PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Exploratorium is a museum and training facility that was housed in a small facility at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco for 43 years. The new location at Pier 15 offers a much larger venue to expand their exhibits and training center, and it provides a full-service cafeteria for their patrons.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

• Radiant floor heating and cooling
• Central plant uses San Francisco Bay water as the condenser water loop eliminating the need for cooling towers
• Extensive electrical system monitoring to help achieve and document a net-zero energy usage designation

WHAT SUNBELT CONTROLS DELIVERED

Heating and cooling for the facility is provided through radiant hot and chilled water running within the floor. The central plant providing the chilled and hot water uses the San Francisco Bay water as the condenser water loop, thereby eliminating the need for cooling towers. Also, extensive electrical system monitoring is required to help the Exploratorium achieve and document a net-zero energy usage designation.

The LEED Platinum designation of this project required frequent site meetings and project reviews among the General Contractor, Consulting Engineer, Architect and Sunbelt Controls to ensure project goals from all disciplines were accounted for.

The unique nature of the mechanical and control systems for this facility, coupled with inherent challenges with working on a Pier, required extensive coordination by Sunbelt Controls and its Project Manager. After installation, testing and commissioning acceptance activity, Sunbelt Controls remained very active with Integral Group during the warranty period to fine tune the control strategies for this now occupied facility.

Project Team

OWNER: Exploratorium

ARCHITECT: EHDD Architecture

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Nibbi Brothers

MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Integral Group

MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR: ACCO Engineered Systems

CONTROLS CONTRACTOR: Sunbelt Controls