Chilled Beams in Laboratories: Lessons Learned

Peter Rumsey, Rumsey Engineers

Rumsey Engineers was the first engineering firm to use chilled beams in laboratories. In the last five years, Rumsey Engineers has used chilled beams in several lab projects and has gained valuable experience in the cost analysis, design, and installation of these systems.

Chilled beam systems are not yet widely known or used in the U.S., although recently they have become more widely used in laboratories and office buildings. Chilled beam systems offer many key benefits for laboratories and other critical environments, including low operating costs, high level of occupancy thermal comfort, flexibility in the design of unit types, ability to deliver many services in a single unit, low operating noise, and adaptability to conditions where floor-to-slab height is minimal.

Chilled beam systems can be installed for equal or less cost than inefficient VAV reheat systems typically installed in labs. The chilled beam units themselves are still relatively expensive, as most are manufactured in Europe, but the significant reduction in ducting, shafts, and air handler capacity offers attractive cost savings that more than offset the costs of the units.

This presentation will discuss several issues that affect the use of chilled beams in laboratories:

• Costs and how to develop and present cost models
• Contractors' level of familiarity with the technology
• Constructability
• Coordination with other systems
• Design and system optimization
• Operations
• Sourcing.

Some of the Rumsey Engineers projects presented will include:

• Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, the first U.S. lab to use chilled beams
• Biomedical Sciences Building, University of California, a 100,00 square foot laboratory building with a basement vivarium
• Cal Poly Center for Sciences, a 187,800 square foot teaching laboratory
• Packard Foundation headquarters, a 30,000 square foot office building
• J. Craig Venter Institute, a 40,000 square foot zero-energy research laboratory.

Biography:

Peter Rumsey is founder and President of Rumsey Engineers, Inc. As a global player in energy efficiency, Peter has over 20 years of experience in a broad range of government, scientific, and private sector projects. His expertise includes design of efficient HVAC systems and energy monitoring systems in commercial buildings and critical environments, management of project teams, and analysis of design options using computer simulation tools.

Peter has published many papers on energy efficiency and HVAC issues. Before founding Rumsey Engineers, he held engineering and management positions at Sol*Arc Architects, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, XENERGY Energy Consultants, the International Institute for Energy Conservation, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

Mr. Rumsey is a Senior Fellow of the Rocky Mountain Institute, has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and is a registered Mechanical Engineer in 11 states, including California, Arizona and Texas. He is a Certified Energy Manager and an active member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). The AEE San Francisco Bay Area Chapter named Peter Energy Engineer of the Year in 2001.

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