HVAC, boiler systems among significant campus improvements

Note: This is the third in a series of articles on capital improvements over the summer at Campbell University. Previous articles covered new laundry units in residence halls and the near completion of a station house for the medical school's four mobile units.

Photo: Campbell University President Dr. William Downs and Director of Facilities Management Robbie Adams look at the new boiler unit outside of Burkot, McCall and Small halls in July.

Among the several recent and ongoing capital improvement projects at Campbell University, perhaps the most significant is the replacement and upgrading of existing older HVAC units and boiler systems across the main campus.

The improvements will mean more reliable and energy-efficient cooling and heating systems, according to Facilities Management Director Robbie Adams. His department is working with Dewberry Engineering to develop "comprehensive strategies to address system issues across campus" and is using the Niagara Framework (a control system developed by Tridium Inc.) to monitor efficiency, remotely set temperatures and catch problems or outages immediately.

"These improvements were needed, and they will be a huge benefit to the university in terms of utility costs and overall savings," Adams said. "These are state-of-the-art systems, and they will make us a much more efficient campus."

Current HVAC projects on campus include:

• Bob Barker and Burkot, McCall and Small residence halls: A new state-of-the-art, natural gas boiler system was recently installed, enhancing energy efficiency and reliability.
• Kivett Hall and Wiggins Memorial Library: A new state-of-the-art, natural gas boiler system was recently installed, enhancing energy efficiency and reliability. The two new systems mean the former central boiler plant along U.S. 421 (originally installed in 1960) has been taken offline after exceeding its service life.
• Butler Chapel: A new Carrier chiller was installed in July. According to Adams, the new system was needed, avoiding costly repairs on the end-of-life unit that had been in place for years. The new system is now fully operational.
• Faculty Memorial Commons: The student apartment complex is scheduled to have its current boiler system converted from hydro to direct expansion (DX), improving overall performance. DX systems are typically more energy efficient.
• Taylor Hall and Lundy-Fetterman: Both chiller units are scheduled for a rebuild this fall.
• John W. Pope Convocation Center: A system-wide HVAC study is in progress, in partnership with Dewberry Engineering.
• Campus-wide HVAC systems: According to Vice President for Business and Chief Financial Officer Sandy Connolly, HVAC units across campus remain a top infrastructure priority. Facilities Management is working with the engineering firm to develop strategies for addressing system issues across campus.

In total, Campbell University has invested more than $2 million in HVAC and boiler system upgrades and replacements.