Yearly: 2020

MITIGATE COVID-19

Impacts of COVID-19 on Restaurants: Methods of Enhanced Ventilation and Air Exchanges

As a former restaurant owner and practicing professional engineer, My RO team and I have put some thought into how a ventilation solution might help restaurants work through the COVID-19 mandated limitations, especially during the Winter months, with respect to dining safely in an indoor/enclosed environment.

In preparing this strategy, we have spoken to and received feedback from a number of NY City area restaurant owners who felt it was feasible for them to adopt, but would only implement it if they can get approval to increase the seating limitations and related issues currently allowed by the governing agencies. 

My team at RO Engineers was assisted by Valerie Corbett and Allen Hobbs at Intelligreen Partners, LLC, a firm that works with NYSERDA and the City on various energy related initiatives, to put forth the attached documents which present a strategy on how restaurants can operate in an enclosed-seating environment in a safer manner. 

Adoption of this strategy could allow governing agencies to revisit some of the rules that they are currently in place, especially in urban settings where expanding outdoor enclosed seating needs to work for restaurants to survive financially through the winter months

This information is provided with no expectations on our part other than to help restaurateurs everywhere survive and prosper through these difficult times while allowing the public more safety when they dine in restaurants.

We are trying to expeditiously disseminate this idea to different stakeholders and other engineers for their review of this concept in order to arrive at a consensus of whether this can be widely adopted. For instance, we have sent these documents to the New York State Restaurant Association for their response.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Restaurants: Methods of Enhanced Ventilation and Air Exchanges

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Mitigate Covid-19 Transmission via increased building ventilation

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Covid-19

Information regarding COVID-19

At RO, our thoughts are with those whose families and friends have been impacted by the COVID-19 virus. In response to COVID-19, we are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our employees and clients.  All employees are currently working from home and we are utilizing video and audio conferencing in order to stay connected.  We are doing our part to flatten the curve.

While we are utilizing technology and distance to create a safe working environment, RO is fully operational and able to respond to our clients’ needs. We are here to help in any way we can.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and remember we will get through this together.

Software Engineering

Welcome to our new website

Raman & Oundjian Engineers & Architects, PC is excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website! It has been developed to help our customers learn more about our services and past projects.


Our goal was to create an informative, welcoming, and user-friendly platform to move our company forward. The website features a consistent and intuitive design to make navigation and finding relevant information simple. Our new website is mobile responsive, making it easy to use on all browsers and portable devices.

Engineering

CHP Program Update

The CHP program has undergone extensive changes since it was released and it may be more appealing than ever to multi-family building owners.

What is a CHP System?

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems provide electric power, heating and cooling from a single fuel source located in the building. It is also called cogeneration.

Typical power generation systems create heat as a byproduct and release it into the air as waste. A  CHP systems captures this heat and uses it to heat water and for heating and cooling. The recycling of heat makes this a very efficient system that saves energy and money. 

CHP systems can also produce electricity and heat during a grid outage, a popular feature that appeals to many building owners and tenants. 

 What has changed with the program?

There have been many changes to the program but a few that directly affect multi-family building owners are:

  • – Systems smaller than 50kW are now eligible
  • – Systems larger than 1.3MW are eligible but after 12/31/16 those large than 3 MW will not be  
  • – CHP systems fueled by propane, compressed natural gas and pipeline natural gas are all eligible
  • – An incentive calculator in now available to help estimate the amount of the incentive

What are the next steps?

Applications for installation projects 3MW and smaller will be accepted until December 31, 2018 and projects over 3MW until December 30, 2016 or until funds run out. RO can help you with the application process, choose the correct equipment to maximize your benefit and estimate the amount of incentive available.

Additional information about the program can be found on the NYSERDA website. Contact RO today and see if a CHP System is right for your building.