Case Study
Pennsylvania Correctional Facility
Project Overview
Location
Pennsylvania
Building
Correctional Facility
Aeroseal Contractors
Large energy services company (ESCO)
Contract Engineer
PLD Associates
Goal
Energy savings with minimal disruption
Before Aeroseal
2,450 CFM of leakage
After Aeroseal
256 CFM of leakage
Results
Through duct sealing alone, the ESCO saved its client $7,000+ annually, with an ROI of less than 4 years
Pennsylvania Correctional Facility Saves $7000/Yr Using Aeroseal
ESCO Turns to Aeroseal Duct Sealing as an ECM and Improved HVAC Performance.
When one of the industry’s most respected facility services providers was asked to make energy-efficient upgrades to a correctional facility (prison) in Pennsylvania, it had two key issues in mind. First, the services provider knew that the facility would be occupied during renovation, so limiting disruptions and health risks to the occupants was essential. Second, working as an ESCO, the company also knew it had to deliver on modeled energy savings or face paying the difference out of its own pocket.
Therefore, when it came time to re-purpose the existing supply ductwork serving the HVAC system’s VAV terminal boxes, using Aeroseal to seal any duct leaks was a no-brainer. Following an inspection of the air ducts and data crunching, it was estimated that duct sealing alone would generate energy savings of $7,108 annually.
We have used Aeroseal in the past and knew it was really the only viable, cost-effective means of sealing air leaks in existing ductwork that is hard to access. We guarantee estimated savings, so it’s imperative that we get real results – and we know that there is nothing more effective at finding and eliminating all the leaks than Aeroseal.
ESCO Project Manager
Unlike manual duct sealing methods, Aeroseal is a computer-controlled aerosol-based sealing process that works from inside the duct system to simultaneously find and seal leaks. This inside-out approach makes accessing the entire duct system more simple and demolition-free. The ESCO had used Aeroseal in the past to seal the ductwork in hospitals, laboratories and other highly sensitive environments. Plus, the product is safe even for building occupants (e.g. prison inmates, hospital patients) that cannot leave the facility during the procedure. With confidence, the ESCO called a local Aeroseal contractor PLD Associates to do the work.
PLD used foam blocks to isolate the area of ductwork to be sealed and then connected the Aeroseal system to the duct via a long, flexible tube that ran from the sealing equipment to a temporary access hole cut into the ductwork. Once setup was completed, a switch was flipped and sealant was blown down the tube and into the duct interior.
PLD used foam blocks to isolate the area of ductwork to be sealed and then connected the Aeroseal system to the duct via a long, flexible tube that ran from the sealing equipment to a temporary access hole cut into the ductwork. Once setup was completed, a switch was flipped and sealant was blown down the tube and into the duct interior.
Results
In a single afternoon, the sealing was completed, and the ESCO was able to reduce overall leakage by 90%. Post-seal leakage analysis showed annual energy savings to be 400% more than originally estimated and a payback period (ROI) of less than four years – all done without health risks, demolition, or any other disruption to normal operations.
