Hutto High School, Hutto, Texas
by Jonathan McGaha | 31 March 2010 12:00 am
Through a local bond initiative, the Independent School District expanded its high school campus to accommodate 2,400 students, up from 1,200. Along with a new auto shop and cafeteria, students enjoy a new 9,350-square-foot (869-m2) library with 20- to 24-foot- (6- to 7-m-) high ceilings. West and south facing windows bring in a lot of natural night, and inevitably, much heat as well. According to Rainey Lann, director of facilities, ceiling fans were specified from the beginning as both a design element and potential energy saving device to reduce air conditioning costs. Two 8-foot (2-m) Element fans from The Big Ass Fan Co. were installed to help circulate air within the space providing comfort to the occupants. With 30 to 60 students in the library at any given time, air movement was essential. Big Ass Fans were built on a foundation of moving vast amounts of air very slowly to improve comfort and reduce energy usage. In spaces where air conditioning is a necessity, HVAC systems use costly ductwork to distribute air, often resulting in hot and cold spots throughout the facility. Element works with the HVAC system to distribute air more efficiently over large spaces, creating silent, non-disruptive airflow that enhances comfort.
District engineers installed the specified 35-ton (32-metric ton) air conditioning unit, but with the air movement provided by the Element fans they were able to raise the thermostat set point from 72 to 74 F (22 to 23 C). This set point increase, said Lann, saves approximately five to eight percent in cooling costs and keeps the temperature far more even across the entire library than air conditioning alone. Just having endured their worst summer in a few decades, with 30 to 40 days straight of 100 F (38 C) weather, Big Ass Fans offered a welcome reprieve from the heat. In addition, Lann said, “The library turned out to be a really nice facility and the fans add to that.”
Fans: The Big Ass Fan Co., Lexington, Ky., www.bigassfans.com
Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/projects/hutto-high-school-hutto-texas/