(Chicago – December 10, 2009)
Sieben Energy Associates received an award for Excellence in Engineering from the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc (ASHRAE). The award recognized the exemplary commissioning work of Sieben Energy Associates at the PCC Austin Family Health Center in Chicago, IL.
Sieben Energy Associates (SEA) worked as the commissioning authority for the project, alongside teams from PCC Community Wellness, the design firm Manske Diekmann Thompson, and Architectural Consulting Engineers. Robert Urso, President and CEO of PCC Community Wellness, said, “PCC is honored to receive the ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award for the design of PCC’s new Austin Family Health Center. I am very excited about the new PCC Austin facility and proud to have such an amazing team on this project.”
SEA was an integral part of the project’s design team during the course of the construction process, providing technical consulting for all major mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. As the project’s commissioning agent, SEA reviewed vital testing procedures, including conductivity testing for the geothermal loop field, piping flush and fill plan, and the testing and balancing of the building’s ventilation system.
SEA’s commissioning services assured that the PCC Wellness Center, a well-designed building, is also a well-built building. Consequently, the facility should provide significant energy savings for the owner and operator over the course of its use as a community center and medical facility.
In addition, SEA was contracted to perform functional performance testing on the facility’s critical systems: geothermal heat pumps, energy recovery ventilators, solar hot water packaged units, and other HVAC equipment, as well as lighting and building automation control systems.
"We are thrilled to commission projects with such huge energy savings potential and receiving awards like ASHRAE’s ‘Excellence in Engineering Award’ make it exceptionally gratifying for us and the client,” said Chris Philbrick, Director of Commissioning at SEA.
The new health center will also apply for LEED certification. Sieben Energy Associates is serving as the LEED consultant for the project. Read more about the Center's LEED certification project at their website.
Sieben Energy Associates
Sieben Energy Associates is a strategic and technical consulting firm that specializes in energy efficiency, sustainable design, and innovative energy management solutions. Since 1990 Sieben Energy has helped hundreds of clients in the commercial, industrial, institutional, and government sectors identify ways to reduce their energy expenditures, strengthen their sustainability profiles, and implement practical green solutions for new and existing buildings. With extensive experience in LEED certification, energy audits, commissioning, and strategy development, Sieben Energy partners with clients to mitigate operating expenses, increase shareholder value, and manage the risks of global climate change.
For additional information, please visit www.SiebenEnergy.com.
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