Hall of State Dehumidification Project
Securing the Future of our History
Goals
Solutions
Results
Dehumidifying the environment at the Hall of State
Since 1922, the Historical Society has been actively striving to be the prime site for a walk down Dallas’ and Texas’ rich history. It offers city tours, programming, museum exhibitions, lectures, and other special events. The Society remains determined to keep providing such informative and educational programs to the citizens of Dallas by collecting and preserving the priceless yet delicate artifacts of the history of Dallas.
For years, the Hall of State has been witnessing private and corporate functions, and the hustle bustle of these pompous affairs has resulted in the constant need for maintenance and renovations. Any moisture in the environment can damage the priceless artifacts. Therefore, keeping the air in the Hall of State dehumidified is necessary.
- Industry Local
- Location Dallas, Texas
- ServicesGeneral Contracting & Engineering
Adding, Subtracting, Replacing and Repiping
The experts at METCO accomplished the dehumidification process by installing water heating coils in the ductwork and duct transitions, adding open automation system and remediating, retrofitting and re-piping HW and ChW piping. METCO replaced Trane Tracer Summer front end panel with Distech Tridium Niagara’s new open-protocol, front-end automation panel that can control chillers/chw, cw pumps, and boilers/hw pumps. The experts also gauged the perfect trap height and installed condensate drain piping to trap drain properly.
- Construction Cost $340,000
- Annual Cost Savings $35,034
- Electricity Savings703,259 kWh/yr
- Simple Payback (years) 5.89 yrs
Preserving Our History
The moisture content in the air is a catalyst for gradual wearing and tearing of objects and when it comes to old, priceless artifacts corrosion and mold development can have irreversible effects. The legendary Hall of State is a well-insulated building that keeps the cold and winds out, but it also creates a stale, humid indoor atmosphere by trapping humidity and reducing air change. Therefore, the process of dehumidification was crucial to preserve the State heritage it holds. Humidification causes microorganisms and mold to attack surfaces that eventually start corroding.
After a thorough site survey, METCO devised a calculated dehumidification strategy by careful planning the action plan. Using high quality, modern replacements from Distech Controls, METCO installed an open-protocol, front-end automation panel that could control both the chillers/chw and cw pumps and boilers/hw pumps. Heating coils were installed in the existing ductwork of AHU for reheating. Following the safety guidelines, the existing ductwork was demolished, and a new supply air duct from fan discharge was installed where the duct enters the floor. To avoid duct sweating, the interstitial plenum in the attic area was completely wrapped up. Lastly, METCO workers expertly insulated the new supply duct to adjust the air flow.
These upgrades and refurbishmentrefurbishing of the Hall, have enabled the Dallas Historical Society to save up to 703,259 kWh/yr of electricity and $35,034 per annum. With the help Distech BACnet and Niagara newest controls, METCO was able to make this happen. Special care was taken while bringing down the old installations and replacing them with the new ones so that the rich history the Hall carries would remain unadulterated and untouched. The project was handled strategically, and the client’s demands and needs were followed carefully. The automation panel was set up with the help of the controls contractor.
Reasons to Choose METCO
METCO treasures your past, present and future
METCO cares about the historical value an artifact or crevice has for you. METCO officials are not only experts in their technical fields but are trained to handle your needs and values with sensitivity. METCO offers several different services including commissioning, HVAC and PV installations, and renovations that focus on increasing long term value and savings for your business or facility while playing their part towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly society. The Hall of State was able to secure the future of its history by the strategic dehumidification process that METCO carried out.