New system to save energy on heating and cooling in basic science wing of Medical School building
by Michael Cohen
It takes a lot of energy to heat and cool buildings, which is why maximizing the efficiency of HVAC systems is a big focus of UMass Chan Medical School’s sustainability and energy efficiency strategy.
A ninth-level penthouse is being added to the basic science wing of the main Medical School building to house new mechanical and electrical equipment that will modernize and enhance the capabilities of the existing systems, most of comprised original equipment from the 1970s. The improvements will reduce energy consumption for heating the building by about 85 percent and for cooling it by 20.
David MacNeil, senior mechanical project engineer at UMass Chan, explained that the existing systems don’t recirculate air. Outside air is drawn in, heated or cooled and distributed, then exhausted back out, representing a potential loss of energy.
“That was the state of the technology when the building was built,” MacNeil said. “But we have better systems available now and we are making changes to capture that energy for heating and cooling, not just exhaust it.”
The penthouse shell was completed earlier this year and the installation of new mechanical equipment is underway. At the heart of the new HVAC system is an energy recovery system designed by Konvekta USA and assembled at the company’s Andover plant.
The Konvekta system circulates a glycol solution through a series of coils placed in the ductwork of the HVAC system. Before warmed or cooled air is blown outside, the coils capture its energy, then circulate the glycol fluid back to the air handling units that supply the building, transferring energy to help heat or cool the air pushed throughout the building.
“The Konvekta system is constantly monitoring the air flow rate and the temperatures, so at any given time it’s determining how much fluid it ought to send to each one of those coils to maximize recovery,” said Harry Shanley, vice president of mechanical engineering at CannonDesign, the architect and MEP engineer for the penthouse addition and HVAC upgrades.
He said it is most effective on the heating side because of the temperature differences between the incoming and outgoing air in winter versus summer. “In the winter when the exhaust air is 70 degrees and it’s zero outside, that’s a lot of energy to transfer,” he said.
The Konvekta system components were hoisted up to the penthouse by crane this summer and dropped into the space through a retractable part of the roof. The components are now being integrated with the building’s mechanical systems. It is scheduled to be running in early 2026.
This basic wing upgrade continues a strategy initiated across the campus. A similar heat-recovery project, also designed by Shanley and the CannonDesign team, was completed in 2018 for the HVAC system serving the clinical wing of the building.
“We’re very proud and grateful for the opportunities we’ve had over the years to work with the UMass Chan team and make these improvements to the campus,” said Jay Toutant, principal at CannonDesign.
Newer buildings on campus, including the Albert Sherman Center and Paul J. DiMare Center were designed and built with advanced energy recovery systems in place.