Bonhag Associates is currently working on the design of a Net Zero residential building in Richmond, Vermont. The Structure will be composed of four residential units made from special insulated concrete forms, sitting on a sloped environment in a beautiful field. Net Zero designates that over the course of a year, the building consumes no energy from the power grid. The building generates its own power through efficient wind turbine, photovoltaic solar power and solar domestic hot water as well as geothermal heat pump for very efficient heating and air conditioning.

Bonhag Associates recently completed the design and implementation of the first chilled beam and chilled ceiling facility designed and built within the State of Vermont for Middlebury College. Chilled ceiling technology is popular in Europe and consists of chilled water running though the ceiling panels to provide air conditioning. The college contracted with Bonhag Associates to evaluate various systems and then design this approach at their fitness area on campus. When compared to an air system, the water based chilled ceiling requires only 20% of the pumping power to maintain proper cooling levels in the space. Additionally, installing ductwork would have been extremely difficult for this retrofit project and would not meet the project time frame. The college benefited from Bonhag's hands-on experience in alternate technologies and is delighted with the real cost savings the chilled ceiling system offers.

Bonhag Associates re-engineered a 620 KW steam turbine at the Ethan Allen facility in Beecher Falls, Vermont, in order to meet the project deadline, system operational requirements, and overall grant requirements on this project, all of which was part of larger goal of maintaining jobs in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and Northern New Hampshire. In this biomass project, wood from the furniture sawmill, sawdust, scrap wood and some green wood is converted into high pressure steam which is manufactured from two existing wood fired steam boilers, and is then sent through a new 620 KW steam turbine. The electrical power from the steam turbine reduces the connected load for the plant, thereby reducing the connected electrical power from the grid. The exhaust steam from the turbine is then used for both heat and process at the plant as needed. The system is currently operating and doing what it was designed to do. Bonhag has now been commissioned for another phase of this project to implement an additional 700 KW biomass to steam electrical generating facility at the Orleans, Vermont, Ethan Allen plant as well as other energy improvements.

With over forty years of energy experience, Bonhag Associates brings to their projects extensive hands on experience, while at the same time bringing them in on time and at a lower cost than other engineering firms. Such savings are made possible by the distributed nature of the company, which includes an international assortment of experienced engineers capable of innovative, cost effective, and environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions.

Bonhag Associates' innovative engineers work as mechanical, electrical, and energy engineering consultants for large commercial buildings, industrial, institutions, and government, providing:

• Planning and Programming
• MEP/FP Buildings Innovative Design
• Process Analysis and Design
• Energy Systems and Design
• Problem Solving and Trouble Shooting
• Code Review and Forensic Analysis

For more complete information on Bonhag Associates, call toll free: (888) 448-5180 or e-mail wbonhag@bonhagassociates.com.

Wayne T. Bonhag, PE, owner and principal officer of Bonhag Associates is proud of these achievements and continues pursuing CHP and other environmentally friendly engineering solutions for his international set of clients. With over forty years of energy experience, Bonhag Associates brings his projects in at nearly 30% less then other engineering firms. Such a large savings is made possible by the distributed nature of the company, which includes an international assortment of engineers capable of innovative and cost effective solutions. Bonhag is known for bringing in projects on time and below budget, while maintaining an environmentally friendly, sustainable approach.

Bonhag Associates' innovative engineers work as mechanical, electrical, and energy engineering consultants for large commercial buildings, industrial, institutions, and government, providing:

• Planning and Programming
• MEP/FP Buildings Innovative Design
• Process Analysis and Design
• Energy Systems and Design
• Problem Solving and Trouble Shooting
• Code Review and Forensic Analysis

For more complete information on Bonhag Associates, call toll free: (888) 448-5180 or e-mail wbonhag@bonhagassociates.com.

A CHP system is one that takes a single fuel and makes both electrical power and thermal for heating, domestic hot water, cooling, or process. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, based on the particular energy profile of the facility. Bonhag Associates selects systems and subsystems that are proven and apply innovative approaches that keep you on the cutting edge to achieve outstanding results. In this way, they are able to assist their clients in optimizing their energy expenditures appropriately. Bonhag Associates has vast experience in providing engineering, analysis, design, commissioning, and troubleshooting for a wide variety of CHP systems. As a design team, they select the correct type and size of system for each facility. Over forty years of experience in the mechanical, electrical, and energy fields allows them to integrate systems in such a way as to provide their clients with excellent, hands-on, practical results. Bonhag Associates assists with your professional planning, engineering, and project management.

The project goal is to reduce overall environmental impact, becoming a self-sustaining green community aiming to approach net zero net energy usage. This requires looking at the project as a total building design, including site orientation, use of passive and active systems, solar overhangs and fenestration, infiltration control through the use of excellent insulated exterior doors and low-e triple pane windows, careful selection of low electrical power usage, high efficiency HVAC systems, lighting, equipment, and Energy Star appliances. All residences shall be built to or exceed Vermont Build Greener/LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

This award is presented to an ASHRAE member who demonstrates innovative, energy conscious and creative designs. The award recognizes successful applications of innovative design which incorporate ASHRAE standards for effective energy management, indoor air quality and good mechanical design. Awards are presented in seven different categories and cover a broad spectrum of commercial buildings including institutional, health care and industrial facilities, as well as residential buildings and alternative or renewable energy use.

Bonhag's award was for the innovative and energy conscious design of a new 82,000 square foot high tech manufacturing and office facility for Luminescent Systems, Inc. (LSI) in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Luminescent Systems, Inc. is a leading supplier of electroluminescent lamps, aviation lighting products, emergency egress lighting systems, cockpit lighting and electroluminescent lamps and ruggedized keyboards, keypad and data entry equipment for electronic systems. The success of this project was based on a select team working together from the inception. The team was made up of Luminescent System's Inc. in-house design team working along with the Construction Manager, Trumbull-Nelson Construction Co., the mechanical contractor, Economy Plumbing and Heating Inc., the electrical contractor, Cole Electric, Inc. with Bonhag Associates, PLLC, providing oversight and engineering design for the Mechanical, Electrical and Process design for the facility.

Construction of a new facility for LSI was necessary due to increased productivity requirements. The 82,000 square foot manufacturing facility was designed with energy efficiency and improved manufacturing standards in mind. The building utilizes many different individual methods to reduce its energy use, including earth berms to reduce the building heating and cooling requirements; energy efficient lighting; premium efficiency motors; a Variable Air Volume (VAV) air distribution system; a Facility Management System (FMS) to control all building equipment and variable frequency drives on large motors. One of the many innovations that was utilized in the design of the mechanical systems in the building was the use of integrated enthalpy-based economizers on the rooftop HVAC equipment. This allowed for free cooling and the use of rejected heat from some of the process equipment to obtain free heating. At the same time the entire building is air conditioned to 72 F and 50% relative humidity for improved Indoor Air Quality and maintains light levels in excess of 75-foot candles through the use of highly efficient lighting and task lighting.

Since this facility has large amounts of exhaust air, control of the exhaust from the conditioned space is a major energy saver. Grouping the exhaust systems and controlling flow through each of 103 exhaust connections throughout the plant accomplished this major reduction in energy consumption. The FMS control system is used to control these exhaust dampers. In addition the process systems in the facility, including some tightly environmentally controlled spaces, are integrated into the building systems to provide an optimum operating scenario for the owner. The unique method of integrating the various systems is the key to optimizing the overall energy savings in the facility.