Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

New HVAC System Enhances Renovation

  • 11/01/15
HVAC System

Energy efficiency and ease-of-installation sealed the deal for Mitsubishi Electric when it came time to renovate St. Ignatius Loyola School in Cincinnati.

St. Ignatius Loyola School, Cincinnati, is the largest private school in Ohio, serving over 1,000 K-8 students. Many of the classrooms in the school’s original three-story building, which dates back to 1950, didn’t have air conditioning. That created a big problem on hot days. On cold days, the low-pressure boiler consumed a lot of expensive gas — another big problem.

The need for a renovation started with a need for comfort. “This is a building with thick, concrete walls, and some of the classrooms face south. On the third floor, during certain times of the summer when it was over 100 degrees.

For Tim Schweikert, the school’s physical plant manager, “the selected system had to be efficient, cost-effective and do a good job.” It was also important to have a certain aesthetic — what Schweikert called a clean look. “We wanted something that would be unobtrusive, so you wouldn’t see pipes running down the walls.

“When we went out to the Mitsubishi Electric training center in Kentucky, we saw how the units were displayed and we were impressed by their quietness and efficiencies. Ultimately, we thought Mitsubishi Electric was the better unit,” adds Schweikert.

Installation took place over the summer when the students were on break.

Rick Weidner, PE, project engineer, EQS Mechanical says, “It went really well. We ran condensate to existing closets and stayed above the drop ceiling to keep everything concealed. Aesthetically, they had a real clean look when we were finished.”

The school has appreciates the system’s cost savings, thanks to the units’ efficiencies and the school’s practices. There are no thermostats in the individual classrooms, so the centralized controls have “saved us quite a bit of money – perhaps $11,000 a year. You figure, $300 a classroom for 37 classrooms,” Schweikert concludes.

www.mehvac.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Dallas-Area District Debuts Three New Facilities

    The Duncanville Independent School District in southwest Dallas, Texas, recently held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for three new facilities that resulted from a $170-million bond program passed in 2023, according to a news release.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.