Optimizing DEA Lab Ventilation with Custom HVAC Solutions
In January 2018, the DEA Lab (Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory), part of the U.S. Government’s General Services Administration (GSA), required a full-scale HVAC modernization. The outdated HVAC systems were compromising air quality and lab ventilation, leading to increased operational costs and posing risks to DEA evaluations and evidence handling. The new solution needed to not only improve energy performance but also maintain strict environmental conditions essential for drug evaluations and evidence processing.
As experts in recommending custom HVAC systems for critical environments, Gunn & Pegelow helped lead this essential upgrade in collaboration with AEI engineers, ensuring the lab could achieve its modernization goals.
The DEA Lab’s aging infrastructure presented a significant challenge, however, requiring a complete overhaul of its mechanical systems to meet modern energy standards. Perhaps the most pressing challenge was achieving these upgrades without disrupting the sensitive and ongoing activities within the lab, essential for maintaining the integrity of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s work.
Discover how Gunn and Pegelow came to recommend custom MarCraft Energy Recovery Units and Strobic Air fans to bring the DEA’s laboratory’s infrastructure up to current energy efficiency and safety standards.
Delivering a Custom Lab Ventilation Solution
TGunn & Pegelow came to recommend a custom lab ventilation solution to meet the DEA Lab’s unique needs. This new system was designed to maximize energy recovery and airflow control, ensuring both operational efficiency and safety compliance.
The solution involved installing two custom MarCraft Energy Recovery Units (ERUs), each equipped with:
- Three Strobic Air TriStack Model TS-4 Fans per unit, offering precise airflow control for optimized lab ventilation.
- Glycol Runaround Energy Recovery Coils, capturing and reusing waste energy to reduce operational costs.
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) for efficient control of fan speeds, ensuring optimized energy use and proper lab ventilation.
- A Strobic Air Smart System Controller, enabling real-time monitoring and automated airflow adjustments, ensuring the lab met the required 3000 feet per minute (fpm) exhaust velocity for compliant lab ventilation under the ANSI Z9.5 Laboratory Standards.
By selecting these advanced components, Gunn & Pegelow not only improved the lab’s energy efficiency but also ensured compliance with all safety and environmental standards crucial to the lab’s sensitive operations.
Gunn & Pegelow also worked closely with AEI engineers to ensure the systems were installed without disrupting ongoing lab activities, maintaining full operational integrity throughout the project.
The Impact: Efficiency, Safety, and Seamless Operation
The new system provided multiple benefits, including improved lab ventilation, ensuring that the DEA Lab could continue operating safely and efficiently. The custom HVAC system ensured that the lab met all ANSI Z9.5 Laboratory Standards, offering the highest level of safety for DEA operations involving sensitive drug evaluations. The integration of energy recovery technology also helped reduce energy consumption, leading to lower operational costs and a more sustainable facility, while maintaining consistent lab ventilation throughout the space.
The Gunn & Pegelow Process
1. Collaborative Design
From the project’s inception, our team worked hand-in-hand with AEI engineers and DEA personnel to ensure that the HVAC solution addressed the lab’s specific challenges. We helped ensure that the design considered both immediate and long-term operational goals, including energy efficiency, airflow control, and regulatory compliance.
2. Installation and Commissioning
The installation process was carefully planned to minimize disruptions, and our team successfully ensured that the new systems were seamlessly integrated into the existing infrastructure. Following installation, we conducted detailed training sessions for DEA staff to familiarize them with the new system.
3. Continued Support
Our project commitment extends beyond just the installation. We also provide additional support to our clients to ensure their new systems continue to operate at peak performance. In the case of the DEA Lab, this continuous partnership helped maintain energy savings and regulatory compliance, ensuring long term success.
Contact Gunn & Pegelow for Expert Laboratory HVAC Solutions
As industry leaders in HVAC solutions for laboratory environments, Gunn & Pegelow excels at delivering custom systems that meet your goals, whether it be the strictest requirements for safety, energy efficiency, or improving lab ventilation. Our deep understanding of the unique challenges in laboratory settings allows us to create customized solutions that go beyond industry standards, helping labs like the DEA Lab achieve significant improvements in operational efficiency and compliance.
With decades of experience serving both high security government facilities and private laboratories, our team provides the expertise, innovation, and support necessary for long term success. Whether you are upgrading existing systems or developing new installations, we offer a full spectrum of services, from design support and expert HVAC recommendations to assistance even after installation is complete. We ultimately help ensure your lab operates at peak efficiency, meets all regulatory standards, and reduces energy costs to support your lab’s everyday operations and growth.