Photo courtesy of philip.greenspun.com

A large modern-day sporting complex includes tens of thousands of seats and what seems like almost as many types of spaces and functions. For the facility staff at the ’ home, there is no off-season as they tackle this head-spinning challenge. See how energy conservation has stayed in the game plan, from original design process to post-occupancy staffing. BY KEVIN SLEIN AND HOWARD MCKEW, P.E., CPE

S. Route 1 starts as you enter Van Buren, ME near As you look closer, you see that the bridge that connects the the Canadian border and ends in Key West, FL. Early stadium’s east side to its west side mirrors the Longfellow Bridge into the trip, heading south on this historic Route that connects historic Boston with its equally historic neighbor, 1, you can’t help but be impressed as you drive pass Cambridge, MA. A second symbol of this unique facility is the U. , just outside of Boston in Foxboro, 12-story lighthouse overlooking the end zone. Three concourses MA. From the road one may say, “Wow, that’s home of the three- (each 70 ft wide, open to the playing field and enclosed around the time champion New England Patriots.” It is not obvious outer perimeter by a wide range of concessions stops) provide an to the naked eye that this mega-structure is more than just another open-air atmosphere welcoming its visitors. NFL stadium. It’s also not obvious to HVAC design engineers. For the operations group at Gillette Stadium, it is a 24-hr a day, 365- A FACILITY MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE days a year O&M success story that takes on HVAC support service Bridging entertainment with business, this multi-use complex has challenges for a wide range of space applications. two clubhouses looking out onto the field with a capacity for 3,000 One might not think the stadium is anything more than a NFL guests each as well as 2,000 luxury suite seats and can be leased on team’s home field that may host an outdoor concert every once in a a daily basis throughout the year. while in the summer, but Gillette Stadium is probably the flagship Another shared investment is the 84 luxury suites that offer fans for new multi-entertainment venues. Built in 2002, it continues to the opportunity to use their suites on a regular basis for their own be the standard for NFL complexes because of the -A business needs. The year-round work venue within this facility, Family of Businesses enterprise (www.thekraftgroup.com). houses over 60,000 sq ft of office space that headquarters The Kraft What is not obvious from the parking lot is the all-encompassing Group, as well as the New England Patriots operations and the New setting for private businesses, such as International Forest Products England Revolution Soccer operations. and the New England Revolution Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Adjacent to the stadium is the 84,000 indoor training facili- to mention just two enterprises owned by The Kraft Group. This ties which serve multiple roles including the home of the Gillette facility is a combination of entertainment complex meshed tightly Stadium Expo Center, as well as the new mega- that together with a business community. provides a wide range of retail, entertainment, hotel, and health care

32 Engineered Systems October 2009

32_McKew 10-09.indd 32 9/24/09 3:03:46 PM Introducing the new Gillette Stadium SMRT Actuator

Cast Aluminum housing for facilities that draw people to Foxboro on a daily basis. 60 inch-lbs anti-corrosion and reliability This entrepreneurial venture officially opened at the start of the 2002-2003 NFL season and continues to grow today. The facility management organization has demonstrated from the onset that it could keep pace with the business demands and challenges at the stadium with the first challenge being able to reassess, reprogram, and reorganize the complex HVAC infrastructure based on lessons Programmable Position learned. For design engineers, there are lessons to be learned from Feedback Signal these 21st-century multi-use sites too. There are not a lot of design x 0-5 VDC guidelines for HVAC engineers to reference for a facility of this type. x 0-10 VDC x 2-10 VDC Like so many business ventures, when this stadium was designed Modulation Types x ON-OFF and built, it was based on a strategic business plan to be financially x Floating successful. Good O&M needs to be proactive, cost effective, and x 0-10 VDC Automatically recognizes modulation signals x 2-10 VDC efficient, with a concern for the future. Design engineers need to x 4-20 mA communicate and learn from facility management what the day-to- x PWM x Characterized day issues are, so they can design HVAC systems to accommodate Stroke the demands put on the facility management staff. At this stadium, the operations group strives to mirror its client’s Designers of Intelligent Control Products since 1969 management approach by also striving to be business savvy, so that it Special Incentives for wholesalers! was contributing to providing a safe and healthy environment and be Visit our website for more information about how the SMRT as energy-efficient as possible. As a result, this support service group Actuator can increase your profit margins. didn’t wait long after occupancy to begin to enhance the building systems beginning with an organization structure assessment and a www.SMRT-ACTUATORS.com preliminary energy audit to identify the site’s facility management status as well as what would potentially be needed to keep pace with Input 99 at www.esmagazine.com/instantproductinfo the stadium’s growing business venture. At Gillette Stadium, the magnitude of space/application diversity ESM10094SOLID.indd 1 9/1/09 3:36:35 PM would provide an interesting challenge for the facility engineering Matches AC System Output to Changing Loads, group, and the consultants they drew upon for assistance. The mul- Maintains Comfortable Humidity Levels tiplicity of mechanical, electrical, and building management design intent/requirements are broken out as follows:

Most AC systems lack • Field-level activities with 24-7 operating demands: subtlety: they either run at • NFL operations (in-season, off-season, and pre-season) full capacity or they’re off. • MLS operations (in-season, off-season, and pre-season) Under low load conditions, • Full service food and beverage operation and kitchens most systems quickly cool • Warehouse the air and then shut down, • Security allowing humidity to build. • Facility and ground crew operations The APR Control lets AC systems operate at less • Administration level with more traditional office-hour operation than full capacity so they requirements: continue to dehumidify • New England Patriots administration without overcooling. • New England Revolution administration • Stadium operations management ■ For retrofits or • Kraft Sports Productions new DX systems • The Kraft Group to 100 tons • International Forest Products ■ Ideal for makeup air • Construction administration services and VAV systems • Club level with seven-day leased daily functions over 200 days a ■ Fast, simple installation year: RAWAL • East and West Club area DEVICES, INC • Kitchen support space TEL: 800 727 6447 FAX: 781 933 3306 • Corporate meeting space sales @ rawal.com www.rawal.com • Main concourse with game day and night-time football and soccer

Input 135 at www.esmagazine.com/instantproductinfo 34 Engineered Systems October 2009

32_McKew 10-09.indd Sec1:34 9/24/09 3:04:03 PM and concert functions: data found in Figure 1. • Stadium concert: 5,500 kW • Food vendor area The electrical demands can be signifi- • NFL game day: 9,500 kW • Seating sections cant based on whether it is a regular office • TV, radio and news area day in the summer, in the winter, on a MLS Natural gas fuels a 1,200 bhp forced hot game day, the night of a concert, or an NFL water plant, ultimately feeding hot water • Lower-level luxury suites level with poten- game day: for potable water consumption, field heat- tial for seven-day, individual space use: ing, reheat zones, and direct and indirect • 42 luxury suites • Regular office day: 2,500 kW heated roof top units throughout the build- • Press area • MLS game day: 4,500 kW ing. Consumption in 2004 of 731 k therms

• Upper-level luxury suites level with poten- tial for seven day, individual space use: • 42 luxury suites • Press area What do all these buildings have • Scoreboard and display board oper- in common? ation • Sports lighting level, with NFL and TV peak energy demands on game day • Adjacent areas (pro shop, boiler/ chiller plant, emergency genera- tors, etc.) and their individual space requirements

LESSONS LEARNED AND ENERGY CONSERVATION For engineering firms that design multi-use buildings, the initial mechanical and electri- cal design intent needs to accommodate space usage flexibility, as well as a variety of operating hours, 365-days a year. Sport- entertainment-business complexes, such as Gillette Stadium will challenge the best and most creative engineering expertise based on operating parameters that change to meet a diverse range of use and peak demands on the mechanical and electrical systems. ASHRAE recognized this engineering issue and presented seminars on the topic at the 2009 Annual Conference in Louisville this The Next evolution in System Design past June because of the popularity of these The Danfoss AB-QM Pressure Independent Control new, multiple-entertainment venues and the Valve (PICV) combines hydronic balancing and need to learn from those complexes that temperature control into one compact valve, have been built since 2000. offering many benefits: Once a mega-facility is completed, energy cost control and the ability to minimize equip- ŸReduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions ment on-line while maximizing useful equip- ŸReduce heating and cooling costs ment service life becomes the responsibility ŸReduce design, installation, and of groups like this stadium’s O&M personnel. commissioning costs At Gillette Stadium, the organization has ŸIncrease comfort levels been able to reduce overall energy consump- ŸIncrease heating/cooling equipment efficiencies tion from 31 to 24 MkW, a 23% reduction in electrical energy by aggressively managing the With more than 500,000 valves in service, visit our website today to learn why the Danfoss AB-QM building systems. From a sustainability point should be part of your next system design. of view, that represents 5,000 metric tons of

carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to heating MASTER approximately 470 homes a year. The energy DISTRIBUTOR lessons learned have provided the electrical www.ABQM.us NexusValve.com 888-900-0947 866-375-4822

Input 115 at www.esmagazine.com/instantproductinfo

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3,500,000 • Fancoil units • Terminal equipment (VAV and VAV with terminal heating coils)

3,000,000 • General exhaust and specialized exhaust systems • Central gas-fired hot water heating plant (primary and secondary pumping system) 2,500,000 • Hot water heating (water-to-water heat exchanger serving the field heating system) • Domestic hot water heating system (with 2,000,000 indirect storage) • Central air cooled chilled water plant (pri- mary and secondary pumping system) 1,500,000 CMMS SYSTEM Integral to the long term success of any

1,000,000 building system infrastructure is the imple- mentation of a CMMS system. At the time 2003 Usage (kWH) this stadium complex was opening its gates 2009 Usage (kWH) to the public, Kraft invested in collecting 500,000 the mechanical and electrical assets as well as barcoding this equipment and panels for input into their CMMS system. This equip- 0 ment information was used to build out the Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec CMMS database, implement PM schedules, FIGURE 1. Energy saved from a full year of electricity and gas in 2003 vs. 2008. and develop a site labor model, which was used as the staffing program. Along with this hardware and software invest- has been reduced to 461 k therms in 2008 money performing their duties (keeping ment, the stadium management outlined (Figure 2). This was achieved by installing systems running and providing space com- an O&M staff structure to accommodate autoflame burners in the main boiler plant, fort), a BAS manager or BAS technician the demands that go with support services turning off rooftop units and aggressive is the one person on staff who can save and fit within the full-time employee range. scheduling of unoccupied areas, establish- money by doing his job. At Gillette Stadium This organization structure was bench- ing occupied and unoccupied setpoints and the BAS person’s responsibilities are: marked to other NFL stadiums in the pro- night setbacks, achieving a 37% reduction cess. With the diversity of functions occur- in consumption. • Maximize the capability of BAS through ring along with the day-to-day activities, scheduling/zoning, set back and demand the support staff provides shift coverage on DEDICATED BAS MANAGER limiting programming a weekly basis. With the amount of energy used, the sta- • Program global occupied and unoccupied dium invested in a third-party utility pro- setpoints and standards SUMMARY vider to procure the most cost-effective • Optimize warm up durations/timing to So, even HVAC design engineers who drive energy, and in sync with this purchase obtain space setpoint standards down Route 1 and turn into the Gillette they continue to fine tune the day-to-day • Increase system and sub system viability Stadium would probably be surprised at the operation of the building systems. In addi- through graphics development and imple- technical success of the stadium’s facility tion, a new position was created within the mentation what’s visible gets attention support services group, who have taken a O&M group: BAS manager. This individual • Review and adjust operation of all systems good design and made it a more sustainable brings added value to the lessons learned by and equipment by field verification of bal- operation. focusing solely on energy management and anced reports, zone controls In hindsight, designing and operating a keeping the BAS fine-tuned. multi-entertainment venue offers several So often BAS computerized installa- This individual has a lot to work with, challenges beyond other projects that may tions are designed to play a critical O&M as does the entire O&M staff when it comes have diversity of operating hours but not management role when building programs to facility management, due to the diversity the diversity of these 21st-century mega- move from design to construction to occu- of systems that make up the stadium that stadiums. For the designer, the challenge pancy and yet they more often than not are include the following: is capturing the diversity of application, left in cruise control by the owner’s facility design parameters, hours of occupancy, and management group. It has been said that • Central air-handling systems then coming up with the optimum HVAC while O&M personnel will cost the owner • Rooftop AHUs systems to accommodate the diversity of

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180,000 able operation. As exciting and challenging as a stadi- um complex can be, it really comes down 160,000 to a design engineer understanding the magnitude of application diversity while 2003 Usage (Therms) 140,000 bringing on the operations group early 2008 Usage (Therms) to provide basic facility management phi- losophies to drive operational excellence. 120,000 That standard can be best summed up by the following tenets.

100,000 • Balance capital costs vs. energy efficiency operating cost once the business model 80,000 is understood, championed by a strong advocate in the organization. • Utilize tools and systems to drive space 60,000 application consumption reduction: • BAS system is a powerful tool to 40,000 achieve energy management results. • Lighting control systems can be independent of BAS, but have to be 20,000 just as visible.

0 • Development of staffing models and main- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec tenance plan based on installed equipment and use of CMMS strategies. FIGURE 2. Natural gas consumption in 2003 vs. 2008. • Leverage local utility incentive programs to offset capital costs on efficiency projects needs placed on the facility manager in an systems modes of operation. Once under- / and first costs. efficient and cost effective manner. stood and the facility occupied, the opera- From a facility management point of tions team can continue to challenge oper- So the next time you drive by an NFL view, the challenge is to understand and ating parameters, implement weekly build- stadium, think about how diversified this meet the requirements of being a corpo- ing audits (simple area space walkthroughs complex is and that you are not just looking rate headquarters, exposition, and busi- challenging why systems are running.) A at the home of an NFL team. ES ness function and sports/entertainment BAS technician can also continue to chal- operation all rolled up into one building, lenge the automatic temperature controls ensuring a balance of efficiency and effec- by leverage the building’s BAS and continu- Slein is director of tive staffing levels. Most modern stadi- ally invest in scheduling, zoning control, engineering and facil- ums are not used for game/event business and global control set-points upgrades to ities operation for Gil- only, but they are continually evolving and continue to push usage reduction. lette Stadium and the merging into a seven day/week sports and In the design phase, consideration New England Patriots. entertainment venue, as well as housing should already begin to focus on a means E-mail him at kslein@ corporate management for these ventures to build an asset/equipment inventory that patriots.com. and other private industry business ven- will be provided by the contractor prior tures. The cost of construction prohibits to project closeout. It is also not too early McKew is an integrat- a stadium to be limited to a fixed, limited in the design phase to be thinking of the ed project delivery schedule each year. building operational staffing model and facilitator with RDK The designer should also strive to have implement a CMMS program immedi- Engineers. E-mail the owner bring his operations team in ately after the equipment shop drawings are him at hmckew@ early in the design process and together approved early in the construction phase to RDKEngineers.com begin to understand and influence the first- better plan and measure success of overall cost analysis vs. efficiency balance as it maintenance program / philosophy. relates to energy consumption (e.g., air- Commissioning should also start in the cooled chilled water plant vs. water cooled). design phase, carry on through the turn- Energy conservation can be obtained by over process, and continue on through understanding the building systems con- deferred seasonal system demonstrations in figuration, space usage profile, and building the warranty phase to contribute to sustain-

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