BARRON, Wis., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Barron School District is using an innovative and environmentally-friendly means to heat and cool their high school — and neighboring facilities. A wood-fired water plant supplies steam heat to Barron High School, Woodland Elementary School and Barron Hospital. Recently, the district saw an opportunity to expand on this and further benefit the community.
The district needed to address two issues. The first was to increase the load of the wood-fired plant for the hospital’s summer use. Using a gas boiler in the summer would nearly double their costs. The second issue was addressing the increased usage of the high school and elementary school during the summer months. The buildings are used for summer school and music programs, teacher training, and sporting and community events — without air conditioning.
To address these challenges, the district decided to advance an already technologically innovative approach to meet its comfort demands.
Expanding Wood Fuel Capacity
In order to air condition Barron High School, the district added a cooling system to the existing plant. An absorption chiller operates off of the wood-fired plant and supplies cool air to the high school; in the future, it will cool the elementary school as well. The classrooms will have active chilled beam ventilation units installed to further reduce the district’s energy and maintenance cost.
In addition, the plant will air condition the neighboring community center, which expects to see a 35 percent reduction in energy, utility and maintenance costs. The community center is eliminating a number of older rooftop units that they will no longer have to maintain. As part of the solution, all buildings received new controls.
With multiple buildings running off of the school district’s plant, the district’s business manager will monitor energy usage in each building with Energy Services Management Software System and divide costs accordingly. He will also be able to accurately measure and track his energy usage, which will enable him to make the best choices in purchasing and operations.
The project is scheduled to be completed by October. “We’re eager for the results of our project,” said Monti Hallberg, district administrator. “We all will feel more comfortable and have peace of mind knowing we’re saving energy costs and not relying on fossil fuels or foreign oil to operate our district buildings.”
Barron High School’s water plant uses wood for fuel from several sources, including the end cuts of telephone poles, as an inexpensive and environmentally responsible fuel choice compared to other available energy options.
Creating Better Learning Environments
The district’s upgrades create a better, more comfortable learning environment for students. In fact, studies show that high-performance buildings help improve test scores and reduce student absentee rates.
A Carnegie Mellon review of two studies found an estimated 50 percent reduction in cold and flu infections in buildings with advanced ventilation systems and improved thermal control. And 70 percent of districts with green schools reported increased student attendance, according to the “Greening America’s Schools” report.
About Trane
Trane, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) , provides systems and services that enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings around the world. The business offers a broad range of energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; dehumidifying and air cleaning products; aftermarket service and parts support; advanced building controls; and building and financing solutions including those that allow energy-efficient systems to pay for themselves through energy savings. Trane’s systems and services have leading positions in premium commercial, residential, institutional and industrial markets; a reputation for reliability, high quality and product innovation; and a powerful distribution network. The business has more than 29,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.trane.com and http://www.americanstandardair.com.
CONTACT: Melinda Paulson, +1-651-407-3974, mpaulson@trane.com, or Perri Richman, +1-732-980-6386, prichman@trane.com, both of Trane
