From the bid and selection process through pre-construction, construction and warranty, it is the General Contractor whose feet are held to the fire for making building blueprints a well performing reality.

No estimator, scheduler or project executive on the GC's team could possibly have the depth of knowledge needed for all the system options in a building. So our engineering and technical sales teams work individually with each of them so they can perform their functions well -- helping to ensure their profitability on the job and the building owner's preference for the GC for future building projects.

Early in the design and pre-construction stages, builders call on us to provide conceptual HVAC design for all applications in each vertical market we represent. Timely, accurate information helps the builder work with the architects and engineering teams during design budgeting and scheduling planning sessions to understand and specify the right equipment for the project.

Beyond the upfront costs of HVAC equipment, builders need to be able to answer the facility owner's questions about the installed HVAC system's total cost of ownership. We run the calculations for them so they can answer:

How much energy savings can be achieved with this design and equipment selection?
Will this HVAC system be eligible for utility incentive programs for energy efficiency?
Will this system earn the project additional LEED points?
Would a less complex system reduce training, maintenance personnel, and long-term maintenance costs?

Maximizing productive space while minimizing the building footprint returns significant savings and long-term value to the building owner – and the General Contractor is expected to oversee the many sub-contractors involved to make sure the owner achieves the best return on the asset. Understanding the motives and pressures on each of the team members, HTS guides the GC to understand all the considerations, such as:

Placement decisions affected by HVAC system weight, ease of maintenance, impact on energy usage due to the need to move cooled or heated air and water further from point to point
Need for installed power to support the HVAC system design
Impact of HVAC system selection on overall building footprint
Consequences for interior or exterior location of HVAC system components
Effect on building aesthetics and cost-effective means to preserve the integrity of the architectural design by producing HVAC system screen walls or color schemes an architect often doesn't know is available

Perhaps nothing puts the builder at greater risk than an off-schedule project which could cause incurred penalties or lost performance bonus from the owner, create increased costs from other affected sub-contractors, or produce additional labor and materials costs to correct issues created as a result of a delay. HTS helps the builder by giving them accurate information when it comes to project bid, award, submittal and shop drawing preparation, order entry, build cycle, delivery to job site, installation, start-up and commissioning. The builder is then able to utilize our working and intimate knowledge of our systems and overlay them in their schedule to meet the owner's objectives and requirements for construction during an occupied campus and new facility move- in date.

Some of the largest equipment that will be delivered and crane-installed at the job site, HVAC components are an essential piece in the planning of a construction project. The HTS team provides typical equipment lead times so the project schedule can stay on target and the contractor will know how soon the project must be awarded, submittals approved, and equipment delivered on site to meet the promised completion date.