Providing Energy-Effective Zone Control

Challenge:

The two-level, four bedroom, 4,000-square-foot home consists of a master bedroom suite, guest bedroom, a large family room, kitchen, dining room and on the basement level, an office, two additional guest bedrooms, an exercise room and a large playroom.  The different zones call for various cooling and heating needs.

Besides wanting a system that was energy efficient and environmentally friendly, the homeowner wanted the ability to either turn off, or put the system on standby, in the unused rooms and only cool or heat those rooms when family or guests visit.

Solution:

During the planning phase of the home, Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating Solutions, Suwanee, Ga., introduced the new S-Series Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning systems. This was the perfect solution for this project because it has one of the smallest footprints in the industry and each of the 4-ton units supports a maximum of eight VRF indoor units with up to 130 percent of connected capacity.

Mitsubishi Electric’s advanced controls network was incorporated to provide zone control over all the rooms in the home. The S-Series offered the homeowner many zoning options. Each zone was equipped with its own indoor unit and temperature control. Being able to cool or heat only the zones in use would shave considerable dollars off future utility bills. Some rooms, like the kitchen and master bedroom, would be in continuous use, while others would be used only occasionally. For example, the downstairs bedroom could be closed off when not in use and the indoor units are set back.

Under normal operation, the indoor units provide comfortable temperature for zones that are constantly occupied. Each zone is maintained to within one degree of the temperature set point. When the set point is reached in each zone, the unit slows down, drawing very little power to provide only the cooling or heating necessary to maintain the temperature.

The homeowner reports he is pleased with his energy bills as a result of installing the Mitsubishi Electric S-Series.