Heating of office buildings in areas where winter avg DBT is -7 deg C

[blackhawk2000]

I am new to HVAC, so please keep that in mind if my questions appear incomplete or strange.


1. Is "eth gylcol water" used as heat carrying agent poisonous?

2. Are there any safe alternatives to eth glycol-water?

3. Is it worth investigating setting up a power unit solely for the purpose of running electric heaters? Assuming that community electricity supply is not reliable. And assuming a typical office building of 8500 sqft area.

Thanks.

[maxster]

how tight is the building is it constant volume or VAV in the cooling season...if not hot water baseboard or wet coils in the AHUs

[blackhawk2000]

This building does not require cooling in summers, the temp is pleasant. Typical office building of 8500 sqft.

Winter:
Is there any heating medium apart from ETH-glycol-water, that can be used at minus 7 degrees centigrade outside temp.

[blabath]

Etheylene Glycol is quite poisonous. It targets your liver and is the poison of choice for many women trying to poison their men on the whodunit detective shows on TV. Propylene glycol is safer and required in any heating equipment where food services are involved. If you don't need to worry about your heating medium freezing, water is the best choice with no antifreeze in it as it has better heat transfer properties. (Since you are mentioning the -7 dgree avg. temp I am guessing antifreeze is required in your system)
The most common antifreeze here in the midwest is called DowFrost or DowTherm. One is Ethyl glycol and one is Propylene glycol. Whoever is taking care of your boilers or your Chemical Treatment company should be able to get this for you.
I live in central Iowa and the winter design temp here is -10 deg.F. so this information should be correct for you too.

[blackhawk2000]

Blabath, thank you very much for the answer. I was not in favour of Eth Glycol.

Do you have any comments on my point 3:

3. Is it worth investigating setting up a power unit solely for the purpose of running electric heaters? Assuming that community electricity supply is not reliable. And assuming a typical office building of 8500 sqft area.

IF electric heaters are used, the entire headache of pumps, water, tanks, pipes, and associated breakdowns, maintenance, can be done away with.