In June of 2014, Climate Control Company decided to put its services to good use. As one of the leading heating and cooling service companies in Glenwood Springs, Climate Control remodeled the Aspen Community School’s HVAC System. Aspen Community School planned a massive expansion and redevelopment project for its 25-acre campus. It was Climate Control’s job to provide HVAC and Hydronic systems for the school’s new 13,614 square foot main building and its 7,630 square foot gymnasium. Our hard work paid off. We’re proud to announce that the Aspen Community School expansion project qualified for LEED Gold status.
LEED (http://www.usgbc.org/leed) stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a nationally recognized third-party certification program that evaluates and rewards newly constructed buildings for their environmental sustainability. A building’s LEED score is based on a range of different categories including the population density, indoor air quality, sustainable materials, water efficiency, energy performance, and environmental impact. The rating system is based on the number of points the building accrues across these categories. To be LEED certified, a building must earn at least 40 points. While LEED Gold status requires anywhere from 60 – 79 points. LEED is transforming the construction industry by creating incentives for buildings to meet their requirements. LEED certified buildings have higher occupancy levels, higher rent prices, and higher market demand. It pays to be LEED certified.
As part of the Aspen Community School expansion project, Climate Control completely renovated the school’s HVAC system for the better. In the school’s main building, Climate Control installed two high efficiency boilers that use either propane or natural gas. The company installed a radiant heat system in every classroom, each with a dedicated zone for specified heating. Climate Control also included 5,000 CFM of central exhaust and ventilation with an energy recovery ventilator that exchanges ducted exhaust within the classrooms with the ducted air outside. Outside air is supplied through variable air volume (VAV) boxes that change the temperature based on the room’s occupancy using what’s called Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) using hydronic re-heat. Finally, the company added an indirect-fired water heater that’s served from the central boiler, providing instantaneous results throughout the school.
As for the gym, Climate Control installed a central air handler with evaporative cooling, economizer and an energy recovery wheel added. The company installed supply and exhaust fans in a mechanical mezzanine with distribution ductwork that serves the main gym and other adjacent rooms. The system is designed to provide 5,500 CFM in total airflow with a commercial hood in the kitchen and a central control building dashboard that confirms proper operation and tracks energy usage. In both the gym and the housing part of the campus, Climate Control installed more indirect-fired water heaters served from the central boiler for immediate results.
Climate Control is proud to help Aspen Community School reach LEED Gold status. It was a huge honor to be a part of this important project. The entire campus will be much more energy efficient as a result. Trust the experts at Climate Control Company for your next Glenwood Springs AC service project.
