Duke Health, Clinical and Research Laboratory Building (CaRL) HVAC Upgrades

MBP provided comprehensive commissioning services for the Clinical and Research Laboratory (CaRL) building, including a design review of the 100% construction documents, facilitation of monthly commissioning meetings, development of pre-functional checklists, and concurrent submittal reviews with the design team. Our team conducted regular site visits, maintained an issues log, developed and witnessed functional performance testing procedures, and verified the TAB report and owner training. This project involved replacing the building’s original air handling unit (AHU), laboratory exhaust fans, energy recovery system, and associated mechanical ductwork and piping within the penthouse and basement mechanical rooms. The work was completed in three phases while the building remained fully occupied.

During the design review, MBP identified a flaw in the sequence of operations for the energy recovery coil. As originally designed, the system would have engaged the energy recovery coil when the outside air temperature was higher than the supply air setpoint, which would have unnecessarily increased the cooling load. MBP recommended adjusting the sequence to enable the energy recovery coil only when the outside air temperature was either below the supply air setpoint or above the return air temperature. This modification resulted in long-term energy savings and improved system efficiency for the facility.