This month’s B2B will focus on a small city school system that chose to invest in an annual contract for a temporary air-cooled chiller for special events and an emergency crisis shelter center. The original school HVAC design was a 2-pipe closed-circuit heating system, but sized to provide chilled water air conditioning to unit ventilators; two central AHUs; and fan coil units based on specific zoning of the school that included the gymnasium, cafeteria, auditorium, and 10 classrooms.

The school department chose this unique building program approach in order to work with the city on a business plan to minimize the first cost for construction of a new school, as well as to reduce annual maintenance costs associated with not having a permanent central chilled water system in the new school. The basis of design was to incorporate valve and capped connections at the school’s exterior equipment room wall in conjunction with a flatbed truck with an air-cooled chiller and electric generator to provide chilled water to the existing HVAC system. This cost-effective approach would provide cooling to the school for special events during the air conditioning season, as well as providing space comfort during a disaster relief incident for residents staying in a portion of the school with temporary sleeping quarters for such circumstances.

The existing building central hot water plant is adequate to accommodate the chilled water demands, so no changes were required other than switch the school’s BAS from heating to central cooling. The city outsourced the operation and maintenance of the school that included management of the mechanical and electrical systems during school special events and during a crisis using their in-house project management services.