NASA Ames Research Center deploys Cypress Envirosystems’ wireless pneumatic thermostat

SAN JOSE, USA: Cypress Envirosystems, a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp., announced that its Wireless Pneumatic Thermostat (WPT) has been installed in fourteen buildings at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

The WPTs replaced almost 1,400 legacy analog pneumatic thermostats in approximately 1.5 million square feet of office and laboratory space in order to save energy, enable ongoing commissioning and reduce maintenance costs.

The work was part of a larger Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) facilitated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to help meet the requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which mandates Federal agencies to reduce the energy intensity of buildings by 30% from 2005 levels by the year 2015. AECOM Technology Corporation developed the energy conservation measures employed under the UESC and was the general contractor during implementation.

The NASA Ames WPT retrofit project was completed in three months for less than $850,000. A retrofit with traditional direct digital control (DDC) technology would have taken more than a year and over $4 million. In addition, many of the buildings at NASA Ames date back to the 1940s and may contain asbestos in walls and ceilings. Since the WPT is non-invasive, the retrofit took place without disturbing potentially hazardous materials. In contrast, a traditional DDC retrofit would have required asbestos abatement and safety measures over and above basic retrofit costs since walls and ceilings would have been cut open.

NASA Ames originally installed a small pilot of the WPT system in January 2010 to verify the benefits of the technology. AECOM and NASA personnel evaluated the performance and reliability of the system before specifying the energy conservation measures for the UESC project. The full deployment of the WPT took place between June and September 2011. The WPT system will be integrated with the existing Siemens Apogee system to enable campus-wide control and optimization of HVAC equipment down to the zone level.

Harry Sim, CEO of Cypress Envirosystems, noted: “The NASA Ames project is one of the largest to date using the WPT, and it was accomplished on time and on budget. It is satisfying to know that we helped NASA meet its project goals while significantly reducing costs relative to alternatives.” Sim added, “We value the partnership we have with AECOM and PG&E and believe this project can be the model for many more opportunities to come.”