Conrad Hotel Chicago

Authorized Dealer Intelli-Building installed a Reliable Controls building automation system during a retrofit of Conrad Hotel Chicago.

Networked hardware included HVAC equipment, a kitchen exhaust system, guest thermostats, and variable frequency drives. Intelli-Building installed MACH-ProAir variable air volume controllers for comfort in common areas, MACH-ProZone controllers for head pumps, and MACH-ProSys controllers to manage the boiler plant, cooling tower, and heat pumps. MACH-Pro2 controllers provided smoke control and floor pressurization.

BACnet integration included six variable frequency drives for pumps and cooling towers, six sensors for parking garage ventilation, two boilers, eight routers, four kitchen hood exhaust fans, and 325 thermostats in guest rooms.

Integration with an INNCOM guestroom management system, which controlled in-room lighting, window coverings, heating, and entertainment, provided building managers with the ability to count the number of exhaust dampers open per floor. Using the cubic feet per minute of each damper, facility managers could calculate the number per floor being exhausted; if the count fell below the amount required to be open, the INNCOM system sent a BACnet command to the Reliable Controls devices to energize additional dampers and meet minimum fresh air requirements.

Floor pressurization and smoke removal was a requirement of the retrofit. Each level was split into two zones with magnetically latched fire doors that allowed pressurization above and below the detected fire floor. Sixty-six dampers were hardwired into the fire alarm system, with status and monitoring on every damper.

Intelli-Building minimized installation cost by integrating with the INNCOM system, eliminating the need for additional hardwire and thousands of meters of wire.