The Project:
Matrix was hired by Pacific Gas & Electric to perform a design-build HVAC retrofit for PG&E’s Sacramento Service Center. Primary project goals were to replace 30-year-old equipment before it started to fail, to gain better control over electrical, gas and water resources, reduce operating and maintenance costs, and achieve better temperature control throughout the facility, for the comfort and safety of staff and customers and to better protect equipment within the facility.
Project Highlights
The Hurdles:
This facility is a busy service center that is the workplace of about [250] of PG&E employees and PG&E customers who visit the center to pay their bills and transact other types of business with California’s largest energy supplier. About this project, Matrix HG President Art Hoover said, “This project required our engineering expertise, pre-planning, technology resources, precision timing and super-synchronized team work to make sure we could pull off another major retrofit without impact to the tenant and their customers.”
The Matrix Solution:
- As General Contractor for this project, Matrix fully engineered the mechanical, structural and electrical for the new custom air handlers.
- We engineered a custom HVAC system that would operate to PG&E’s extremely high performance and efficiency standards and stay within their budget.
- We prepped the site with generators, plenty of lighting and marked each piece of equipment so we knew the order they were supposed to be removed.
- We decided to install a perimeter curb so we could roof in all the way around the new air handlers removing any future risk of water leaks. The curb had to be set, leveled and precisely placed in order for air handler to line up with the existing ductwork drops and piping. We even made custom shims to level the curb in case the existing concrete columns underneath the new curbs were not level.
- We created a detailed rigging plan so that every Matrix team member working on the job knew the process for the single weekend when the changeover was scheduled.
- Matrix HG met with the client to address key safety issues and building shutdown procedures so that we could accomplish the intricate pre-planning needed for us to rapidly execute the changeover during off-business hours.
- Matrix HG triple-checks all parts, deliveries and sub-contractors prior to the scheduled changeover. By performing such detailed due-diligence, we don’t have any surprises on the critical weekend!
The Results:
During the commissioning of this project Matrix identified existing piping and ducting issues that had been hidden by band-aid control sequences. Matrix found the real building problems, redesigned the piping system and corrected the problem allowing PG&E to run their equipment more efficiently.
Matrix HG continues to be awarded contracts for major energy supplier PG&E, because of our attention to detail, our creativity, our technical and creative skill that allows us to develop custom HVAC solutions that meet project budgets, are completed on time, and save our clients thousands of dollars in energy and operating costs, while upgrading systems to improve comfort for building occupants.
The extensive experience we’ve gained through our many major projects like this one transfers down to smaller projects, allowing us to accurately, efficiently, and economically bid jobs and win contracts.