HVAC Systems

Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) designs seek to provide thermal comfort, acceptable indoor air quality, reasonable installation and maintenance costs, and efficient operation. In addition to facility temperature control, HVAC systems provide ventilation, reduce air infiltration, and maintain pressure relationships between spaces. HVAC design is based on the basic principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.

Facility HVAC system design requires an intimate knowledge of the building structure and function. This typically involves an engineering analysis of the building’s envelope and interior spaces and their program. The analysis includes the local climate conditions to determine the external thermal energy coupled with the internal thermal energy created by the people, lights and equipment of the spaces. This establishes the peak heat loss and heat gain that needs to be balanced through heating and cooling systems respectively. Based on the thermal analysis, the facility type, and project budget, the HVAC system type is determined, equipment selected, and the system designed and specified to integrate into the building.

In addition to meeting the minimum building code requirements, PTA designs HVAC systems to meet standards published by the American Society of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineers (ASHRAE), which has been established to support the industry and encourage high standards and achievement.