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Weber State University is creating an environmentally friendly, energy-conscious campus that simultaneously serves as a living laboratory for students in its engineering and environmental programs. The school’s environmental goals include electrification by eliminating conventional, natural gas-fired, and less efficient HVAC systems. So far, about half of the campus’ HVAC systems are fully electric.

Historically, Weber State University’s buildings have been cooled with chilled water from a central water plant and heated with steam from a central steam plant, neither of which are energy-efficient compared to modern systems. Today, many of its buildings have been retrofitted with all-electric, all-climate, water-source heat pump solutions. Moving forward, the university plans to convert the entire campus to Mitsubishi Electric Hybrid Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) solutions. Hybrid VRF systems use water instead of refrigerant indoors and are a key technology in the movement to electrify and decarbonize buildings.

“We’re also creating an energy recovery network for our entire campus, with all buildings connected to the same water loop,” said Justin Owen, Interim Director of Operations for Weber State University.

“The Mitsubishi Electric heat pumps connected to that water loop enable us to save money on our electricity bills and reinvest those savings into renewable solutions like solar, which allows us to source that electricity renewably,” he said.

Learning About All-Climate Heat Pumps

In 2015, Weber State University started installing water-source VRF systems. For instance, the university has a ductless, water-source VRF heat pump system from Mitsubishi Electric in its Noorda Engineering building. The Noorda Engineering building is home to the university’s electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and energy engineering programs. Most parts of the VRF solution are on display to students, labeled and exposed – from the condenser to the branch controller to the fan coils – enabling them to learn and work with all-climate heat pump technology.

University personnel attending a trade show in Las Vegas were introduced to the Mitsubishi Electric Hybrid VRF solution by their HVAC distributor, Applied Product Solutions, located in south Salt Lake City. In 2024, Weber State installed its first water-source, Hybrid VRF solution in its six-level SkySuites, an addition to Stewart Stadium. The SkySuites house the Weber State Athletics Department, coaching staff offices, a press box, 26 suites, 150 club seats, and a study area for student-athletes.

“One thing that I’ve been really impressed with regarding the Mitsubishi Electric hybrid system is that it uses less refrigerant than a more conventional system, which is really important to us, especially with the coming changes to new low GWP refrigerants,” said Brad Lash, P.E., Vice President, WHW Engineering.

Enjoying the Benefits of VRF and Hybrid VRF

An advantage of VRF and Hybrid VRF technology is improved comfort and efficiency provided by zoning. With zoning, each room has its own thermostat, giving occupants control to heat or cool their space to their comfort level.

“At our homecoming football game, I stopped by our presidential suite because historically, the SkySuites’ temperature was hard to manage, said Owen. “When i asked President Martinson about the temperature, he said, ‘It’s been great. It’s normally hot in here, but I’m comfortable.'”

Weber State University also benefits from Mitsubishi Electric smart energy controllers that come with a light-level sensor and an occupancy sensor. These energy-saving features enable staff to remotely control temperatures and adjust thermostats in unoccupied rooms to save on energy bills.

“Mitsubishi Electric Hybrid VRF consumes a lot less energy than our conventional systems,” said Owen. “Whenever we do a retrofit, I run some energy numbers on what we consumed before and what we consume now. Mitsubishi Electric systems allow us to decrease our energy footprint by about 70% to 80%.”

Plus, VRF and Hybrid VRF solutions are easy to perform routine maintenance on, according to Sean Dorsey, Service Advisor, Applied Product Solutions. Weber State chose to use mostly four-way ceiling cassettes in the SkySuites because these indoor units have easily removable air filters at the ceiling level.

“We provide a complete set of filters for every indoor unit,” Dorsey said. “When they do maintenance, they take out the filter, place a new one, and wash the dirty ones so they’re ready for the next time.”

Creating a New Standard

Hybrid VRF solutions are perfect for retrofit projects like Weber State University’s conversion from conventional HVAC systems to more modern technology. The Mitsubishi Electric ductless Hybrid VRF solution installation in the SkySuites took just eight months from start to finish. Another benefit of a ductless system was that it was easier to run piping instead of ducts through the SkySuites’ tight ceiling space.

Since Weber State University is committed to reach carbon neutrality by 2040 and reduce the environmental impact of all operations, Mitsubishi Electric Hybrid VRF solutions enable the campus to meet its energy-conscious goals. In fact, its sustainability initiatives are a leading example for other universities prioritizing reducing their carbon footprint.

“Hybrid VRF is now our standard,” Owen said. “We have three projects in design right now that will also be Hybrid VRF, and our plan is to convert the rest of the campus to hybrid.” Owen stated that the positive environmental impact, reduced energy cost, and the overall lifecycle cost of the systems have impressed him.

In fact, he said Weber State University is sold on the Mitsubishi Electric brand exclusively because of the company’s high-performing all-climate heat pump products, functionality, energy recovery, easy-to-use thermostats, intuitive control systems, local HVAC support, and warranties.

For more info on Mitsubishi, https://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/

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Weekly update examines plumbing jobsite safety relating to tunnel accidents and new podcasts

On this weekly update, we’ll explore plumbing accidents due to not properly securing tunnels on jobsites. Why aren’t the proper safety procedures put in place—shoring, trenching, shielding? We also go back to Soledad State Prison in California as the American Plumber Stories returns with Larry Jones of Universal Plumbing, August, Ga. We also talk partnerships between the UA and ICC.

A recent tunnel-related death raises more questions, and heeds the call for stricter safety measure adherence. Is convenience worth a life?

Recently, I was reading a news story of a plumber who died in a tunneling accident. This particular story involved a plumber in Louisiana working in a tunnel underneath a home, when it collapsed, leaving the plumber trapped some four feet underground. According to Local 4 News, “emergency crews worked for over an hour and a half to free him. Firefighters also pumped fresh air into the collapsed tunnel in an attempt to help, but he did not survive.”

Now I hear about these stories from time to time, and ask myself, how do these incidences keep popping up? Are proper safety precautions and procedures put in place? Does it happen more often than we think? We are not passing judgment for this particular incident, but it is tragic, nonetheless.

“An analysis by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests that excavation cave-ins caused approximately 1,000 work-related injuries each year, with about 140 resulting in permanent disability and 75 in death. When you consider confined space issues like asphyxiation, that number increases,” says Rachel Housman, CSP, CIH, and creator of Ally Safety, a provider of safety training and resource based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements with a fun, modern twist for heavy industry. So, it does happen more often than we think.

According to information provided by OSHA, soil is heavy, and a cubic foot can weigh as much as 114 pounds, and a cubic yard can weigh more than 3,000 lbs. Most workers don’t realize the force that will hit them when a cave-in occurs. A person buried under only a few feet of soil can experience enough pressure in the chest area to prevent the lungs from expanding. Suffocation can take place in as little as three minutes. Heavier soils can crush the body in a matter of seconds.

For trenches between 5 feet and 20 feet deep, OSHA says shoring and sheeting, shielding, sloping and benching are all acceptable protective measures. It is up to the planners of the construction project and the competent person on site to determine which systems will work best. If an excavation is greater than 20 feet deep, a registered professional engineer must design the protective system.

Shoring systems are structures of timber, mechanical, or hydraulic systems that support the sides of an excavation which are designed to prevent cave-ins. Sheeting is a type of shoring that keeps the earth in position. It can be driven into the ground or work in conjunction with a shoring system. Driving sheeting is most frequently used for excavations open for long periods of time. Another type of sheeting, in which plates or shoring plywood is used in conjunction with strutted systems such as hydraulic or timber shoring. These strutted systems are also referred to as active systems. The most frequently used strutted system involves aluminum hydraulic shores which are lightweight, reusable and installed and removed completely from above ground.

A shield, also known as a trench box, is another common protective system used by contractors. Trench boxes are not designed to prevent cave-ins, but rather serve to “shield” workers within the structure should a cave-in occur. This is an excellent choice when placing continuous installations, as in pipe laying. The box is placed in the trench and dragged along with the progress of the work.

The excavation and trenching standard from OSHA along with when a space will also qualify as a confined space are guidelines—let’s review:

Excavation and Trenching

• If a trench is 5 feet (1.5 meters) or deeper, a protective system must be used unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock.

• If a trench is less than 5 feet deep, a competent person must evaluate it for potential cave-in hazards.

• If a trench is 4 feet or deeper, and there is potential for a hazardous atmosphere, the air must be tested before workers enter.

Employers should also ensure there is a safe way to enter and exit the trench. Keep materials away from the edge of the trench. Look for standing water or atmospheric hazards. Never enter a trench unless it has been properly inspected.

Confined Space

It’s also considered a confined space if it meets all three qualifications below:

• Large enough to enter and perform work

• Limited means of access and egress

• Not designed for continuous human occupancy

Trenching on jobsites without proper safety precautions can’t possibly be done knowingly, right? “I think the disregard for safety is everywhere and is constant but largely unintentional. Unless you work for a big business or are part of a good union, you’re unlikely to get in-depth safety training on a regular basis. Lots of small businesses don’t know what they don’t know and OSHA doesn’t have the budget to do as much outreach as would be beneficial. Because of that, safety training actually becomes a privilege instead of a right. That’s a big part of why I do my YouTube channel,” says Housman.

So why then do good, knowledgeable people choose not to use cave-in protection? According to OSHA, lately the answer from employers is that cave-in protection would have been “inconvenient” to use. Is convenience worth a life?

On this week’s update we talk NFL Draft, drought conditions across the United States, commercial heat pump water heaters, new podcasts from the guys at Appetite for Construction and Make Trades Great Again.