Basics of Displacement Ventilation and the Effects of IAQ on Staff And

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Basics of Displacement Ventilation and the Effects Elk River Area School District Turn of the Century Design of IAQ on Staff and Students District Highlights High • Outer-ring Suburb of Minneapolis / St. Paul Performance • 13,000 Students, Growing 500 Students Per Year • 18 Buildings, 2 Million Square Feet Schools • 9th Largest School District in Minnesota

Dr. Ron Bratlie • 49+ Years Experience Elk River Area Schools Elk River, Minnesota • Positions Held: Teacher  Superintendent • Personally Overseen: $250M+ Construction Dr. Ron Bratlie, Supt. Cromwell-Wrights Schools The Turn of the Century School Utilized Large Windows to Provide for Cromwell, MN Abundant Day Lighting and Natural Ventilation.

1 Need to Improve Student The Good, The Bad, The Ugly… The Issues Performance

Initially, Elk River Two issues facing every school district in the • Missed school days lead to lower school country: designed & built durable performance. =$ buildings conducive to teaching & learning. - Test Scores - No Child Left Behind • 8 out of 10 parents in a 2006 national - Operating Costs survey said poor air quality in schools have The energy crisis of the ’70s =$ a negative effect on their student’s and the need to build space performance. =$ economically in the ’90s led to poorly designed, maintenance- intensive buildings.

2 Need to Improve Student & Existing Indoor Air Quality The Challenge Teacher Health in Schools • American Lung Association states: • Between the ages of 5 and 18, a student • Studies have found that schools across the US are unhealthy leading to more: -10 to 14 million missed school days due to poor may spend 14,000 hours inside a school -Illnesses indoor air quality. building. -Complaints -Teacher absences > 10 per year. MN = 42% • Children are more severely affected by air -Absenteeism -Average student breathes 16,000 quarts of air -Lower Test Scores pollution than adults because of their +Legal Issues? =$ each day, each containing 70,000 particles, a narrow airways, more rapid rate of fraction of a grain of sand. =$ respiration, and the fact that they inhale • US EPA states: more pollutants per pound of body weight. -30-40% of all schools have issues with indoor air quality.

3 Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality Need to Lower Operating Costs The Fact Is:

• Indoor air quality problems can stem from interior building • US Department of Energy states: products that release toxic chemicals. • Most School Districts are not flush in $ -Carpets -Paints -K-12 schools spend $6 billion on energy per year. -Adhesives We Are Too Poor to Build -Fixtures and Furnishings -Older buildings with very inefficient mechanical • Cleaning and maintenance procedures. and electrical systems are most of the cause. Cheap! • Insufficient outside ventilation air leading to high levels of CO2. -Energy costs continue to increase. • Inadequate Design or Maintenance. +ALL LEAD TO $$$ =$

4 Commitment of the Elk River Re-thinking The Approach A Change in Focus School Board

If you do what you always did, you’ll get Life Cycle Costs Over 40 Years The Elk River School Board Expressed Their what you always got . . . Commitment to Such Leadership in School Alterations & Building Design in a Resolution Passed on Remodeling 25% Operations & January 16, 2001. Maintenance ELK RIVER decided it was time for a 50% change. “Every School We Build From Now Construction Design Fees Costs On Will Be Better Than the Last!” 1% 24%

5 Student-Centered Our Commitment: Elk River’s Beliefs Sustainable Design • Students Come First – Education and Learning Outcomes • Those items that most affect teaching and “Build Buildings That Are Are the Central Focus of School Design. learning, according to actual research: • Life Cycle Costs Matter Most – Financial Performance - Thermal Comfort Measures Are Made Based on Life Cycle Costs – Not Only First Cost. - Lighting Functional . . . • Design, Build, Measure Results – School Boards Must - Indoor Air Quality Voice Expectations for Building Performance Goals to the Professionals That They Hired to Design, Build, and Operate Schools and Then Measure the Results Achieved. LEED Certification. - Acoustics - Building Quality Not Fancy” • FfF = - School Size

6 Integrated Design High Performance Schools: The Benefits

The integrated design process strives to minimize the • Life Cycle vs. First Cost Approach • Indoor Air Quality has a direct affect on building loads by selecting an appropriate building • Optimize Use of Energy, Daylight, Materials and attendance and performance and site and increasing envelope thermal efficiency. Water Resources • The physical environment affects the Integration encourages the right-sizing of • Enhanced IAQ building systems and components that allows for performance of both teachers and students. reduced first and life-cycle costs. A successful • Reduce Maintenance Needs – Temperature has a direct affect on attendance, integrated design approach provides the best • Reduce Solid Waste performance, and learning. energy performance at the least cost and is • Enhance Student Performance – Humidity has a direct affect on attendance, characterized as follows: • Saving Money and Resources performance and learning.

7 High Performance Schools The Benefits What are the Results? Eight Key Benefits 1. Increased Student Performance Summary of Research: The Results… 2. Increased Student/Staff Attendance • 21% improvement in student learning rates • Savings of $50/student/year – U.S.D.O.E 3. Increased Teacher Satisfaction • Increase in Math Test Scores by 20% - PB&E in classrooms with day lighting. 4. Reduced Operational Costs • Increase in Reading Test Scores by 26% - PG&E 5. Reduced Liability Exposure • 20% increased rate on math tests and 26% • Healthier Building and Healthier Students-Lincoln 6. Reduced Impact on the Environment on reading tests. • Integral Part of School Curriculum - WWE 7. Opportunity for the school building as a teaching • 5 to 14% increased student end-of-grade • Staff/Parent Comments: “The building does not tool test performance with natural light. feel like an institution” and they “want to send my 8. Support Community Values children to this school.” – WWE and TLE =$

8 Primary Objectives Primary Objectives Plan Ahead:

• Energy efficient operation and maintenance. • Accessible building systems to improve • Effective indoor climate conditions and control for maintenance access and help achieve long occupant comfort. • Positive displacement ventilation air delivery to provide term performance and life. more uniform fresh air delivery to all room occupants and • Design facility in consideration of It Wasn’t Raining When reduce distribution of contaminated air in the breathing environmental security best practices. zone of each room occupant. • Moisture control of building indoor air conditions to help • Design for noise level control to reduce reduce potential for mold development and provide a institutional detractions to students and Noah Built the Ark! comfortable environment. staff. • Maximize natural day lighting and minimize glare.

9 Mixing Ventilation Displacement Ventilation

• Air supplied at ceiling • High velocity • No Drafts • 20o F below space temperature • Mixes contaminants • Quieter supply air exhaust air (short circuiting) • Healthier Air breathing • Energy zone Efficient • Constant Fresh Air Delivered to Breathing Zone • Reduce ceiling space required

10 Thermal Displacement Displacement Ventilation

• Air supplied low in room, at low velocity o Ventilation Thermal • 5-6 F below space air temperature • Air ‘pools’ at floor • Air is ‘drawn’ to heat sources • Contaminants are removed in plume warm return air • Fresh air at floor level • Air exhausted high in room DisplacementVentilationexhaust • High volume of air at low pressure pollutants collected & exhausted Gravity Pulls Cooler, Denser Air Down warm air rises

• Natural stratification maintains comfort zone airborne pollutants are cool air falls carried upwards • Removes internal air pollutants by warm air fresh air inside • Reduces cross contamination supply air plumes breathing zone cool Supply supply • Frequent air exchanges with less energy Air air • Placement of FFE limited sharing of pollutants between occupants As cool air is poured into room it forms a “lake” on the floor

11 Thermal Displacement Thermal Displacement Energy Recovery Wheels Ventilation Ventilation Theory

Mixing ventilation • Supply cool air at low Churns all this warm 48F -3F velocity, at low level in a air to mix it with room room creating a pool of air. cool air across the floor. • Air will rise by natural Displacement convection, transported ventilation upwards at the heat Uses the plume to Natural 75F 23F sources (people & move the warm air out Chimney equipment) within the of the occupied zone. space. People release heat by • Exhaust warm air at high convection. room levels. This heat rises in inhalation “cocoon” a plume around the person.

12 Desiccant-based Humidity Energy Recovery Systems Energy Recovery Control • Use exhaust air from facility to preheat outside air desiccant wheels remove moisture from outside air, then rotate and release this in winter and moisture to return air path that is exhausted outside • Re-circulates humidity dry supply air to occupied spaces rotating desiccant wheel fresh • Pre-cools outside air in summer before drawn into outside building and air recirculated • Ejects outside humidity return air • Contribute to building comfort exhausted • Reduces energy usage up to 20% return air humid return air from • Four year payback occupied spaces • Needs maintenance attention summer

13 Desiccant-based Humidity Desiccant-based Humidity The Lincoln Experience Control Control

desiccant wheels gather moisture from exhausted room air, then rotate and add air is dehumidified BEFORE passing over cooling coils to prevent • “The Administration is out to kill us.” this moisture to incoming outside air to add humidity condensation and mold in air stream dry supply air to occupied spaces rotating desiccant wheel fresh outside cool, dry air air to • The Plan occupied dry air recirculated spaces return air

exhausted desiccant unit return air return air from

cooling coils cooling occupied spaces • The Study humid return air from occupied spaces winter dry cooling coils

14 • The Lincoln Study Heating System

• Results • 95% efficient -Reduction of health complaints among staff and students primary boiler -Reduction of neurasthenic symptoms - both teachers and students • Variable speed -Students felt significant IAQ improvement pumping -Children with allergies &/or asthma were responsive to • Fuel oil backup IAQ changes boiler -Significant reduction in meds and inhalers -Staff perceived improved air quality and air movement • Smaller -CO2 levels decreased significantly from 2129 to 980 Mechanical -Indoor fungal levels were low and did not suggest the Room presence of an indoor source. • 0-5 cfm to 15 cfm = energy $ • Low level of maintenance

15 High Efficiency Equipment Dehumidification System Air Handling Systems

• Premium Efficient Motors • Easy to maintain • Stainless Steel Drain Pans • Variable Frequency Drives • EER of 10.7 • High Quality Filter Systems • 5 year vs. 1 year warranties • Variable speed • Easy Maintenance and Access AND primary pump • Life cycle costs • 574 hours of free cooling HVAC = “Lungs of the Building” • Commissioning • Sized at 24 btu/sq. ft. • Reduce mold potential

16 National Study – Greening Filtration Westwood Results America’s Schools • Typical 30% efficient filters keep dust and lint • Financial savings average $70 per square foot with • M & E was $455,000 under budget (14.4%) from clogging heating and cooling coils. only $3 per square foot investment. • Three pages of addenda. • 60-90% efficient filters used to remove bacteria • Use 33% less energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 600,000 pounds per year. • Less than 1.5% M & E change orders. and pollen. st • Reduces asthma by 38.5% • Minnesota’s 1 LEED Certified Building • Use both 30% pre-filters and 65% final filters. • Increase average daily attendance by 5-15% • All filtering is done in the indoor mechanical • Raises student and teacher productivity by up to *Keep in mind that the project budget was rooms to reduce the maintenance in the 15% established a year earlier for a code-based classrooms and IT GETS DONE! • Helps attract and retain teachers. =$ building!!!!! Code based building=WBUCLB

17 Westwood – Energy Results Life cycle examples Commissioning

• Annual Energy Savings = $44, 256+* HVAC - $.75 less per square foot compared to a • Standard VAV System -$30 per square foot • Start to Finish+1 code based building • Independent third party • Displacement System • 100% • Water Usage Savings -$35 per square foot – 600,000 gallons = $3,600* • Team Member +Displacement will operate at 30% less cost. • BIM *Based on 2006 prices *Payback – 2 – 7 years + improved ventilation = $

18 Commissioning Commissioning Cost

• Partial – Sampling of all M & E systems • 100,000 sf. (5-10%). – Partial - $3,000,000x1.5%=$45,000 • Total – 100% of all M & E systems. – Total - $3,000,000x2.5%= $75,000 • Partial cost – 1 1/2 – 2% of HVAC costs. *Total should include one year after occupancy. • Total cost – 2 1/2 – 3% of HVAC costs. *Size of project, type of system, etc. affect What is the cost if you don’t commission? rate.

19 THE TEAM In Conclusion Conclusion, Comments Commitment is Number 1 • HPS create an environment that attracts and • Not all savings are in $ now – later – • Architects effectively serves the occupants while minimizing identify? • Consultants facility operational costs. • How do you put a $ on benefits? • Engineers • In the past, school districts have used initial first • Construction Manager costs as the determining factor for high • How do you put a $ on avoided costs? performance building decisions – NOT! • Commission Agent • Manufacturers • VALUE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE • What do you think? BUILDINGS CANNOT ALWAYS BE • School District MEASURED IN DOLLARS AND CENTS! • District Advocate

20 Information Sample References

• High Performance Schools for Higher Performing Students – free download • Dr. Ron Bratlie, President\ www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/ee/highperformae.cfm • High-Performance Schools: Affordable Green Design of K-12 Schools – ABC Educational Services, LLC http://www.osti.gov/bridge More - www.nrel.gov • Do School Facilities Affect Academic Outcomes? – www.edfacilities.org/pubs/ 11126 South Lake Eunice Road • Managing the Cost of Green Buildings – www.stopwaste.org • School Operations and Maintenance: Best Practices for Controlling Energy Costs – Detroit Lakes, Minnesota 56501 Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, DC • Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings – http://cms.ashrae.biz/aedgdownload/aedgagreement.php?aedg=1&source=53c71977309 Home Office: 218-439-6011 bc8ce704ecdd42e4a4d2edu • High-Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide – Mobile: 763-360-2539 www.SBICouncil.org Email: [email protected] • Healthy Sustainable Schools Guide for Change – www.healthyschools.state.mn.us

21 Now its your turn – Make it Happen! • Comments

• Questions

• Thank You