Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Using VRF Systems to Solve HVAC Challenges

  • By James DeBerry
  • 10/01/18

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) is a leading-edge, globally proven HVAC technology that can help solve many HVAC challenges:

Increasing Energy Efficiency—VRF systems with inverter-driven compressors can reduce energy bills up to 25 percent.

Lower Lifecycle Costs—VRF’s installation and operational costs are often lower than those of traditional systems.

Delivering Fresh Air—With advanced filters, zoning capabilities, and integration with ventilation systems, VRF can help meet indoor air mandates.

Limiting Operational Noise—VRF eliminates disruption indoors and out. Indoor units operate as quietly as 27 decibels and outdoor units are quieter than traditional systems.

Varying Loads Needs—VRF does an impressive job meeting space and occupant needs. Full-range variable capacity delivers only the amount of conditioning required to match a zone’s demand. Using integrated controls and sensors that measure conditions within each zone, the compressor adjusts speeds to maintain the desired temperature.

Solving Comfort Issues—VRF’s zoning offers personalized comfort control, including the ability to simultaneously cool and heat from one heat recovery system.

Controlling Multiple Spaces—VRF can integrate with third-party software. It offers a wide variety of controls options, from individual zone controllers to centralized controllers that monitor, schedule, and control multiple indoor units through a web browser. Multiple central controllers can connect to a building’s management system.

Minimizing Maintenance—Limited maintenance is necessary and doesn’t require a specialized service contractor. VRF components are easily accessible, yet also safely tucked away within the system.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management October 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

James DeBerry is commercial marketing manager for Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (MitsubishiPro.com). He can be reached at [email protected] or 888-979-9686.

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.