Tips To Control The Thermostat Wars In A Modular Building-Five Great Tips

Modular buildings have great solutions for avoiding thermostat wars!

At Modular Solutions, Ltd we offer ideas in the preconstruction phase, so that if you are considering a modular structure you can make an educated choice. These tips will extend the life cycle of your HVAC equipment and will help with thermostat wars.

What does industry standard mean?
In most cases, if your specification sheet says industry standard or does not specify you will get wall mounted mechanical units, (some companies do not even provide return air duct), and you get one duct run per each modular section, with one thermostat per modular section. While this is a quick way to build in the factory this is not really an efficient design for a mixed used facility.

Tip 1: ZONES
You can still get the affordable wall mounted mechanical units (suggest you ask for fully ducted supply & return air ducts), but ask for "zones". Zones help the air flow to areas that are related, and keep a common area with its' own supply. For example a run of offices may have their own thermostat, while an open training room that spans several modular sections may have its' own zone.

Tip 2: TYPE OF UNITS
For a few dollars more you can look at getting a split system or package units that go on the roof or ground that have high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) ratings. The SEER rating system was adopted for residential construction, but has translated into commercial construction since it is so highly recognized. By choosing a more efficient brand and type of HVAC system your design is now customized to meet your space planning goals and will cost less to operate. Who wouldn't' want a lower monthly utility bill?

Tip 3: LIFE CYCLE OF UNITS
Mechanical units reach a point where they cost more to operate than just giving in and exchanging for new units. This is called life cycle. If your mechanical units are having maintenance costs and service calls regularly, it may be time to consider replacing them with new units. While this can be an expensive capital outlay, you will see dramatic energy cost savings.

Tip 4: LOCK BOXES
Sometimes no matter how well your team has designed the HVAC system, some people are just hot or cold. If you have a lockbox on the thermostat equipment only specified staff will be able to make adjustments if required.

Tip 5: PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTATS
Thermostats are just a measuring device, and just cycle on or off based on what they measure the temperature at. Part of having an efficient design is to use programmable thermostats. You can do great pre-planning by starting the heat or cool cycle a little early. When employees start arriving they walk into a climate controlled environment. Don't be afraid to use the manual override. If you see there is a storm coming and let the building warm over night and keep a steady heat. Using your thermostats wisely extends the life cycle of your HVAC equipment.

For more information on how to get the perfect design-build modular building contact our team:
Modular Solutions, Ltd
Phone: 800-441-8577 x 1
Email: Information@mod-sol.com
website: www.modularsolutionsltd.com
all rights reserved copyright & trademark 2015 ©

Net Zero Building, How Do We Get There?

Net zero is a fairly new term in the construction industry that simply means when designing and constructing a building you incorporate specifications and components that will generate more energy than it uses. Sound impossible? Not at all. By incorporating new generation solar/wind/geothermal and other technologies, it is very possible to construct your new building and have it generate more power than it consumes.

Net Zero was first introduced in the housing and residential modular industry as a way for home owners to get "off-the-grid" or to spend less each month on their energy bills. That technology created an interest in the concept, but was on the fringe and really was not affordable in the mainstream construction industry. As a result of advances in construction technologies, renewable energy systems, and academic research, creating Net Zero Energy buildings is becoming more and more feasible. for a full read on what Department of Energy (DOE) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) CLICK here. The new modern approach has actually been renamed Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB's) by DOE.

1. Design Smart: Incorporate the latest technology, and use energy star and energy efficient components and products
2. Investigate: Visit with local building officials and see what other local construction projects did to make their building a ZEB, and what did not work
3. Use renewable energy sources available within the building’s footprint: PV, solar hot water, and wind located on the building
4. Develop an urgency: If your project has community support you may find allies in the most unlikely places. Let the community know you are designing a ZEB and see what resources become available

For more information contact our design-build team at:

Modular Solutions, Ltd
Phone: 800-441-8577 x 1 (sales)
Email: information@Mod-sol.com
website: www.modularsolutionsltd.com
all rights reserved copyright & trademark 2015 ©

New Year, New Opportunities

It is always great to start the new year off and look at all the possible opportunities. Within your industry, I am sure you face some challenges that you are trying to sort out & get a creative and innovative solution to.

In the modular industry, we see some trends in 2015 to which we are looking ahead, and offering innovative solutions!

EDWOSB: Many agencies did not meet their hiring goals for this group. OUR SOLUTION: OnSite Construction Management (a modular solutions dealership) Woman owned, $10M bonding & GSA contract holder.

School Funding: With a deficit in state budgets, schools are awaiting funds. This puts projects behind schedule or needing a "one-stop-shop" solution. OUR SOLUTION: Cooperative contracts will be the budget and schedule solution. Cooperative organizations offer superior services through strategic vendor partnerships. Modular Solutions, Ltd holds a national contract award with Purchasing Cooperative of America (PCA) and in New Mexico, Cooperative Educational Services (CES). For educational spending we are able to offer the entire design-build solution for your agency.

Veteran Affairs Medical Facilities: While the funding has increased some, there are still very tight restrictions on spending for new facilities or improvements. OUR SOLUTION: Modular Solutions, Ltd has been providing high quality medical facilities for federal agencies since we were awarded our GSA contract in 2000. We have provided free standing medical clinics, dental clinics, renovation of facilities, addition to existing facilities, and turnkey design-build projects.

Permanent Accelerated Construction: Many clients are already behind schedule without having a design or team in place, because they went with traditional construction methods design/ bid/ re-bid/ over budget. Being faced with cancel the project or return funds to the federal government, we have a better solution! OUR SOLUTION: Permanent Accelerated Construction (PAC). PAC is an alternative to traditional site built construction. Our clients are able to get concrete floors, multi-story construction, creative architectural embellishments, and 50+ year life cycle. PAC construction can pick up the slack in the schedule and make up precious months lost while trying to get a traditional site built structure in place.



For more information on any of our topics contact our team:
Modular Solutions, Ltd
Phone: 800-441-8577 x 1
email: information@mod-sol.com
website: www.modularsolutionsltd.com
all rights reserved copyright & trademark 2015 ©