Trane has introduced the newest addition to its air-cooled chiller product portfolio, the Trane Stealth™ air-cooled chiller. Available in the 150- to 300-ton capacity range, Stealth air-cooled chillers deliver a combination of part-load and full-load efficiencies along with extremely low sound levels. At the core of the Stealth chiller’s performance is AdaptiSpeed™ technology – the integration of a direct-drive, specific-speed screw compressor, permanent-magnet motors, and third-generation Trane Adaptive Frequency™ Drives.
Both new and existing building projects should have lighting control provided, either as part of a standalone system or, ideally, integrated as part of the BAS. But we often find that there are many reasons automated lighting control is not provided, ranging from simple economics to frustration with the programming and support of these systems.
The author’s longtime interest in bundling efficiency techniques in a single system eventually led him to a new pairing: VRF zoning technology and geothermal design. See how he got there and how this couple played out for an historic 107-year-old Iowa courthouse that serves the law through the area’s brutal winters and humid summers.
After reviewing basic design options, the next steps for potential geothermal designers are to challenge the common concerns and myths, study how different choices have different cost impacts, and be aware of the ways a good design can yield bad performance if the installation isn’t done well. Add the habit of turning a retrofit’s circumstances to your advantage, and this underground approach can rise above client expectations in short order.