Wake Forest University Downtown Building 60 South

HEAPY was engaged by Wake Forest University to study and diagnose the HVAC systems at the 116,000 square-foot Building 60 South, a mixed-use facility housing the Wake Forest University Engineering department. Since moving into the renovated space in 2018, the university experienced ongoing issues, including moisture problems in labs, building pressure issues, and loss of cooling during peak summer months. HEAPY’s review of initial and fit out building drawings revealed that ductwork velocities and pressures exceeded recommended values, and the DX rooftop equipment had improper refrigerant coil circuiting, causing air stratification.

Onsite investigations and functional testing uncovered that the temporary emergency mode of operation for HVAC units had become the standard, leading to airflow conflicts and insufficient room-level conditioning. Additionally, the building was operating at a significant negative pressure, introducing unconditioned outside air and exacerbating temperature and humidity issues. Faulty outdoor airflow measuring stations contributed to these problems.

HEAPY identified potential energy savings of approximately 993,300 kWh of electricity and 40,300 ccf of natural gas, totaling over $110,000 in annual cost savings. To address these issues, three major capital projects were proposed: replacing the DX equipment with chilled water systems, expanding the existing chiller plant, and improving dehumidification, equipment reliability, and environmental control.