Velocity Building Technical Services (Velocity BTS) is partnering with the Port of Seattle on a critical project designed to ensure the safety of passengers, staff, and airport facilities. This multi-year contract, running from 2025 through 2030, highlights Velocity BTS’ commitment to delivering dependable, code-compliant life safety solutions.

The Velocity BTS team will perform a range of essential services, including:

• Annual Smoke Control Confidence Testing: Verifying that smoke control systems function as designed in emergency conditions.

• Semiannual Fire Suppression System Testing: Inspecting and testing over 13 gaseous systems, providing detailed reporting, and performing on-the-spot repairs when approved.

• Fire/Smoke Damper Testing & Identification: Utilizing advanced geospatial tools to locate, update, and maintain accurate system records while minimizing disruptions in active airport environments.

Backed by commissioning agents, TAB experts, inspectors, and engineers with proven experience in the Port of Seattle and aviation sector, Velocity BTS is equipped to deliver reliable solutions that protect critical infrastructure and keep the traveling public safe.

With more than 52 million passengers passing through annually, the systems maintained by Velocity BTS play a vital role in the safe operation of one of the nation’s busiest airports. Safety, reliability, and technical excellence remain at the core of Velocity BTS’ operations, as the company brings its expertise to projects that safeguard the community and strengthen aviation infrastructure in the Seattle region.

About Velocity BTS:
Velocity Building Technical Services provides commissioning, TAB, inspection, and life safety system solutions for complex facilities across the Pacific Northwest. The company delivers reliable, code-compliant services that ensure the safety and efficiency of every project it undertakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Glassmaking to Building Performance – Advancing Energy and Operations

Career paths often take unexpected turns, and Annette Ringe has embraced each stage with creativity and determination.

Originally from Southern California, Annette split her early years between California and Oregon before moving to Seattle in 1994.

“A year after I moved here, I was captured by the glassmaking culture up here and started working with hot glass,” she recalls.

Annette spent more than a decade as a professional glassmaker, apprenticing at Chihuly Studios and later managing a local glass studio in Seattle’s South Lake Union. Her work took her to studios across the country and abroad, where she created artwork and maintained the complex facilities that support glassmaking.

In 2018, Annette set her sights on a new goal: completing her degree. She graduated in 2023 with a BAS in Sustainable Building Science Technology, a program focused on energy management, building science, and regional energy policy. Along the way, she completed an internship with the GSA’s Oxbow Building and gained practical HVAC and DHW experience at a Bellevue mechanical company.

Annette joined Velocity BTS two and a half years ago and now serves as an Energy Analyst on the Energy Services team. Her work centers on Washington Clean Buildings Act compliance, supporting clients ranging from downtown Seattle high-rises to schools, hospitals, and distribution warehouses. She develops custom Energy Management Plans, creates O&M programs based on ASHRAE 180, assists with commissioning, and contributes to Energy Star certifications.

For Annette, the most rewarding part of her role is helping bridge gaps between facilities teams, owners, and construction teams.

“If I can help facilities staff get the recognition they deserve or improve their documentation standards, I know I’m making a difference.”

She is also working toward becoming a Certified Energy Manager to expand her impact in the field.

Annette describes herself as “relatively new” to the industry, but her background as both a facility manager and artist gives her a distinctive perspective. Today, she combines precision, problem-solving, and creativity to help Velocity BTS clients make their buildings more efficient and resilient.

Fueling Efficiency, from net-zero homes to Western WA Data Center

Career paths are rarely linear. For Greg, the journey began in a tough job market. It evolved into more than two decades of field testing, commissioning, and energy modeling. Today, he leverages his deep technical background to design complex building systems and has even applied it to his own West Seattle home, transforming it into a solar-powered, net-zero residence that powers both the house and two electric vehicles.

Originally from Tacoma, Greg graduated from Stadium High School, where he ran cross-country. He went on to earn a mechanical engineering degree from Washington State University. He continues to stay active with running and cycling, having completed the Seattle to Portland (STP) and Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party (RSVP) events multiple times.

Greg launched his career in 2000 by taking a field-based engineering role to gain hands-on experience. What started as a temporary move grew into a 20-year path through test and balance, commissioning, design engineering, energy audits, and energy modeling. He was also part of building a performance-focused energy group and contributed to the development of in-house energy modeling capabilities.

Since joining Velocity BTS in May 2024, Greg has been instrumental in growing our Energy Services group. His current projects include commissioning the mechanical systems at an Undisclosed Data Center in Western Washington, ensuring systems perform as designed, and troubleshooting construction and design issues. He’s also leading an energy audit for the historic Norton Building in downtown Seattle, analyzing usage and identifying cost-effective energy conservation measures (ECMs) for both financial savings and carbon reduction.

When asked about his favorite project, Greg points to a deep energy retrofit for the Seattle Aquarium.

“I spent over a year walking behind the scenes, learning how their systems work, proposing improvements, and guiding implementation.”

Outside the office, Greg and his wife Heather enjoy camping, live music, and traveling (most recently to Costa Rica). Their two dogs are always ready to join the adventure, while their three cats prefer things stay quiet at home.

From high-performance buildings to homegrown efficiency, Greg brings a unique combination of technical depth and creative problem-solving that continues to make a lasting impact on projects, clients, and the Velocity team.

Leading the Way in Building Controls at Jefferson Hospital

At Velocity BTS, our work is driven by people who take pride in doing things right. Richard Amos, our Controls Foreman, is a perfect example of that mindset in action.

With 17 years in the electrical industry and a deep passion for building controls, Richard joined Velocity earlier this year, bringing a strong background in hands-on electrical craftsmanship.

Originally from Southeast Alaska and raised in Southern Oregon, he found his calling early, excelling in woodshop and diving into construction right out of high school. After joining the IBEW Local 46 apprenticeship in 2008, he journeyed out as a licensed 01 electrician in 2014. Since 2017, he’s specialized in building controls, a passion that eventually led him to Velocity.

Currently, Richard is leading our controls work at the Jefferson Healthcare South Campus Replacement Project in Port Townsend. This transformative hospital expansion project focuses on modernizing care and improving energy efficiency. The project, led by Abbott Construction and designed by ZGF Architects, is being built with collaboration and community in mind. Velocity’s controls team is working on the full airside, hydronic controls, and the controls for a commercial kitchen.

When asked about his approach to the job, Richard shared, “I put a very high price on craftsmanship, so the rewarding part of the job for me is conduit work and panel makeup.”

“I love hearing from customers when they point out how clean and tidy the work is and how easy the start-up was.”

A sports enthusiast and lifelong Mariners and Seahawks fan, Richard also enjoys roasting coffee, hiking, fishing, and camping in his spare time.

His passion for precision, performance, and people makes him a standout at Velocity BTS and a trusted leader on this critical healthcare project.

 

Velocity Building Technical Service welcomes Darrin Williams as Velocity’s Test and Balance (TAB) General Forman and Smoke Control Supervisor. With two decades of experience in TAB and HVAC systems, Darrin will play a crucial role in driving quality and safety across our projects.

In his new role, Darrin will oversee Velocity’s major TAB Projects, lead smoke control projects, and mentor the field team, ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety. As a certified SC-1 ANSI, TABB, and NEBB technician, Darrin’s extensive knowledge allows him to proactively identify potential issues, enhancing project success and client satisfaction.

Velocity is Distech Controls’ Newest System Integrator

Located in Seattle, the Bush School designed its Upper School campus to meet the stringent energy efficiency goals of a Passive House certification.  With construction complete and commissioning in its final stages, Velocity’s Brad Sharp was called to inspect and provide remedies necessary to ensure the installed HVAC system would perform per net neutrality goals.

After meeting on site with the design Engineer, Controls contractor, and Hermanson construction staff, Brad Sharp and Velocity Technician Kelcy Ayres were able to diagnose a manufacturing flaw in the air handler, pinpoint minor issues with the controls, and confirm that the unit and exhaust ductwork is functioning as designed.  (The impeccable craftsmanship of Hermanson’s Sheet Metal crew led by Foreman Loren Hopen achieved an unheard-of duct leakage of only 1.5%!)

Having Engineering, Controls, Sheet Metal, TAB, and Project Management teams on site resulted in a successful resolution and achieved an exhaust system exceeding design tolerance.

https://time.com/6143799/covid-19-indoor-air-cleaning/

A recent Time magazine article discusses the importance of Indoor Air Quality as we transition from a COVID pandemic response to ongoing endemic solutions.

Contact Brad Sharp at Velocity Building Technical Services to discuss how best to implement them.

Brad Sharp, CHC

Director of Technical Services Velocity BTS

Brads@velocitybts.com

Velocitybts.com

(425) 350-0905

 

Be sure to review our listing on  Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) website for the full range of services we offer.

Let Velocity BTS be your Energy Subject Matter Expert in 2022 for upcoming energy audits, compliance, and operational savings.

#energyefficiency

#energyaudits

#washingtoncleanbuilding

#HB1257

Looking to ensure you have a safe working environment for you and your occupants? There is a prescriptive path established by the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) that meets or exceeds all current OSHA, WHO, CDC and ASHRAE guidelines. This collaborative and interactive process will ensure that all possible steps are taken to ensure a safe indoor environment. Once implemented, we can provide a COVID-19 Reopening Ventilation Verification Certificate you can present to occupants/tenants.

The attached White Paper by National Energy Management Institute outlines these concrete implementation steps to verify that building air ventilation and filtration systems meet or exceed these important standards.

Contact Clair Gehrt (clairg@velocitybts.com / 206-751-2047) to find out how Velocity Building Technical Services can help you implement these steps within your building.
#ventilationsystems
#airfiltration
#indoorairquality #IAQ
#covid19prevention

 

NEMI White-Paper-on-Proposed-Building-Ventilation-and-Efficiency-Verification-and-Repair-Program