Sorting out the air conditioning by 2020 - Alinta Energy
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Sorting out the air conditioning by 2020
By Rosie Clarke, Editor Young students from Brunswick environmental efficiency are many more smart functionalities
South West Primary School hot concerns. So, School as opposed to 15 years ago
Too many schools told The Age that they were News spoke with a few and this can be confusing.
around Australia get measuring temperatures over leaders in the sector to find Aside from basic training, at
too hot and it impacts 30°C in their classes, making out what air conditioning a minimum depending on the
it “so hard to concentrate”. options and insights are system and model installed,
student learning. available for schools in 2019. principals should set timers
Research going back to
During summer of this year, and a reasonable temperature
the 1970s has shown that Industry points limit range for each season.
Victorian state primary
temperatures above 23°C can to remember:
schools made headlines If you have split systems with
negatively impact student
with children becoming ill Daikin Australia’s air filters installed at your school,
comfort and concentration,
and suffering nosebleeds conditioning brand manager as a general rule, they should
particularly in subjects like
because their classrooms Lien Lam spoke to us about be cleaned every two weeks
reading and mathematics. A
had no air conditioning. servicing tips for schools. if the system is used during
2018 Harvard Kennedy School
majority of the day when class
study of 10 million secondary Having the air conditioners is in session. In more dusty
school students found that checked each year by a or polluted environments (for
they had better academic qualified service technician example, schools located near
results after a cool before more extreme seasonal
main roads), the filters should
school year than after a conditions set in is ideal to
be cleaned more regularly as
hot school year. In fact, make sure the systems perform
blocked filters can reduce a
student achievement at their best. Aside from this,
system's efficiency significantly.
dropped by one percent remember to keep the air filter
A clean filter can lower your
per additional degree clean and the outdoor unit
air conditioner's energy
in temperature (in free of leaves and debris.
consumption by anywhere from
Fahrenheit as this was
Today’s air conditioners have five percent to 15 percent.
a US study). Associate
Professor Joshua Goodman
reflected: “School air
conditioning penetration
reported in 2016 mitigates
the adverse effect of hot
temperatures substantially,
such that moving from a
school with no air-conditioned
classrooms to a school with
all air-conditioned classrooms
reduces the impact by
approximately 78 percent.”
For schools that have air
conditioning, and those hoping
to install it, maintenance,
ongoing cost, ventilation and
All images shown are courtesy of
Daikin Australia
48 PROPERTY Term 3, 2019 | school-news.com.au
Understandably for principals, in the most efficient manner.
having control over how staff Central control also ensures
use the air conditioners is a systems are not operated
priority to ensure there are when rooms are unoccupied
no major surprises when or outside of school hours
they receive the energy can go, even controlling it Most education departments incurring costs unnecessarily.
bill for the quarter. remotely via an app. If schools and authorities typically
Indoor air quality is as
are concerned about energy have a standard set point
Advancements in control for temperatures based on important as climate control
bills during summer, one thing
technology have given users comfort and energy efficiency. in schools. The introduction
to note is that for every 1°C
the ability to access all kinds As a guide, 24°C in summer of outside air internal space
you increase the thermostat,
of functionality available in and 20°C in winter will offer has cognitive benefits for
it has the potential to
the air conditioning systems. comfort as well as efficiency students but low cost options
reduce energy consumption
This includes things as basic in operation. Centralised within classrooms may not
by five to 10 percent.
as timers to ensure that it controls provide schools have the ability to do this.
switches on and off during Resident air conditioning expert with the ability to maintain When selecting a solution for
specific times of the day, and at Alinta Energy Geothermal, optimum temperatures with classrooms, it is important
days of the week, limiting how Mark Langdon discussed the classrooms as well as ensuring that the option has provision
low and high the temperature importance of indoor air quality. that they are being operated for introduction of outside air.
All images shown are courtesy of Alinta Energy Geothermal
50 PROPERTY Term 3, 2019 | school-news.com.au
Image courtesy of Mitsubishi Australia
A ducted geothermal system and that’s it. The next option is a involves cleaning and taking up to 40 percent of the energy
will have this option available. ducted system where you have out filters to wash, checking the consumption of an old air
a sealed unit in the ceiling but heat exchanger and fan barrel conditioning unit so it is worth
Like all mechanical equipment,
they can cost about 50 percent to ensure they are not clogged looking at replacing them purely
air conditioning systems will
more and are more involved with dust. If filters are not on the basis of cost savings.
always work most efficiently
to install. Ducted systems cleaned, the dust pulls through
when it is properly serviced. You can do a lot to reduce the
have much better filters, a the filters and clogs the unit and
All air conditioning system energy costs of the school.
longer lifespan and better in some cases the systems can’t
manufacturers will have Some schools use a motion
maintenance but the favoured be salvaged. Keeping it clean
prescribed servicing regimes.
school trend is for split systems. should be a priority because sensor to detect movement and
One of the key advantages keeping it clean goes hand in body heat so they know to turn
A badly maintained air
of a geothermal ducted hand with energy efficiency on if a room is occupied and
conditioning system may
system is that they will and the life of the product. turn off when it isn’t. I think the
only last half as long as it
require less maintenance temperature has to be kept as
should, so once a system is I recommend maintaining your
than a conventional purchased, schools should system every month. Proper close to 23 degrees as possible.
system, reducing the cost enforce a diligent maintenance maintenance could make It’s a learning environment, so
of equipment ownership. program undertaken by staff the difference between your students should be comfortable
The use of geothermal air or contractors who know what system lasting ten years or five and you shouldn’t be sacrificing
conditioning systems is being they are doing. Maintenance years. A new system will have comfort for energy.
recognised as a genuine energy
saving option for schools
both in Australia and globally.
Through using the constant
temperature of the ground, a
geothermal system will provide
consistently high efficiencies in
comparison with a conventional
air conditioning system. The
removal of external fans also
provides safety, design and
acoustic benefits to schools.
We spoke with air conditioning
specialist Ari Grimekis from
Mitsubishi Electric about
popular options for schools.
Wall-hung split system air
conditioning is the most
popular with schools due to
price. They are the cheapest
form of air-conditioning you
can get and you just put them
on the wall in the classroom,
connect your piping and wiring
52 PROPERTY Term 3, 2019 | school-news.com.au
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