School Solves Complex Energy and Comfort Problems by Using the Right HVAC Variables
Built in 1921, A.K. Suter Elementary School in Pensacola, Florida — like many older public schools in the state — used a retrofitted patchwork of packaged and split system air conditioning equipment to keep students comfortable in a warm, humid climate. In order to rejuvenate the almost 100-year-old school, the district decided in 2011 to tear down the old school and rebuild it from scratch using new, high-efficiency HVAC technology. Today, the brand new A.K. Suter Elementary is by far the most energy-efficient of all Escambia County School District (ECSD) schools — thanks in part to advanced HVAC technology, including Danfoss Turbocor® centrifugal compressors and AB-QM™ valves.
"The new A.K. Suter Elementary School has a lot of features found in high-performance buildings," said Roger McGraw, P.E., mechanical engineer for ECSD Facility Planning. "The walls are constructed with insulating concrete forms (ICF) and a vapor barrier, so the building envelope is well insulated. The new HVAC system is state-of-the-art — two ultra-efficient variable-speed centrifugal chillers with Danfoss Turbocor compressors ensure efficient chilled water production. The chilled water is supplied to several air-handling units (AHUs) and over 100 variable-air-volume (VAV) boxes each using Danfoss AB-QM pressure-independent balancing and control valves to optimize flow. This combination of technologies inside the ICF building envelope saves energy and handles our major comfort challenge – humidity."