tray offers many other learning resources for
Snake Trays expertise in designing and
engineers. Visit www.snaketray.com/resources where
manufacturing cable tray systems for
youll find convenient links to the following:
over 20 years can support engineers in
designing the best cable pathways to suit CSI Specifications
the needs of the end user now and into Loading Capacity Guide
the future.
Installation Instructions
Drawings
Snake Tray offers a series of one hour
BISCI approved courses and will come Video Demos
to your facility and train your team of White Papers and more!
engineers in the following topics:
About Snake Tray
How to Design Cost Effective and Snake Tray has been innovating cable management and
Proper Pathways and Spaces Using power distribution solutions since 1996! Our goal is to
Cable Trays provide our customers with cost effective solutions that
help reduce the total cost of construction. We look forward
NEC (National Electric Code)
to continuing to serve the engineering community with
Compliance when Designing Cable
training opportunities and solutions that offer cost-effective
Pathways and Spaces
and time saving benefits.
How to adhere to NEMA Standards
when Designing Cable Pathways
Tel: 800-308-6788
Call us today at 800-308-6788 to schedule www.snaketray.com
your lunch-n-learn. info@snaketray.com

input #41 at www.csemag.com/information

P recision vs Comfort Cooling
in Computer Rooms:
New regulations to learn now
so you dont pay later

Many engineers and contractors are

facing increasing concern about comfort
(residential) cooling units being misapplied
to computer room applications. Prior to
2010 there was no energy efficiency
requirement for computer room cooling
equipment in the United States. This has
changed and selected units must now meet
Today, comfort cooling air conditioners should not be used in
the SCOP criteria defined by the Department
spaces that meet the definition of a computer room because:
of Energy.
They are not designed for the tight temperature and
Since computer rooms consume large humidity control that is required
amounts of power, CRAC manufacturers They may not meet the requirements of your local energy
have dedicated thousands of hours of conservation code
R&D to create the most energy efficient They do not meet the federally mandated energy
equipment. Comfort cooling equipment has efficiencies and have not been submitted to the D.O.E.
neither the tight control, robust design, nor for acceptance in this specific application
the built in energy efficiency required to
serve the computer room adequately. Download the White Paper
For engineers who are designing small IT spaces, a new
In ASHRAE 90.1-2013 a computer room is STULZ White Paper explores the federal regulations related to
defined as the following: Computer room: this critical decision between comfort and precision cooling.
A room whose primary function is to house Download the white paper at http://hubs.ly/H082ysD0
equipment for the processing and storage
of electronic data and that has a design
electronic data equipment power density
exceeding 20 watts per square foot of Learn more at:
conditioned floor space. www.stulz-usa.com

input #42 at www.csemag.com/information

T itus helps engineers get
and stay qualified online,
offline and hands-on.

Technology never stands still. The field

of air distribution and comfort control
involves the intersection of a number of
engineering disciplines, and this can
present a challenge both to young
engineers and to those who have been
professionally active for years.
Luckily, there are resources available to
help. At Titus, we offer the very popular
Titus eLearning website, an online version
of our webinars that is available to
engineers and others, where participants
can learn at their own speed. Subjects
range from Basic HVAC Design to specific
topics such as Chilled Beam Systems,
Cleanroom Design and Standards Updates.
Courses are eligible for PDH credits in most
states. Learn more, and find our course
catalog, at www.titus-elearning.com.
In addition, we offer more formal eLearning
courses on our website under the header
Titus University.
Engineers benefit from a Titus in-house training session
is a 39,000 square-foot center designed specifically for
learning and experimentation in the realm of HVAC. This
space features a number of purpose-built labs, including a
Throw Room, UFAD Room, Critical Environment Lab,
Reverb Room, a new chilled beams chamber, and more.
Architects, engineers, and other industry professionals
can take advantage of the latest in 3D and Virtual Reality
simulations, where they can see how products and modules
work together without having to be onsite. 3D and VR are
just some of the latest innovative educational tools that
customers and others have come to expect from Titus.
For more information about Titus University, our webinars,
eLearning and podcasts, 3D and VR training, or the
Comfort Zone, visit www.titus-hvac.com or speak to your
local Titus representative.

Online seminars and webinars are great

for busy professionals, but sometimes
theres nothing quite like hands-on. 972-212-4800
Our recently upgraded Comfort Zone titus@titus-hvac.com

input #43 at www.csemag.com/information

H elping HVAC/R engineers
maximize ROI for Ultraviolet
Germicidal UV-C systems

By eliminating accumulated organic and

biofilm growth in commercial air handlers, the
use of Ultraviolet energy (UV-C) significantly
improves airflow and heat-exchange efficiency
levels, reducing HVAC/R energy use by a
potential 10-25 percent, decreasing system
maintenance costs and providing cleaner,
healthier air.

UV-C light kills, and prevents growth of, UV-C is consistent with the goals of retro-commissioning
virtually all known microorganisms living in projects: low-cost fixes with fast payback that are easy to
HVAC/R components, such as cooling coils, implement, have a persistent energy-saving impact, and a
plenum surfaces, drain pans and on air filters. measurable return on investment.

Building owners, operators and contractors Why do HVAC/R professionals turn to

who incorporate UV-C into their HVAC/R
system enjoy greater system efficiencies,
reduced maintenance and improved indoor
environmental quality.
In fact, UV-C contributes to the triple bottom
line (energy, economics, environment) of
green/sustainable/high-performance
buildings by:
Maintaining design-level system cooling
capacity and air-system performance;
Reducing HVAC/R energy consumption and
maintaining healthy IAQ;
Cleaning organic matter from filters,
which reduces filter costs and provides
odor control;
Reducing water and hazardous chemical
usage and disposal.
UV Resources for solutions?
UV Resources founders were the pioneers in the modern
application of UV-C in HVAC/R equipment, having participated
in many industry patents and helping to guide ASHRAE
Handbook standards. Today, it has become the most
affordable, common sense UV-C manufacturer in the market.
Cost-Effective Solutions
With an average installed cost of $0.15 per CFM, the
investment in UV-C technology is truly minimal. Furthermore,
field reports indicate that a UV systems initial cost is about
the same as one properly performed coil-cleaning procedure,
and less when system shutdowns, off-hours work (overtime),
and/or contractor labor costs, are considered.
877-884-4822 info@uvresources.com
www.UVResources.com

input #44 at www.csemag.com/information

B uilding Solutions
One relationship at a time.

Varco Pruden Buildings is one of North

Americas oldest and largest providers
of steel-framed building systems.
VP Buildings meets CWB and IBC
standards, with many products for
achieving green building requirements.
2011 code. As part of the complete system design,
VP builds relationships with consulting ThermaLift also helps to maintain panel alignment for
engineers through our coast-to-coast efficient installation and an attractive finished roof.
network of authorized VP builders,
focused on providing the best solutions For complete product information, contact your local,
for each customers specific needs. authorized Varco Pruden Builder or visit VP online at
Our design and estimating software is www.vp.com. Our commitment to providing project-specific
compatible with the latest AutoDesk, BIM building solutions for our customers is a tradition that began
and TEKLA technology. Authorized VP more than 60 years ago. It continues today, one relationship
Builders enjoy the best in technological at a time.
tools to compete in their local markets.

Recently, Varco Pruden developed a new Learn with VP University

proprietary, hot-box tested insulation
system to increase energy efficiency.
Varco Prudens ThermaLift system lifts
SSR roof panels up to 7" above
secondary structural allowing two layers
of blanket insulation and U-factor
performance as low as 0.029. The result
is a cost-effective roof system that meets
todays more stringent energy codes,
including IECC 2015 and Canadas NECB
Did you know that Varco Pruden offers a number of
valuable educational opportunities? Learn about training
seminars, webinars and videos with the VP University
group at www.vpbuilder.com.
vpsales@vp.com
901-748-8000
VP.com

input #45 at www.csemag.com/information

 Accurate and Reliable Ducted Airflow Measurement
with ELECTRA-flo Probes, Transmitters and Stations
Air Monitors ELECTRA-flo series of thermal dispersion airflow
measurement instruments accurately measure airflow in a variety
of commercial HVAC applications and installations such as
building airflow measurement and control, ducted airflow
systems, and fan inlet airflow systems.

At the heart of each ELECTRA-flo airflow measurement system

is a pair of precision matched thermistors and an aerodynamic
sensor aperture assembly specifically designed to reduce the
effects of angular flow distortions found within ducted air distribu-
tion systems. The factory-matched and configured transmitter
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 Digital Edition
Exclusive Content
Visit www.csemag.com/digitaledition for exclusive content and for
more technical feature articles. The digital edition includes tablet-friendly
viewing (HTML5), headlines linking to longer versions, and an emailed link
as soon as its ready.

DE-1 The basics

of arc flash mitigation
Electrical engineers must understand the codes,
standards, and design requirements when engi-
neering for arc flash mitigation.
BY MATTHEW ZEGA, PE

Visit www.csemag.com/research for a

variety of research studies, including: research

 Electrical and power systems

 Fire and life safety
 HVAC, BAS
 Lighting and lighting controls
 2017 MEP Giants
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www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 101

 The basics of
arc flash mitigation
Electrical engineers must understand the codes, standards, and design
requirements when engineering for arc flash mitigation.
BY MATTHEW ZEGA, PE, RTM Engineering Consultants LLC, Chicago
Figure 1: This image shows a breaker
panel in which the arc flash hazard is
clearly labeled to warn personnel of
potential danger. All graphics courtesy:
RTM Engineering Consultants
DE1 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
A
n arc flash is an explosion Codes and standards
of light, heat, and energy Before diving into the implementation
caused by the shorting of techniques, its important to know what
electrical connections, governs arc flash regulations. There are
which poses as a seri- four publications that play a large role
ous hazard when working on electrical in arc flash regulations including NFPA,
equipment. An arc flash occurrence can NESC, OSHA, and IEEE.
happen as a result of personnel mistakes NFPA 70: National Electrical Code
or as a result of equipment or connec- contains a section about arc flash hazard
tion failure. warnings, which states that
Many factors go into Learning it is required for electrical
mitigating the danger objectives equipment to be field- or
that electrical work- factory-marked to inform
ers face; engineers must  Know that arc flash mainte- personnel of the risk in
thoughtfully design sys- nance and design mitigation working on each indi-
are paramount to electrical
tems to reduce and miti- vidual piece of equipment.
safety.
gate these incidents in The NFPA 70 code specifi-
 Understand NFPA 70:
the field. Owners, facil- cally refers to its counter-
National Electrical Code and
ity managers, engineers, other codes or standards part, NFPA 70E: Standard
and contractors can all related to arc flash mitigation for Electrical Safety in
contribute to providing design. the Workplace, to outline
a safer place for person-  Learn design tactics that more detailed require-
nel to work. The process will mitigate arc flash inci- ments for arc flash safety.
all starts with safe equip- dents. NFPA 70E outlines many
ment and engineering of the arc flash require-
design, followed by proper installation ments in more detail including arc flash
of equipment and proper training and risk assessments, arc flash boundaries, arc
maintenance procedures. flash personal protective equipment (PPE),
Maintenance mitigation and design and electrical equipment labeling.
mitigation will be covered in this arti- National Electrical Safety Code
cle, and an overview of the national (NESC) also outlines arc flash regula-
codes and standards that pertain to arc tions including arc flash hazard analysis
flash. This holistic approach is intended to be completed before maintenance is
to keep the best interests of all parties performed on live equipment within cer-
at hand while making personnel safety tain voltage thresholds above exposure
paramount. levels greater than 2 cal/cm2.
www.csemag.com
 OSHA also recently added new regu- sonnel to wear full arc flash
lations on arc flash safety. This evolu- suits). Refer to Table 1 for a
tion in regulations defines requirements full description of each arc
for arc flash studies being performed. flash level.
OSHA also outlines the use of PPE Although it is important
when working on and around exposed to properly label equip-
energized parts. ment, there also should be
The IEEE Standard 1584 outlines the arc flash hazard warnings
specification of scope and deliverable marked on the floor of any
requirements for an arc flash hazard cal- areas of danger. Its impor-
culation. This guide is extremely impor- tant to understand that dis-
tant in outlining the steps, from begin- tance greatly reduces the
ning an arc flash study and collecting incident energy of arc fault,
data to making assumptions on unknown but knowing and under-
data, executing a study, and completing standing these boundaries
the equipment-labeling process. will help to keep person-
These guidelines are the foundation nel who are not working
for designing, installing, and maintaining on equipment safe while
electrical equipment safely while mitigat- informing and educating
ing risk and exposure to the dangers of them on the limits of arc
arc flash incidents. flash areas.
Two additional mainte-
Arc flash studies, labeling nance factors that are cru-
The prime way to mitigate arc flash cial to be considered are
incidents is to ensure the facility has the tightening of equip-
recently conducted a study, labeled ment conductor connec-
equipment, noted zones, and trained tions and the review of old
facility staff in maintenance procedures. and deteriorating conduc-
NFPA 70E outlines when a study must be tors. Over time, conduc- Figure 2: Switchgear within a large health care facility. Proper
conducted and for which types of equip- tors can become loose as installation, maintenance, and labeling of electrical equip-
ment. Once the proper arc flash study a result of vibrations and ment as well as educating personnel on safety measures
has been performed, the overall system thermal changes. Conduc- are especially important in health care facilities, not only for
can be analyzed and the incident energy tors that are not properly personnel safety but also for patients whose lives sometimes
levels at each piece of equipment can be torqued are a prime hazard depend on these systems to be in working order.
reviewed. At that time, its important to for arc flash occurrences.
determine whether modifications need to They should be regularly inspected and This poses an obvious challenge and can
be made to the system to reduce danger- torqued to assure proper connection and result in conductors being left in opera-
ous incident energy levels. to reduce arcing. tion longer than their anticipated lifes-
The next step after any potential sys- The second and potentially more seri- pan. Insulation provides a false sense of
tem modifications are made is to prop- ous factor concerns the degradation of security when cracking and degradation
erly label each piece of equipment to conductor insulation. While torqueing a can begin to expose energized parts of
identify its hazard level. The four lev- conductor can be completed in a routine the conductor.
els of arch flash hazard range from one and cost-effective manner, replacing old
(least hazardous) to four (requiring per- conductors can be costly and difficult. Arc flash design considerations
Another tactic in mitigating arc flash
Table 1: Arc flash personal protective equipment schedule incidents involves implementing the right
Hazard PPE category level 1 Minimum arc rating of 4 cal/cm2 initial design or modifying the existing
Hazard PPE category level 2 Minimum arc rating of 8 cal/cm 2 systems to help reduce incident energy
Hazard PPE category level 3 Minimum arc rating of 25 cal/cm2
levels. This entails fully understanding
the electrical system and running an arc
Hazard PPE category level 4 Minimum arc rating of 40 cal/cm2
flash analysis study. In doing so, its also
Table 1: This table identifies each of the hazard levels of arc flash incident, ranging important to take into consideration
from one to four. selective coordination of the electrical

www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 DE2

 Arc flash mitigation
Figure 3: This photo shows switchgear within
a large health care facility.
system. While having a fully coordinated
electrical system is important, this must
be weighed with adjusting the system to
mitigate and extinguish arc flashes in
an expedient manner. When working to
adjust breaker settings for a coordinat-
ed system, creating delays in adjustable
tripping will prolong arc flash incidents
and expose personnel to increased risk.
The decision must be made based on the
level of critical operation of the equip-
ment. When it is decided that neither
selectivity nor arc flash mitigation can
be compromised, there are means to dial
in instantaneous breaker time-trip set-
tings while personnel are operating on
equipment.
Another design scheme to be used
in reducing arc flash incidents involves
DE3 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
analyzing and reducing available short-
circuit currents. There are a few meth-
ods that can be employed to achieve
this, including installing a line reactor,
installing an isolation transformer, and
increasing conductor length. While all
three of these options come at a price,
they should be carefully weighed as they
can greatly affect the available short-
circuit current and the respective arc
flash incident energy levels.
Employing high-resistance grounding
is yet another design choice that impacts
the arc flash incident energy levels of a
facility. Implementing a current-limiting
resistor into the electrical distribution
system can effectively increase the resis-
tance and limit the available fault cur-
rent. While this system has its advantag-
es and disadvantages, the main benefit
of this type of grounding is to lessen the
effects of arc flash by adding resistance
in your ground path.
Note that while a line-to-ground
fault can benefit greatly from having
resistance at the ground, this configura-
tion does nothing to limit the incident
energy of a line-to-line fault. Addition-
ally, it also must be considered that this
type of installation may be prohibited in
some cases, so further research may be
required to implement this strategy.
Arc flash mitigation components
Many engineering design techniques
can be employed to help reduce the
arc flash hazard. A few of the equip-
ment options include remote racking,
remote operators, zone-selective inter-
locking (ZSI), maintenance switches,
arc-fault relays, and arc flash protec-
tive equipment.
Various affordable, robot-like prod-
ucts are available that remove rotary-
style circuit breakers via remote con-
trol, placing the operator outside of the
arc flash boundary. Remote racking is
one concept that increases the workers
distance from arc flash areas, thereby
reducing the available arc flash incident
energy levels and improving personnel
safety. This method can be reviewed in
conjunction with specifying equipment.
Its important to know these options are
available when specifying switchgear
that can interface with remote racking
systems to help facility personnel prac-
tice safe racking methods.
Another method to mitigate arc flash
incident energy is to install a remote
circuit breaker operator. This solution
can be most effective when existing
equipment is realized to be above safe
arc flash levels. In some cases, due to
high levels of incident energy, it can be
necessary to have the utility company go
to a facility to power down main equip-
ment. With a remote circuit breaker, the
facility will be able to safely de-energize
equipment without the need to call in
special personnel.
ZSI is another method to consider as
it relates to arc flash mitigation. While
the primary principle of it is to provide
a coordinated electrical system, ZSI can
be a valid design option when reducing
arc flash incident energy levels. Given
this method relies on additional control
circuitry, it should be closely analyzed
prior to employment. This method can
be analyzed when completing an arc
flash analysis and reviewing the over-
current device trip settings.
Specifying the correct overcurrent
protection is an important factor when
implementing a safe system, which can
be accomplished by first completing an
arc flash study on the facility at hand.
Following that, adjusting the trip set-
tings found on modern overcurrent-
protection circuit breakers can be an
effective method in mitigating the
amount of arc flash incident energy.
Carefully reviewing and analyzing the
breaker trip settings as it relates to the
arc flash study is an important compo-
nent in setting the power system up to
perform optimally.
Typically, in arc flash safety, it is ideal
to have the breaker trip at the soonest
possible moment in order to mitigate
the amount of arc flash incident energy;
however, the problem with setting all of
the breakers down to the quickest instan-
taneous trip setting is that it can result in
an uncoordinated electrical system and
www.csemag.com
compromise the safety of the electrical
system. For instance, having an unco-
ordinated emergency electrical system
within a hospital or medical facility
could greatly compromise patient safety
if upstream breakers were to trip. These
options need to be carefully weighed and
discussed with the facility owner and
personnel prior to implementing.
Another option relating to trip settings
that can be considered is the employment
of a maintenance switch, which can pro-
vide a safe and effective way to switch
between a time-delay breaker that favors
coordination and an instantaneous trip
setting that provides maximum protec-
tion against arc flash levels. This mainte-
nance switch allows personnel to switch
to the instantaneous trip setting while
working on equipment, providing the
most protection. Once maintenance is
complete and normal operating condi-
tions resume, they then can switch back
to the coordinated time-delay trip setting.
While not every single arc flash is avoidable
because of equipment failures, proper maintenance,
personnel training, proper studies to understand risk,
and employing the correct equipment are all means by
which the risk of arc flash can be greatly mitigated.
An arc flash relay is another device
that can help mitigate incident energy in
both medium- and low-voltage switch-
gear. There are arc flash relays avail-
able on the market that measure both
light flash and current to detect arc
flash occurrences and help mitigate the
incident energy. The benefit of detect-
ing both light output from an arc flash
while also measuring current, ensures
safe operation and works to eliminate
nuisance tripping. Arc flash relays can
be a great solution for both new and
retrofit-type installations.
Finally, arc-resistant switchgear is an
option in the defense against arc flash.
Arc-resistant switchgear is specifically
designed to help redirect potential ener-
gy blasts away from personnel and out
www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
duct channels built into the switchgear.
If you have ever worked at a facility that
has experienced an arc flash, youll know
the damage that can result to not only
the equipment itself, but also the adja-
cent equipment. Arc-resistant switchgear
helps to channel the blast away from both
personnel and adjacent equipment.
Every quarter,
Mitigation training strategies
One important concept when design- Consulting-
ing for arc flash mitigation is connecting Specifying
with the owner and creating a plan for
arc flash mitigation safety. Its important Engineer conducts
to educate on mitigation techniques and research studies
outline the safety issues that relate to it.
If the engineering team is designing in on the industries
a bubble without collaborating with the serviced by the
owner and contractor, its easy for safety-
implementation items to get value- publication:
engineered during the budgeting process.
Its important to educate the owner and
agree on the level of engineering imple-
Electrical and Power
mentation so that its clearly understood Fire and Life Safety
HVAC/BAS
Lighting
what cost impact certain mitigation tech-
niques can have on the overall budget.
In summary, there are many methods
that can be employed to help mitigate the
risk of arc flash. While not every single
arc flash is avoidable because of equip-
ment failures, proper maintenance, per-
sonnel training, proper studies to under-
stand risk, and employing the correct
equipment are all means by which the
risk of arc flash can be greatly mitigated.
Being well-educated and taking the prop-
er training steps can help ensure a safer
system for all involved.
Matt Zega is an associate with RTM Engi- Download the Consulting-Specifying
neering Consultants. He specializes in elec- Engineer Editorial Research Studies:
trical power distribution for commercial,
industrial, and health care facilities. www.csemag.com/
media-library/research
DE4
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Design and Installation
Considerations for Generator
Sets Webcast Sponsored by
MTU Onsite Energy ........................ 15 .......................................630-571-4070................. www.csemag.com/webcast ...................
Douglas Lighting Controls ............. 52 ....................17 ..............604-873-2797................. www.DouglasLightingControls.com .....

REPRINTS
For custom reprints or electronic usage, contact:
Brett Petillo, Wrights Media
281-419-5725, bpetillo@wrightsmedia.com
Eaton Corp ...................................... 32, 32A-32L ....13 ..............412-893-4052................. www.Eaton.com/whatmatters ..............
Eaton Corp ...................................... C-4...................56 ..............412-893-4052................. www.eaton.com/doubledoor ................
ebm-papst, Inc ................................ 18 ....................9 ................860-674-1515................. http://ebmpapst.us .................................
ESL Power Systems......................... 24 ....................10 ..............800-922-4188................. www.eslpwr.com.....................................

PUBLICATION SALES Greenheck ...................................... C-2...................1 ................715-359-6171................. www.greenheck.com ..............................

Midwest LSI Industries, Inc. ........................... 17 ....................8 ................513-793-3200................. www.lsi-industries.com ..........................
Matt Waddell MWaddell@CFEMedia.com Metraflex......................................... 16 ....................7 ................312-738-3800................. www.Metraflex.com ...............................
1111 W. 22nd St. Suite 250 312-961-6840
Oak Brook, IL 60523 Fax 630-214-4504 Potter Electric Signal Company ..... 55 ....................57 ..............800-325-3936................. www.PotterIntelligen.com .....................
Reliable Controls............................. 6 ......................5 ................250-475-2036................. www.reliablecontrols.com .....................
West, TX, OK
Tom Corcoran TCorcoran@CFEMedia.com RenewAire LLC ................................ 45 ....................16 ..............800-627-4499................. www.RenewAire.com .............................
1111 W. 22nd St., Suite 250 215-275-6420 Reznor.............................................. 8 ......................6 ................800-695-1901................. www.reznorhvac.com .............................
Oak Brook, IL 60523 Fax 484-631-0598
Rheem Manufacturing Company .. 4 ......................4 ................770-351-3000................. www.Rheem.com/Commercial-Tankless .........
Northeast Schneider Electric............................ 1 ......................2 ........................................................ www.schneider-electric.us/smartsystems .......
Richard A. Groth Jr. RGroth@CFEMedia.com
12 Pine Street 774-277-7266
SENS ................................................. 30 ....................11 ..............866-736-7872................. www.sens-usa.com/systems ..................
Franklin, MA 02038 Fax 508-590-0432 Siemens ........................................... 31 ....................12 ...................................................... www.sea.siemens.com ...........................

Director of Content Marketing Solutions

Yaskawa America, Inc .................... C-3...................55 ..............800-927-5292................. www.yaskawa.com .................................
Patrick Lynch PLynch@CFEMedia.com
1111 W. 22nd St., Suite 250 630-571-4070 x2210 Need More Info? FAX this page to: 630-214-4504
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or mail to Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite 325, Downers Grove, IL 60515
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International
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www.csemag.com Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017 103

 Future of Engineering
The rise of the digital building
Digital buildings combine architecture, engineering, and technology
for increased building optimization.
D
esigning for autonomous process
automation requires a shift in
consulting-specifying methods
and practices. Engineering now includes
a broader set of integrated systems
requiring a well-defined and well-
communicated bridge between a clients
expected outcome and the construction
process.
A digital building includes a set of
solutions that creates a synergy between
comfort, safety, energy efficiency, and
security. Its a blend of architecture,
engineering, and technology that turns
buildings into something more
uniquely different from the smart build-
ings of the past. Digital building is a
smart building evolvedone that uses
cognitive computing to drive autono-
mous optimization.
The concept of a digital building
Digital buildings fundamentally
transform a space into an app-driven
utility. Although designers are focused
on creating spaces that optimize the
human condition, advance wellness,
and increase the ability to collaborate
and share, digital buildings turn spaces
into digital assistants. A digital build-
ing relies heavily on Internet of Things
(IoT) devices to deliver this level of
automation.
IoT refers to the ever-growing net-
work of physical objects that feature an
IP address for network connectivity.
These devices use embedded software,
sensors, and controls to interact with the
external environment.
104 Consulting-Specifying Engineer AUGUST 2017
JAMES C. WADDELL, RCDD, MAI;
CannonDesign, Chicago
Building systems and IoT
Todays building systems are also ben-
efiting immensely from loT. All systems
currently use some form of information
technology (IT) networking for commu-
nication, monitoring, management, and
control. Although powering each device
or system typically requires an electri-
cal connection and a data connection
at each device, the digital building con-
verges these requirements into a single
secure, open standards-based frame-
work designed to deliver power and data
through a single data cable.
Providing power over data cable is a
tested and proven way to energize IoT
devices. Power over Ethernet (PoE)
technology is an approved way to
safely transfer electrical power, along
with data, to remote devices over stan-
dard networking cables in an Ethernet
network. The result is that almost all
office phones and security cameras
specified today are PoE-enabled.
Devices and controls systems that are
commonly specified have options to
use PoE technology.
It used to be that consulting-
specifying engineers designed in a way
that made it easier for people to under-
stand technology. Digital buildings now
allow consulting-specifying engineers
to design systems in a way that makes
it easier for technology to understand
people. Advances in IoT devices are
helping facility managers capture data.
Combining building management
system-captured environmental data
(temperature and air quality) with
movement data from location sensors
allows the systems to understand and
predict optimal ventilation, tempera-
ture, and light levels for a specific day or
night. Data about the movement of indi-
viduals through open spaces can help
tenants boost the productivity of work-
ers by better designing tasks and breaks
to facilitate collaboration between
employees.
Designers now have the option within
traditional building systems to use the
cost savings and enhanced value of a
converged system. Leveraging PoE tech-
nology to create a holistic infrastructure
that can power and provide IT network-
ing for various building technology
systems is at the core design principles
of digital buildings. As building systems
become more network-enabled, so too
will the infrastructure that drives them.
New and innovative business mod-
els within the design community have
already begun to shift the balance of
power in the marketplace. As a result,
competitive situations will give way
to more complex engagements where
companies are interconnected in ecosys-
tems. Partnerships between traditional
architecture and engineering firms and
large IT vendors will also play a more
significant role.
James Waddell is a member of Can-
nonDesigns technology-consulting
practice leadership team, focused on
leveraging the integration of converged
technology systems to enhance the
built environment.
www.csemag.com
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