An energy upgrade project was performed at Leon Johnson Hall on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. Leon Johnson Hall is an eight story buidling which is dominated by laboratory space. The existing fume hood exhaust system in the building utilized booster fans and central exhaust shafts to handle exhaust flows. This system was replaced with two variable volume central exhaust fans, and a Phoenix Air Valve system for control. The existing heating and cooling systems were run by steam from the Campus Heating Plant. These systems were replaced by a heat pump combined chiller/boiler, which recovers heat energy for heating water from the production of chilled water. This plant was designed to provide heating and cooling for Leon Johnson Hall, as well as several adjacent buildings. A geothermal field is currently being installed near the plant to further optimzize the system.
Commissioning of this building was integral to the success of the project. As an occupied building, systems could not be down for extended periods of time. The Commissioning Authorities of Elkhorn Commissioning Group stepped in to coordinate Mechanical Contractors, Controls Contractors, Test and Balance, and Equipment Vendors to find solutions to the problems encountered throughout the project. Although it took some time, once the project was complete energy use for the building was cut in half from previous years, and continues adjustments to control sequences should further reduce energy use, along with the installation of the geothermal well field.
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