With research metrics rising and economic uncertainty settling, many in the industry are boasting prerecession returns heading into the second half of 2013.
Many schools are turning to highly efficient HVAC solutions for both new-build and retrofit projects, indicating that the once-novel concept of LEED-certified and zero-energy schools may soon become commonplace in school districts across the U.S.
Though ASHRAE recommends bringing in 15 cfm of outside air per occupant in a commercial building, a growing number of studies show that many U.S. schools are falling significantly short of that goal, which can translate to lower test scores, increased absences, and other health issues caused by poor IAQ.
Engineers and architects took the seemingly impossible task of recycling an outdated industrial factory into a LEED-Gold showcase of some of the HVAC industry’s most innovative equipment for Asheboro, N.C.-based Randolph Community College (RCC).
It would take roughly $271 billion to bring public school buildings across the U.S. up to working order to gain compliance with the law, and a staggering $542 billion to meet current health, safety, and education standards.
It is important to keep HVAC equipment clean so it runs efficiently and as it’s designed to run. One place where dirt and grime collects in HVACR equipment, affecting system efficiency, is in the coils.