Critical climate control: Maintaining a tropical rainforest environment in the U.S. NortheastIn Hershey, Pennsylvania, a community built and made famous by chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey and visited by millions of tourists each year, a new attraction is gaining national attention. In the summer of 2016, the new Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory at Hershey Gardens was opened to the public. Built on the grounds of a 23-acre botanical garden, the highlight of the 16,000 sq. ft. conservatory is the Butterfly Atrium. The atrium is home to more than 500 butterflies, including dozens of rare species from South and Central America, Africa and Asia.

In the two years leading up to the atrium’s grand opening, as plans for the conservatory building began to take shape, the local Johnson Controls branch was invited by the project’s mechanical contractor to bid on the HVAC and controls. From the beginning, Branch Manager Joe Emrich says the team knew it was in for a challenge.

“We needed to build a tropical rainforest in central Pennsylvania.”

Designed to minimize riskThe plan was to create an ecosystem to support both the butterflies and the exotic plants they rely on to provide nectar, a critical food source. The challenge was this: How to maintain the ideal tropical climate—a temperature of 80°F with a humidity level of 70 percent—even though the atrium doors would likely be opened and closed hundreds of times a day as visitors cycled through.

Hershey Gardens Hershey, Pennsylvania

CASE STUDY

“The facilities director knew it would take a precision control system and subject-matter experts in indoor environments to configure and commission a system capable of maintaining the environment,” said Alan Ringhoffer, Johnson Controls Account Executive.”So he was surprised to learn it could be achieved using standard equipment developed by Johnson Controls, run by applications from our library of apps and controlled by our Metasys® Building Automation System. And because we leveraged our off-the-shelf proven solutions, we helped Hershey Gardens both reduce risk and lower cost.”

The bundled solution included small tonnage York chillers, air handling units, actuators and dampers, in addition to Metasys; a total package designed, coordinated and installed by Johnson Controls. “As the single source provider, we take responsibility for the complete solution,” said Ringhoffer. “So the customer knows the buck stops with us, and that it’s our job to ensure the systems continue to work together seamlessly.”

Director of Facilities for the M.S. Hershey Foundation, Brian Tillotson, agreed. “We were pleased with Johnson Controls’ ability to provide a complete turnkey solution for our environmental control needs,” he said. “The control system works incredibly well.”

The Metasys difference: Remote access 24/7Today, having Metasys in control of the HVAC equipment also makes it easier for Hershey Gardens to monitor the environmental conditions within the atrium and take action, when needed, to ensure a healthy butterfly habitat. Data from the various systems that feed into Metasys can be monitored in real time, 24/7, through a mobile-optimized user interface that makes navigation easy from any smart phone, tablet or workstation. Alarms will be automatically triggered if pre-set parameters are exceeded. And if a piece of equipment should fail, Metasys will notify the facility manager who can then access and analyze the system, and dispatch local service techs to the site from wherever he might be.

“Managing multiple buildings with complex environments can be challenging,” said Tillotson.”The secure remote access portal through Metasys allows us to view up to date information using our web-enabled portable devices. The ability to be mobile and view real-time data 24/7 is extremely useful for our organization.”

With a strategy in place to maintain its critical climate, the Butterfly Atrium at Hershey Gardens becomes one of just 25 indoor, tropical butterfly atriums in the country; a year round destination for tourists, a hands-on learning experience for local students, and a tribute to Milton and Catherine Hershey’s vision for horticulture and education in the community they founded.

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HERSHEY GARDENS CASE STUDY

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