In operation since 1975, this 18,000 square-foot Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (GCRBC) currently supports healthcare facilities throughout the Texas Gulf Coast, Brazos Valley, and East Texas by obtaining over 1,000 blood donations every day and ultimately delivering a safe blood supply to these institutions.
Recently, the GCRBC decided to replace a dated, energy hog air handling unit (AHU) due to its rusted panels and reduced capacity from old coils. To accommodate the requests from the owner, the construction team needed to find a solution that did not require a new roof curb or adapter and a design that limited installation time to one weekend.
HTS Texas teamed up with Polk Mechanical to provide and install an 18,300 CFM McQuay Skyline® AHU with a base rail that fit the existing roof curb exactly. The existing ductwork was simply transitioned to the supply and return openings, allowing the team to complete the installation in a single day.
In addition to meeting the requirements set in place by the owner, the McQuay Skyline® AHU included a variable frequency drive for improved energy efficiency and a quieter fan that allowed for reduced noise in the tenant spaces. Ultimately, the overall installation cost was also lower due to McQuay’s AHU modular capabilities.
