Boulevard Brewing Company: Efficient Solutions for a Historic Facility

Challenge

With the growing popularity of its beers and brewery tours, Boulevard Brewing Company sought a larger space to accommodate its needs, purchasing a four-story, historical office building just across the parking lot from its brewery. While the facility was a perfect size and location to serve its needs, and provided aesthetics that fit well with the rest of the complex, it also offered some challenges with its two rooftop units not working properly. As warmer temperatures approached, the brewery sought a solution to its comfort needs. “We needed a reliable, efficient system in place. One that would handle the day-to-day activities and the amount of foot traffic we expected in this building,” said John D’Orvilliers, Director of Maintenance, Boulevard Brewing Company.

Solution

Boulevard Brewing selected Trane as a one-stop solution for its HVAC needs. “Trane offered the whole package from planning, equipment, controls, and installation through service and maintenance,” said D’Orvilliers. “Having a Trane system on our main building for the last ten years, we knew what kind of company we were going with.”

Trane and Boulevard considered their options, taking into account the added challenge of wanting to meet a tight timeline in order to open for the busy summer season. Upfront and honest communication regarding specific dates, timelines, schedules, and hurdles enabled Boulevard Brewing to set a specific target opening date for the facility, and Trane to better meet the brewery's needs. Faced with the choice of repairing existing equipment or replacing the current system with new technologies to achieve desired energy savings, the decision was made to move forward with installation of new equipment.

Providing an immediate, short-term solution

To get the facility up and running quickly, Trane made temporary unit and ductwork modifications to the existing HVAC equipment. A 50-ton Trane rental unit was installed in the interim timeframe while the equipment was in the process of being replaced.

Reducing installation costs, increasing efficiency

Tying into existing ductwork, two high-efficiency 70-ton Trane® IntelliPak™ packaged rooftop units were installed in the early morning hours, prior to the brewery’s opening, in order to minimize disruption to the business. The unit’s integrated design and pre-configured, factory-installed Unit Control Module enabled faster installation, helping to reduce manpower and cost. Through a combination of innovative technologies and expert engineering, IntelliPak systems run efficiently, quietly and reliably, with most units featuring an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) rating of 11 or more. In addition, Trane eFlex™ variable-speed compressor technology ensures that the systems efficiently meet load requirements at all load levels, increasing life span and reducing energy use.

Improving reliability, preserving aesthetics

Facility managers use a Trane® Tracer™ SC building automation system (BAS) to access systems remotely, from their tablet or smartphone, to conduct daily tasks, set schedules, change set points, troubleshoot issues, and obtain alarm notifications. With state-of-the-art graphics and dashboards, the BAS enables users to monitor and manage systems to improve performance. Unit controllers, sensors and the BAS communicate via a Trane® Air-Fi™ Wireless System Interface. The absence of wires reduced installation time and cost, and met the aesthetic needs of the open floor plan. Air-Fi uses redundant, reliable self-repairing mesh technology and has twice the signal range compared to other wireless systems.

Results

Managing the process from start to finish, Trane worked closely with Boulevard Brewing Company to answer the HVAC and controls needs at the brewery’s new Tours and Rec building. Trane rental equipment and ductwork modifications provided a temporary cooling solution to get the facility up and running, while awaiting installation of high-efficiency Trane Intellipak packaged rooftop units with eFlex variable-speed compressors, and the addition of a Tracer SC BAS for ongoing control and comfort. Trane also assisted Boulevard Brewing with application

to the Kansas City Power & Light custom incentive program, resulting in a one-time credit of $8,175 to offset the cost of the project. "The addition of the VAV controls and the Tracer SC was a perfect combination of efficiency, ease of use and automation," said D’Orvilliers. “The incentive was a great bonus, and the overall ease of working with Trane was also a definite plus.”