Palo_Alto_Downtown_Library__Excerpt_from_FCA.pdf
PDF 1 MB Posted
- Attached to
- Electrification of City Facilities
- Solicitation number
- PE-24001
- Issued by
- Santa Clara County, California
About this file
This is a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) prepared by Bureau Veritas for the City of Palo Alto's Downtown Library, located at 270 Forest Avenue, Palo Alto, California. The assessment, completed on March 27, 2024, following an on-site inspection on December 14, 2022, evaluates the one-story, 8,741-square-foot library facility constructed in 2011 to support the city's electrification initiative. The FCA identifies all gas-fired equipment requiring conversion to electric alternatives, including a tankless gas water heater (4 GPM capacity) located in the janitor closet and a 28-ton roof-mounted packaged heating and cooling unit. The assessment provides replacement equipment specifications, remaining useful life analysis, and cost estimates for system upgrades necessary to support increased electrical demand. The report notes that electrical service upgrades of 200 amps for the main service entrance will be required, along with potential updates to existing electrical wiring depending on age and condition. The facility features aluminum-framed storefront windows, a wood-framed structure, copper electrical distribution, copper plumbing supply with PVC waste lines, and a fire alarm system with addressable control panel.
The FCA establishes a Facility Condition Index of baseline conditions and identifies capital improvement needs across mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems to inform the city's broader electrification design proposal process. The assessment indicates that while electrification improvements may not yield overall cost savings due to initial investment and solar panel expenses, they are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The report specifies that any changes to the electrical system must be evaluated by a licensed electrical engineer and the utility company to ensure compliance with electrical codes and adequate public service capacity. The city's electrification program targets an 80 percent reduction in natural gas usage by 2040, with an interim goal of 40 percent reduction by 2030. The FCA provides the technical baseline data that selected design and engineering firms will utilize when developing detailed electrification designs, cost estimates, and construction administration services for this facility as part of the city's five-facility pilot program.
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FACILITY CONDITION ASSESSMENT (FCA) - EXCERPT
Palo Alto Downtown Library
The following pages are excerpts from the City's Facility Condition Assessment Report and include only sections relevant to the electrification scope for this project.
Downtown Library 270 Forest Avenue Palo Alto, California 94301
FACILITY CONDITION ASSESSMENT
prepared for
City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, California 94301
PREPARED BY:
Bureau Veritas 6021 University Boulevard, Suite 200 Ellicott City, Maryland 21043 800.733.0660 www.us.bureauveritas.com
BV CONTACT:
Matt Anderson Program Manager
800.733.0660 x7297613 matt.anderson@bureauveritas.com
BV PROJECT#:
150140.22R000-013.354
DATE OF REPORT:
March 27, 2024
ON SITE DATE:
December 14, 2022
Bureau Veritas
6021 University Boulevard, Suite 200 | Ellicott City, Maryland 21043 | www.us.bureauveritas.com | p 800.733.0660
DOWNTOWN LIBRARY BUREAU VERITAS PROJECT: 150140.22R000-013.354
www.us.bureauveritas.com | p 800.733.0660
1 . Ex ec u t i v e S um m a ry
Property Overview and Assessment Details
General Information
Property Type Library
Main Address 270 Forest Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94301
Site Developed 2011
Site Area 0.8 acres (estimated)
Parking Spaces 12 total spaces all in open lots; One of which are accessible
Building Area 8,741 SF
Number of Stories One above grade
Outside Occupants/Leased Spaces None
Date(s) of Visit December 14, 2022
Management Point of Contact Murdo Nicolson Jr, Project Manager, Public Works
650.617.3154
Murdo.Nicolson@cityofpaloalto.org
On-site Point of Contact (POC) Sonny Tieu
Assessment and Report Prepared By Aren Hofland
Reviewed By Daniel White
Technical Report Reviewer for
Anas Sadkhi
Program Manager
Anas.Sadkhi@bureauveritas.com
800.733.0660 x7296568
DOWNTOWN LIBRARY BUREAU VERITAS PROJECT: 150140.22R000-013.354
Signif icant/Systemic Findings and Deficiencies
Historical Summary
The Downtown Library was constructed in 2011. All systems are original to the building construction.
Architectural
The building has a wood framed structure with wood framed roof. Aluminum framed double paned storefront windows are significant around the exterior walls. Interior finishes will be replaced as needed.
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire (MEPF)
Heating and cooling are provided by an advanced packaged unit located on the roof. Electrical distribution is copper wiring and switches. Plumbing is copper supply with PVC waste. A fire alarm system with heat detectors, smoke detectors, alarms, strobes, emergency lights, and exit signs communicate with an addressable fire alarm control panel. Fire extinguishers provide fire suppression for the building.
Site
The site has a backyard patio with painted stucco exterior wall. Landscaping has drip irrigation. Property signage is located around the building. An asphalt parking lot is located in the rear of the building.
Recommended Additional Studies
No additional studies recommended at this time.
Facility Condition Index (FCI)
One of the major goals of the FCA is to calculate each building’s Facility Condition Index (FCI), which provides a theoretical objective indication of a building’s overall condition. By definition, the FCI is defined as the ratio of the cost of current needs divided by current replacement value (CRV) of the facility. The chart below presents the industry standard ranges and cut-off points.
FCI Ranges and Description
0 – 5% In new or well-maintained condition, with little or no visual evidence of wear or deficiencies.
5 – 10% Subjected to wear but is still in a serviceable and functioning condition.
10 – 30% Subjected to hard or long-term wear. Nearing the end of its useful or serviceable life.
30% and above Has reached the end of its useful or serviceable life. Renewal is now necessary.
The deficiencies and lifecycle needs identified in this assessment provide the basis for a portfolio-wide capital improvement funding strategy. In addition to the current FCI, extended FCI’s (EFCI) have been developed to provide owners the intelligence needed to plan and budget for the “keep-up costs” for their facilities. As such the 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year FCI’s are calculated by dividing the anticipated needs of those respective time periods by current replacement value. As a final point, the FCI’s ultimately provide more value when used to relatively compare facilities across a portfolio instead of being over-analyzed and scrutinized as stand-alone values.
DOWNTOWN LIBRARY BUREAU VERITAS PROJECT: 150140.22R000-013.354
3 . E l e c t r i f i c a t i o n
This Electrification analysis investigates replacing all fossil fuel consuming equipment within the buildings with electric alternatives. These improvements are identified as Energy and Sustainability replacements instead of traditional “like and in kind” replacements that are generally included in a FCA report. These replacements may not have an overall cost savings due the initial investment and the cost of solar panels to generate electricity. There is expected to be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of these improvements.
The tables below lists all of the gas-fired equipment currently in use at the Downtown Library building.
A cost and timing estimate for the “Electrification” of fossil fuel consuming system has been prepared based on the expected remaining useful life (RUL) of the gas-fired equipment. This initial table identifies when the equipment is expected to be replaced. This provides a logical sequence for replacement at this facility. When the replacement is considered on a city-wide basis there may need to be changes to the schedule shown in this report.
Part of this contract includes access to an online database that can be used to generate various scenarios for replacement toward the City’s goal of an 80 percent reduction in current natural gas usage by 2030. A 40 percent reduction in current natural gas usage by 2030 and a 80 percent reduction in current natural gas usage by 2040 can also be generated using the software.
In order to convert the gas-fired equipment to electrical usage, an increase in electrical demand at the building will occur. This will require ensuring that the electrical service equipment is of adequate size to handle the increased load.
There are several things to consider before replacing the gas-fired equipment with electrical equipment.
1. Updating your present infrastructure will be required for the replacement of larger equipment. Depending on the type of equipment proposed (e.g. gas-fired water heater to heat pump water heater or wall-mounted heater to heat pump), a complete system re-design may be required to accommodate refrigerant piping. Generally, replacement of a single gas-fired water heater can be accomplished with the existing electrical system, as long as 240 volt service is present in the building. Updating your present electrical wiring may be required, based on the age and condition of your wiring.
2. For the purposes of this report and capital planning estimate we have assumed an increase in the service to be required for the new electrical equipment. In addition, the new boilers and other larger equipment will require separate wiring from the new electrical panels or service noted below to the equipment.
a. 200 amps for MSC A
3. Any changes made to your electrical system should be evaluated by an Electrical Engineer and the Utility Company to ensure that the facility electrical system and the public electrical service to the property will meet the new load requirements and for compliance with all electrical codes. A cost for that study has been included in this evaluation.
4. The scope of this assessment is visual only and the wire size, type, age and condition are concealed and were not reviewed. If your wiring is at the end of its useful life replacement of all or part may be required. Things to consider beside the cost of a new electrical system, is the cost of shutdown of your present electrical system during the changeover and remodeling.
ID UF_Code Component Attributes Capacity Location Replacement Equipment
Dataplate Year
Barcode
4734511 D2012 Water Heater Gas, Tankless 4 GPM Janitor closet
Electric Tankless Water Heater, 4 GPM 2011 46 WH-1
4734516 D3055 Packaged Unit RTU, Pad or Roof-Mounted 28 TON Roof Packaged unit, Heat
Pump, 28 ton 2011 46 AC-1
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