Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

A Showcase of Sustainability

  • 07/01/18
Mitsubishi Electric VRF

Johnson County Community College created a showcase of sustainability on their campus with help from Mitsubishi Electric’s VRF technology.

Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in Overland Park, KS, serves about 20,000 students. In 2009, the school formed the Center for Sustainability to commit to an environmentally and socially responsible campus. This commitment meant changes were needed for every building project, including a new 3,000-square-foot Galileo’s Pavilion. Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating’s Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology, along with efficient practices, helped make Galileo’s Pavilion a true showcase of sustainability.

Not-for-profit corporation Studio 804, comprised of University of Kansas graduate students, was selected to work on Galileo’s Pavilion. These students design and construct technologically sophisticated, green buildings under the direction of Dan Rockhill.

Rockhill says, “We had three distinctly separate spaces. Although they’re in the same building, the loading on them is different. So that resulted in three separate air-conditioning and heating solutions. We pride ourselves on promoting sustainable everything, so HVAC is no exception.” VRF was the clear choice to meet these challenges.

Rockhill continues, “Mitsubishi [Electric] is, first of all, the leader in its field. That’s the most important thing. Many of the others follow, but Mitsubishi [Electric] developed the variable refrigerant concept. They know what they’re doing.”

Installation went smoothly and the staff is pleased with how well the systems operate. JCCC’s Sustainability Project Manager Michael Rea says, “Everything with the Mitsubishi [Electric] system has been going well. No compressor failures, no leaks, no fan problems, nothing. Our maintenance is easy, too—just changing the filters and making sure the condensers are clean.”

Plus, another sign of success: LEED Platinum certification was achieved for the changes that were made to Galileo’s Pavilion. The school was also honored to receive the 2013 CSI Kansas City Chapter Innovation in Sustainability Award for the building.

www.mitsubishielectric.com

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management July/August 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Montclair State University Debuts New VR Facility

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently announced the completion of a new virtual reality learning facility developed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, according to a news release. The 2,450-square-foot lab space is inside the College of Communication and Media building and will serve students pursuing careers in digital media, virtual reality, and content creation.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.

  • How Proactive Maintenance Can Transform Athletic Facilities into Strategic Assets for College Sports

    College athletics is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. With NIL reshaping financial models and competitive expectations, athletic departments across the country are being asked to do more than ever with increasingly constrained resources.