Unique controls solution allows one of the world’s largest motorcycle dealerships to integrate HVAC with other systems

One of the largest motorcycle dealerships in the world, Zylstra Harley-Davidson/Buell covers approximately 80,000 square feet on 37 acres of land in St. Charles, Illinois. With two customer lounges, a mini-bikers’ playhouse, two dynamometers and a Rider’s Edge® motorcycle training academy–designated classroom, keeping the multi-use facility comfortable and efficient required an elegant solution as distinctive as Harley-Davidson itself.

Dealership owner Tommy Zylstra turned to Admiral Heating and Ventilating and Leopardo Companies, Inc. to develop a superior design-build solution for the new dealership.

“Several contractors pursued this job specifying other manufacturers’ equipment,” said John Peloza, Lennox Commercial Territory Manager. “However, Admiral’s design specified both radiant-floor heating and the high-efficiency Lennox® equipment that Tommy Zylstra requested.” A Tridium® Web server was chosen to integrate the heating and cooling equipment into a virtual system.

“In addition to an energy-efficient system, he wanted his dealership to be heated with a corn-fired boiler, rather than using natural gas like most radiant-floor heating systems. That meant a need to integrate controls across the different systems,” said Peloza.

“Lennox’ Integrated Modular Controller with the IMC LonTalk® Module option provided a high level of control and the integration capability needed for this project.”

Fueling with corn

Because the Zylstra family owns and farms land in Iowa and Minnesota, using corn for fuel was a natural decision.

“We believe in fully supporting agriculture in the Midwest,” said Tommy Zylstra. “Corn fuel is a renewable natural resource we are proud to utilize.” The in-floor radiant heating system is extremely efficient, with a heated concrete slab that stays warm for long periods of time, according to Ron Reichert, project engineer at Admiral Heating.

The IMC LonTalk Module allows the L Series® rooftop units to work with the boiler and radiant floor heating as a single system, keeping the store comfortable while maintaining high efficiency. “The boiler does not cycle as much as a typical hydronic heating system,” Reichert said.

“The rooftop units bring in fresh air and heat and cool it to meet fresh-air building codes. However, the rooftop units can also be used to heat an area when the radiant floor system may not be operating properly.”

Improved control and flexibility

All Lennox premium rooftop units have a factory-installed unit controller, the Integrated Modular Controller (IMC). Having the IMC within the unit allows flexibility to configure the unit for each unique application. It also provides increased comfort control and easy troubleshooting using its alarms and diagnostics information. The factory-installed IMC LonTalk Module makes it possible to integrate Lennox rooftop units with other systems—even a corn boiler with radiant-floor heating. Lennox offers both factory- and field-installed LonTalk and BACnet® options to allow integration with other vendors’ lighting, security, fire and other systems.

“With the use of a Tridium Web server, the owner has total control of the radiant-floor heating systems and the rooftop units all from one Web page without having to buy or install controls software on any computer,” said Bob Kalal, project manager at WMI Technologies, the company that completed the integration. “The IMC LonTalk Module in the L Series rooftop units lets the owner view and change unit settings or view any alarm codes, whether from an office computer or an off-site location.”

“The Web-based control page for the HVAC system shows an architectural diagram of the building,” said Reichert. “The owner can control the temperatures in the building all from a Web page. A calendar also allows greater flexibility for scheduling or non-occupied store hours. It’s a very convenient way to manage comfort control and save even more money on building operating expenses.”

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