Lakeshore Public School District, Stevensville, Mich.
Retrofit Team
Architect and Engineer: Kingscott Associates, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Manufacturer’s Representative: Bolhouse LLC, Jenison, Mich.
Materials
Scott Bolhouse of Bolhouse LLC took Nick White, director of operations for Lakeshore Public Schools, and Scott Morgenstern, senior mechanical engineer for Kingscott Associates, on a tour of nearby locations with unit ventilators already installed and running.
“We’ve found that it always helps to demonstrate equipment operation; there’s nothing quite like a working demo in a setting not unlike the classrooms they needed to improve,” Bolhouse notes. White and Morgenstern saw a variety of HVAC equipment that day. After further research into equipment capable of solving problems at the school district, they chose the Airedale Classmate Dx Cooling and Heat Pump.
“One of the first things that stuck out to me at the demo was the noise—or better—the lack of it,” White remembers. “We learned about the equipment’s impressive sound lab performance, but it was most impressive to see and hear the equipment during our tour. We were certain that we’d found the right technology for our schools.”
One-hundred thirty-two units were specified for the five schools in the district, and two Modine Varsity under-the-window units were chosen for the high-school football locker room. The classroom units have efficient electronically commutated motors and micro channel coils. Advanced blower and compressor technologies contribute to the decreased sound and power output. They also have a proprietary CF coil, offering improvements over existing parallel flow coil technology.
The all-aluminum counter flow (CF) coils provide condensing and evaporation. Inside the CF coil, refrigerant makes two-passes—once up and then back down—to create a uniformly conditioned air stream.
The vertical systems allow for ductwork and diffusers to be connected easily so sound from the fan and the moving air are distributed throughout the room, which more or less eliminates sound from the units.
“Kingscott has been designing with vertical style ventilators for years,” Morgenstern adds. “These types of units have been our preferred solution since they came on the market. Being able to provide ducted supply systems to the classrooms allows for better temperature control throughout an entire room, which was a huge win for the Lakeshore schools.”
Cooling and Heat Pump and Under-window Units Manufacturer: Modine Manufacturing Co.
All-in-one Blower Motor in Modine Manufacturing’s HVAC Systems: Genteq
The Retrofit
White’s attention and prudent management of improvements at Lakeshore Public School District’s three elementary schools, a middle school and high school have included broad HVAC upgrades, which have improved student and teacher comfort, as well as energy efficiency. It had been about 20 years since any of the schools had new heating equipment installed, and none of them had any form of air conditioning.
“It was time to do something,” White remembers. “We would get daily complaints from teachers about the inconsistency of room heating. Students seated by old, under-the-window unit ventilators were either sweating or shivering. In the mornings, the ventilators would be blasting heat and, later, as the thermostat was satisfied, outside air was brought in to improve indoor air quality and student health.”
But the fresh air entering the rooms became a textbook lesson in thermal shock. Cold air immediately conditioned students and teachers; the discomfort was so routine that they knew to have their winter jackets nearby.
“The old systems were not only noisy, but they weren’t providing sufficient air distribution,” Morgenstern adds. “They were basically oversized fan coil units that sat under classroom windows with the sole purpose of making life miserable for students and teachers alike.”
White says the teachers have nothing but praise at the lack of noise, the delivery of consistent temperatures and the conditioned fresh air in the classrooms since the new units have been installed.
“The renovations have had a dramatic ‘ladder’ effect,” White says. “the students are happy, not distracted and learning, which in turn makes the teachers happy, making it easier for them to inspire the student body, which in turn makes the school board happy.”
PHOTOS: Modine Manufacturing Co.