Gym Roof and HVAC Project Underway, Prioritizes Environmental Sustainability
One of the four projects being funded by the Love One Another campaign at St. Leonard is the replacement of the gym roof and HVAC system. This project began July 16, 2024. Projects are being completed in the order of urgency of repairs needed.
The environmental sustainability measures taken in this project demonstrates three of the areas of concentration defined by the US Green Building Council’s LEED rating system: Energy and atmosphere, indoor air quality, and materials and resources.
We chose a stone ballasted roof instead of a chemically adhered roof, because we want to avoid a product that gives off a large amount of Volatile Organic Compound (gasses emitted from certain solids or liquids that can decrease air quality).
The new HVAC system is a Single Zone Variable Air Volume (SZVAV) system. With an SZVAV system, the cooling capacity can closely match the capacity of the space being regulated. This matching avoids wide temperature swings, allowing adequate run time for humidity control. In comparison, the existing HVAC system provided air at a constant temperature and varied airflow, which created larger temperature swings and poor humidity control. SZVAV systems have the ability to decrease fan speed, resulting in less energy consumption compared to the existing system. We also purchased a CO2 ventilation system, which will improve indoor air quality.
We would like to thank everyone who has supported the Love One Another campaign and the Buildings and Grounds Committee. Without your commitment we wouldn’t be able to complete much needed projects around campus.
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