Anna Jaques Hospital

Coastal Hospital Uses Rebates and a CASE STUDY Unique Design to Bring New Life to 40 Year old HVAC System

Energy Efficient Ventilation Design

Newburyport, Massachusetts – Anna Jaques Hospital opened as a small community medical facility in 1884. The main building was constructed at the turn of the 20th century and then greatly expanded in the mid 1970’s to early 1980’s time frame. As part of the HVAC design, 100% outdoor air handling systems serving the expanded facility were equipped with energy recovery wheels (also known as “enthalpy wheels”) to minimize the heating and cooling costs associated with 24/7 operation.

The inclusion of energy recovery ventilation (ERV) technology in HVAC designs has proven to be a sound long term investment for many types of buildings. The lower price of downsized chillers, boilers, or packaged rooftop units often offsets the initial investment in ERV, while ongoing annual operating costs to condition the incoming outdoor air are lowered by as much as 80%.

The sheet metal cabinet enclosures on larger air handling systems frequently outlive their internal mechanical components, which are typically replaced once or even twice within the lifetime of the unit. The original energy recovery wheels at Anna Jaques reached the end of their useful life after approximately 20 years of continuous service. With no way to effectively clean or restore the wheels, and the original manufacturer no longer supporting the product, the hospital’s facility maintenance staff was forced to remove the energy transfer media.