Customer Profile: Genesee Community College (GCC), located in Batavia, New York, is a public community college that provides high-quality education and career training for students. The college offers 65+ degree and certificate programs to its 2,047 full-time and 3,483 part-time students.
Customer Challenge: The college began experiencing issues with its Air Handling Units (AHUs) in the main academic building on campus. These issues lead to leaks throughout the top floor of the building and eventually throughout the entire building. As a result, GCC needed to act fast in updating the AHUs in the academic building. The college also added a brand-new AHU to the gymnasium on campus to replace outdated equipment.
GCC received funding approval for the project and were under a strict timeline for the project to be completed. With some equipment lead-times as long as 26-40 weeks, and with the discovery of asbestos in the building, the college needed assistance with the equipment selection, design and production, project management, and deployment.
Stark Solution: Stark Tech’s team of experts met with the College to first discuss procurement options. The customer required a solution that would work within a tight schedule and budget constraints dictated by New York State. Stark Tech and GCC used the Equalis Group, a member-driven, supplier-centric cooperative purchasing organization for competitive, locked-in pricing for the services required to replace the old and new AHU systems. With just 42 weeks to complete the project, the purchasing agreement shortened the scoping process of the project.
Our team worked with our manufacturing partner to design and expedite the production process of the equipment required for the project before the end of 2022. We selected six (6) SEMCO AHU field-erected coil sections for the penthouse and one (1) custom-built SEMCO 32,000 CFM AHU field-erected unit for the gym. Additionally, Healthway filters, high-efficiency mechanical air filters that remove particles by capturing them through Disinfection Filtration System (DFS) technology, were utilized in the space for maximum filtration.
Furthermore, it was a difficult task to get the equipment into the facility because of building egress requirements and space constraints. Due to this, all of the AHUs needed to be custom-built on-site, which limited the solutions our team could present. All the parts, coils, walls, and equipment were lifted onto the roof and fed through a 60” W x 45” H hole that was cut into the side of the building (as pictured).
Project Result: Stark Tech provided the customer with a turnkey solution including project management, procurement options, equipment selection, design assist, and installation. Although there were many obstacles presented throughout the project, including long lead-times and delay of parts, our team worked together with the customer and other contractors to successfully navigate the time and budget requirements.
As a result, Genesee Community College has brand new, all-aluminum Air Handling Units with fully welded stainless-steel bases. These features present the college with a reliable and long-lasting solution to their heating and cooling requirements for years to come.
Equipment Installed:
- 6 SEMCO AHU field erected coil sections
- Custom built SEMCO AHU field erected full gym unit
- Healthway filters
About Stark Tech
Stark Tech partners with industry-leading manufacturers to offer our customers customized, energy-efficient equipment, parts, and services. Our experienced team provides end-to-end project and lifecycle support services through equipment solutions for new and existing building infrastructure.
