Energy Efficiency

Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) serves as an accessible, responsive and creative intellectual resource for the people and institutions of Connecticut, providing higher education to over 6,000 students in Danbury, CT.

The State Government’s Lead by Example program had asked State buildings to reduce energy costs by 10% in 2013 and an additional 10% in 2018. Embracing the initiative, WCSU has committed to increasing efficiency and has met or exceeded state goals since 2011…More

The Insulation world is very different today than it was just a few years ago. While most commercial, independent insulation, and mechanical contractors seem to have a full understanding of their industry, it is remarkable how much technology has changed their understanding to further advance the industry. Recently, Thermaxx introduced Duke University to the world of aerogel; Pyrogel® XT in the insulation world… More

Automotive muffler designers use sound physics to reduce the amount of noise coming from automobile exhaust systems. The designers use sound wave interference to cancel out noise. In this article we will explore the concept of sound wave interference and see how muffler designers put to it to work… More

What is a sound wave? Not being able to see a sound wave makes this a difficult question. Close your eyes and picture dropping a hammer onto a table. As the hammer hits the table, you hear a loud noise. What happened? The hammer hitting the table created a disturbance in the medium causing a wave to propagate through the medium. What does that exactly mean? Here we are dealing with two independent events: first, the hammer hitting the table causing a disturbance; second, the wave propagating or moving away from the disturbance… More

ThermaXX entered into contract September 2011 with Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) to provide Removable Insulation Jackets and Removable Insulation Covers in a mechanical room at Higgins Hall. The mechanical room was a typical university with steam. Although insulated during construction in the 1950’s, the insulation has since been removed and damaged as a result of day to day activities.

ThermaXX completed an energy survey and worked with the maintenance department to prepare a scope of work that included replacing missing pipe insulation and installing removable jackets on the components such as steam traps, gate valves, wye strainers and PRV’s. In addition to heat loss, the work environment ambient temperatures were uncomfortable and approaching 90f. The insulation reduced the temperature in the mechanical room substantially…More