Equal parts private investigator, prognosticator, and mechanical engineer – that was FSi’s role on the renovation of the Yakima Post Office, with Cornerstone Architectural Group.
The mechanical scope sounds simple enough: a life cycle replacement of the chiller and controls serving a post office built in the 1960s. Between USPS’s commitment to sustainability, and FSi’s expertise in energy modeling, the end result reduced utility costs by more than a third.
FSi provided energy modeling of the existing systems and several design options. We found energy use was much higher than would be expected with the systems in place. We were able to pinpoint the source of the wasted energy, a damper in the ductwork that was stuck open, which was letting conditioned air flow freely out of the building. USPS facilities staff were able to repair the damper for immediate energy savings.
We provided energy and energy cost modeling of several design options using a 20-year LCCA basis. The analysis enabled USPS to select the option with the lowest life cycle cost, which included motors with VFD and high-efficiency chillers. We also identified low- and no-cost measures to improve performance, including adjusting controls sequences to match current schedules.
We’re deeply rooted in Central Washington. See what we did in Richland.