MEPT/FP
The vision for the Ohio State University’s Energy Advancement and Innovation Center (EAIC) is to support research in the fields of renewable energy and technological innovation. Its core mission is to “Create Future Technologies for Carbon Neutrality” and act as a living laboratory to promote this exploration. EAIC is a new incubator-style learning center, intended for use by University stakeholders and outside companies. The EAIC building is pursuing a high-performance building status, as well as achievement of the Ohio State University Sustainability and Green Build guidelines.
The new construction building is four-stories and 64,000 SQ FT. The center includes an event hall, public space, interactive gallery, restrooms, café, bar, and kitchen with cold and dry storage, seminar rooms, testing and incubator pods, and support spaces.
AEC provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, technology and fire protection engineering services for the project. The team presented various options for HVAC systems to achieve optimal heating and cooling as efficiently as possible. A complete Direct Digital Control (DDC) Temperature Control System was provided to automatically control the operation of the entire HVAC system and monitor and/or control auxiliary systems. The Building Automation System (BAS) will fully integrate into the existing district wide Building Automation BACnet network. Electrical designs included two 15KV 3ph circuits, low voltage distribution, lighting powered by DC-voltage distribution system, roof mounted Photovoltaic (PV) array with inverter to convert the energy to VAC power for use within the building, LED lighting fixtures, a relay-based lighting control system, fire alarm, and DAS. Fire protection, plumbing for kitchen, restrooms and lab spaces, and telecommunications designs were also provided.
