A FIRST OF IT’S KIND
In many ways, the City of Austin’s Far Southeast Austin EMS is like many other EMS stations, equipped to facilitate emergency medical personnel. However, one thing sets this station apart. It has the distinction of receiving the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) first Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design (LEED) Gold rating awarded to a project the southwestern United States.
COMMISSIONING
Goodwin Engineering had the privilege of being selected as the commissioning agent for this project. Fundamental and Enhanced commissioning services were provided to ensure that the MEP systems were designed as required to meet the needs of the client and were installed as intended by the design engineer.
Goodwin Engineering assisted the Owner in developing Owner’s Project Requirements, assisted the MEP engineer in developing a Basis of Design, and developed a commissioning plan for use by the team throughout the project. Additionally, Goodwin conducted focused reviews at various stages of design, reviewed equipment submittals at the start of construction, and verified training requirements.
During the construction, Goodwin participated in equipment startup and conducted functional performance testing of HVAC equipment, domestic water heating, and lighting systems. At the conclusion of the project, Goodwin produced a commissioning report and followed up with a warranty review.
ENERGY ENGINEERING
Because of our expertise in energy engineering, we also provided energy modeling of various aspects of the design and worked with architect Architecture Plus and MEP Engineer Tom Green and Company in order to refine and maximize energy savings throughout the design.
The project received the USGBC’s prestigious LEED Gold rating; the first in the southwestern U.S. The following year, Wes Goodwin, P.E. presented his portion of the project to the World Energy Congress.