Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

VRF Technology

  • By Kevin Miskewicz
  • 09/01/17

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

  • Increasing energy efficiency
    VRF systems with inverter-driven compressors can reduce energy bills up to 25 percent.
  • Reducing costs
    While initial equipment cost can be higher, VRF’s installation and operational costs are often lower. Standard controls and simpler installation save on materials and labor.
  • 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 19 decibels and outdoor units are quieter than traditional systems.
  • Varying loads needs
    Full-range variable capacity delivers only the amount of conditioning required to match a zone’s cooling or heating demand. Using integrated controls and sensors that measure conditions within each zone, the compressor adjusts speeds to maintain the desired zone 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 multiples spaces
    VRF can integrate with third-party software. Beyond that, VRF 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 management system.
  • Minimizing maintenance
    Little maintenance is required 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 issue of .

About the Author

Kevin Miskewicz is the director of Commercial Marketing with Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating. He can be reached at [email protected] or 888/979-9686.

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • University of Rhode Island, Gilbane Partner for Three New Residence Halls

    The University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., recently announced a public-private partnership with construction development firm Gilbane, according to a news release. Gilbane will soon start construction on three new residence halls with a total of 1,100 beds: two with apartment-style suites in northwest campus, and a reconstruction of the Graduate Village Apartments for graduate students.

  • North Carolina District Completes New Elementary School

    The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Holly Springs, N.C., recently announced that construction on a new elementary school has finished, according to a news release. Rex Road Elementary School measures in at 133,000 square feet and is the fifteenth school that general contractor Balfour Beatty has completed for the district.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.