Seminar in Vital Signs Study:

Winter ‘01

The building chosen to analyze for its potential alterations in energy consumption and enhancing comfort conditions within is " YMCA ? Berkeley, CA’’.

Backdrop Information:

This was started in 1910. The structure was previously a chapel. Later additional structures that housed certain support functions of the YMCA were constructed in 1960 and 1994. All the three buildings currently are well connected and function as an unified whole. Generally the Y’s are physically conservative. Due to this it is vital that optimum comfort levels are maintained in these spaces. Reaching out into the community is a major component of the mission of the YMCA. The ideology of YMCA is to bring people together and make new friends, share experiences and learn from each other. Through involving the people that make up the community, the YMCA is a proactive force in coordinating efforts that support youth, adults and families.

The facility map shows the physical components of the building.

Focus of Study:

Actually the building has a considerable number of " Energy consumption and Conservation’’ issues as

• The residences with old heat radiators and walls through which there is constant infiltration
• Deviation from optimal comfort condition near the entrance lobby due to the sliding doors that cause infiltration of cold air
• Excessive energy consumption for the task of heating and maintaining the pool temperature at around the desired levels
• Forced artificial ventilation for the locker rooms in the basement that result in wastage of energy resources
• Wastage of the heat energy( as output) emanating from the laundry equipments as there is no proper channeling system
• Lack of appropriate visual comfort levels in most parts of the building as there is imbalance between electric and day lighting

As a response to the preliminary field inventory, our focus of study is in analyzing the existing network for heating the pool and suggest an alternate energy conscious and a cost effective heating system that could be fused within the existing framework of operations.

Hypothesis:

The introduction of a " Solar heating system’’ as an additional form of energy source for heating the pool shall result in the reduction of the current energy consumption level.

Preliminary Field investigations:

As a first step to the study, these are the relevant data taken during the on site investigations in order to support and act as base factors for the in depth analysis of the hypothesis.

• Surface temperature in the pool
• Air temperature and relative humidity at different locations within the pool
• Water temperature at various reference points of the pool
• Data from the HOBO spread across a time frame of 17 continuous hours in order to obtain,
  1. Water temperature variance at different time intervals
  2. Air temperature variance and relative humidity variance at specific time intervals
     • Physical dimensions of the pool for the square footage and cubic volume to be heated
     • Volume of pool water to be heated
     • Solar transit data at four reference points in the terrace to measure horizon obstructions and arrive at the "Solar potential’’
     • Physical dimensions of the roof.

 

Apart from these, the further data that is required for the analysis are :

• The specifications of the water heater currently in use at the pool
• Energy requirements and consumption levels of the existing heater
• Comparative study of the various options of solar heating system ( photovoltaic panels versus solar hot water heaters )
• Climatic data of Berkeley, CA
• Data on the forms of pool covers currently available and probably suggesting a specific type of pool cover that suits the existing

  conditions.

---

Data Presented :
1. Plan of the pool
2. Terrace plan of the pool
3. Solar transit values
4. HOBO values
5. Temperature readings at selected locations