Elementary School Opens on Time

Challenge:

In 2006 the Moon Area School District (MASD) completely renovated McCormick Elementary School, which is located 15 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Despite completion of major construction, Alan Criswell, MASD supervisor of buildings and grounds, had an extremely tight schedule for the HVAC system installation. It was May 2007 and he had to have the equipment in place and operating for an August 2007 school opening. He needed a system that was immediately available and could be installed rapidly.  There was no room for ductwork.  Heat recovery, energy savings and exact temperature zoning controls were high priorities. The hot water heating system would not come online until late November, so the HVAC system had to include a generous heat pump capacity to keep the building warm until the hot water boilers were operational.

Solution:

Criswell understood the many benefits of the Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning systems from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating Solutions, Suwanee, Ga., because of recent installations at nearby Hyde and Allard elementary schools. Mitsubishi Electric’s two-pipe, INVERTER-driven heat recovery systems provided the solution he needed. A local Mitsubishi distributor had the necessary VRF zoning equipment in stock and easy installation cut the labor time in half. Also, the system’s ductless design made it possible to overcome serious space limitations for ductwork. These factors allowed Criswell to get the 69-ton system up and running during the summer months in time for the school year opening.

Mitsubishi Electric Lossnay^® Energy Recovery Ventilators were used in conjunction with the VRF zoning systems to meet the need for improved indoor air quality, heat recovery, efficiency and ventilation. Taking advantage of Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced controls network allowed Criswell to control all temperature zones locally or remotely. A Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless system was employed to provide cooling for the large computer lab.

“Over the past 12 months, the Mitsubishi  Electric systems have performed outstandingly,” Criswell said. “I have had no complaints from teachers, which is a tremendous plus. I would highly recommend this system to anyone. The Mitsubishi Electric performance has exceeded my expectations.”