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One Unit, One Solution: An Air Handling Upgrade for a New Jersey School
Reading time: 2 minutes
When it comes to upgrading an aging system in a school environment, simplicity and reliability are key. This was the exact challenge faced by Dane Barse Elementary School, a two-story building in Vineland, N.J. They were tasked with replacing an old, inefficient air handling system that served six of their classrooms. The new system needed to operate efficiently while overcoming a few logistical hurdles.
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Located in the lower level of the school, the existing system comprised a Trane air handler, combined with a Mitsubishi VRF kit and a duct-mounted electric heater. The setup, while functional, was a patchwork of components that proved difficult to maintain while also being less efficient than modern standards. When the school looked through the competitive public bids, Systemair’s proposal stood out thanks to its promise of a turnkey solution that reduced installation time and labor costs.
Contractor Aldo Falasca of Falasca Mechanical and engineer of record BCCLT Consulting led the project in conjunction with Rob Lowry from Pennergy Solutions, representing Systemair. While the original system involved multiple control logic devices wired together, this new design needed to provide seamless ventilation across the classrooms using a variable air volume (VAV) system, which adjusts airflow based on the demand of each room.
Systemair’s approach to the project was straightforward. We proposed a Geniox air handler paired with a Samsung VRF. The setup aimed to simplify installation, operation and maintenance. Instead of monitoring various components, the school’s maintenance members would only need to work with a single controller that monitored the whole system.
The main challenge during installation was fitting the large air handler through the school’s double doors, which were limited in both width and height. However, the modular design of the Geniox unit made it possible to disassemble and easily reassemble once it was inside. Customized with built-in internal electric heaters, control boards, and connectors, the new system was a breeze to put together compared to the original.
The benefits of this turnkey solution were immediately clear. Not only did it slash the labor costs of the field installation, but it also offered ans aesthetic that was both functional and visually pleasing. Because everything is one centralized control system, the school’s facilities team is now able to easily monitor and manage the ventilation.
All retrofit projects pose many challenges. But when the manufacturer and the local representatives work together as a team in the bidding and submittal stages of the project, mountains can be moved with significant benefits to the contract team as well as the end user.
In the end, the Vineland school’s upgrade project showed the power of a cohesive, turnkey ventilation solution. Systemair’s innovative approach not only met but exceeded the school’s requirements, providing them with a modern, efficient system that will serve its students and staff for years to come.
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