This architectural firm is all about Energy Efficient residential design and is always looking for ways & means to offer their clients improved options for the various systems in their projects.
Most people probably believe that what they see in a hotel room for the wall-mounted HVAC unit is what this is. It could be, but probably isnt. Hotel units are typically Split-Ductless, which is sort of halfway to the VRF system.
There are 3 main HVAC options:
1. Traditional HVAC Systems These are usually made up of an exterior heat pump or compressor and an interior AHU and has hundreds of feet of ductwork connected to the AHU to distribute air through your house.
2. Split-Ductless Systems The main HVAC components reside in a separate housing, although they can be in the same unit, as in a hotel room package unit. There is an outdoor component with the compressor, condensor, fan, heat exchanger & electronics. There is an interior element which has a heat exchange coil, air filter, signal receiver and fan. The exterior and interior parts are connected with wiring and refrigerant piping. This system, while running is really all-on or all-off at one speed, even though the interior control gives the illusion of different levels, mainly due to fan settings.
3. VRF Systems VRF is a flexible option to the 2 other traditional HVAC systems. This type of system typically has 2 distinct parts: an exterior heat pump or compressor, which is often ground-mounted, chilling the refrigerant, then an interior fan-coil unit that can be mounted above a ceiling, under a floor, sitting on a floor in the space, or wall-mounted. These units are typically very quiet in operation, because the noisier component is outside on the ground. The VRF system is able to control the flow of refrigerant variably, adjusting that flow to where and when various interior units in the system call for it. This provides better zone control and a more efficient operation. Also, because there are no ducts, there is a 30% savings over most conventionally ducted HVAC systems, that normally is wasted heating and cooling the ducts themselves, while transporting the conditioned air. VRF sends a variable flow of refrigerant through its insulated piping to the various interior fan-coil units, rather than pushing large quantities of air through ducts.
ECONOMICS OF THE OPTIONAL HVAC SYSTEMS
Of course, not having to install ductwork is a huge cash savings to anyones budget for the initial cost of construction, as well as on-going operational cost, because of the 30% energy savings wasted in heating and cooling the interior of the ductwork while transporting treated air.
This architectural firm is very interested in energy efficiency and economics. They are one of the few Energy Star Partner Architects designing houses in the USA today.
HEALTH BENEFITS
There are companies these days who make their living cleaning the interior of ducts. Why? Because the inside of ducts are normally filthy: They are breeding grounds for mold, gather dust, and can be highways for creepy-crawlies, due to their unsupervised locations. Totally eliminating ductwork results in this dust-laden zone being removed from your house. If you might be interested in more information about Health Home Design, click here: Health Home Design.
CONFIGURATIONS
When first coming onto the market, VRF systems were primarily offered as mini-splits with much smaller components, with a small heat pump outside, ground-mounted, and a single interior fan-coil unit, often wall mounted, and that was that.
However, todays VRF systems are capable of handling an entire house, or large office building or hotel, for that matter, using one or more exterior ground mounted heat pumps/compressors, that feed multiple interior fan-coil units, distributed throughout the office building, or house. All elements are connected with control circuitry and wiring and other control mechanisms that allow the flow of the refrigerant to go where it is needed for comfort cooling or heating, where ever and whenever required, even providing heating at some units and cooling at others at the same time! Now thats a trick you wont see from your average conventional house HVAC system!
PROVEN INSTALLATIONS AT MAJOR FACILITIES
Lest anyone think that this technology needs time to prove itself; it already has.
Georgia Power used a VRF system for their Coastal Regional Office, resulting in a LEED Platinum Certification for their renovation of an historic 2-story office building.
The LiveStrong Foundation in Austin, Texas, used a VRF system to save on construction cost and also to minimize the visual impact of HVAC on the 30,000 SF project. The project was so succ
C9 lights. C9 string lights may often be associated with Christmas and the holiday season, but they can be used all year round. I love the idea of stringing lights along the ceiling of an event tent for some sparkle. Take a
Located in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA, this house was designed by studio Maryann Thompson Architects. With living surface of just 750 square feet (about 70 square meters). From architect : The house also incorporates such commonsense sustainable strategies as radiant structural slab, which maximizes opportunities for passive solar gain through the broad expanses of glass on the south and east elevations. Natural cooling is achieved with the stack effect through operable skylights and ceiling fans.
