Product Solutions

Carbon-neutral vision

Illinois college aims to be state's first self-sustaining college by 2012

Control Technology and Solutions (CTS)

Leaders at Lake Land College, Mattoon, Ill., were determined to install a campuswide geothermal power system to reach their goal of becoming Illinois' first self-sustaining college by 2012.

The college is working closely with Control Technology and Solutions (CTS) to achieve its vision through a four-phase, five-year plan, which started in 2008. A campuswide geothermal power system, along with solar panels and wind turbines, will save the school 850,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and 70,000 therms of natural gas annually, for a carbon reduction of 556 metric tons each year.

Phase I, completed in 84 days during the 2008 summer break, included installation of the central plant's 12-inch-diameter heat pump diversification loop, running 3,000 feet around the circle-shaped campus perimeter. The closed-loop geothermal heat-pump system works by piping water deep into the earth via wells that capture the earth's heat in winter and dissipate heat in summer.

The geothermal system alone will cut energy demand by 40 percent and reduce electricity use by at least 580,000 kWh. At project completion, the goal is for the system to supply 100 percent of the campus' heating and cooling.

"Our solution is clean and quiet, moving the proper amount of air," says Raymond E. Rieck, vice president for business services. "Students and teachers have been delighted by the move from hot and dark spaces with stale air to cool, well-lit classrooms. That helps the college better fulfill its mission."

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 170 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Simultaneous savings

Large-scale roof installation at Ohio school district saves money and reduces environmental impact

West Development Group (WDG)

The Berea City School District near Cleveland, Ohio, began a program to reduce energy consumption in its 11 buildings. Among other improvements, the district re-roofed its buildings using the System 14 Silicone Roof System and spray polyurethane foam (SPF), with a minimum insulation factor of R-11.

The project included 522,595 square feet of new roof, with 385,000 square feet of roof removal — all of which had to be completed within eight weeks. Most of the buildings required 1.5 inches of WDG SPF and a 20-mil solvent-free base coat. Using solvent-free silicone prevented the release of about 3,000 gallons of solvent into the atmosphere — enough petroleum to drive a car around the world three times.

The SPF's high-insulating properties will provide substantial energy savings over the life of the roofs. The manufacturing process, which uses WDG's R2R Roof-to-Roof process, provides additional environmental benefits. In this process, about 20 percent of the silicone consists of recycled EPDM from old roof tear-offs, saving tons of EPDM from going to landfills. Nearly 10,000 square feet of the EPDM roofing that was removed from Berea City Schools is being recycled into new roofing products for other projects.

The EPDM also adds to the desired physical properties of the silicone coating, such as formulation for exposure to harsh outdoor environments such as UV rays, ozone, water and ice.

Ohio law requires that upgrades to school buildings must result in energy savings that pay for the upgrades within 10 years. So far, the district's energy savings goals are being met, and the district is on schedule to meet the state's requirement.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 171 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Building skills

Ready-to-assemble framing system helps utility pole-setting lab reach completion in 14 months

VP Buildings

Completed in July 2007, the 36,800-square-foot Utility Line Building at Northeast Community College, Norfolk, Neb., houses the only indoor utility pole-setting lab in the nation. The indoor setting enables students to learn year-round the skills required to do work for power and utility companies.

About 75 utility line (UL) students and six professional truck driver-training students began the fall 2007 semester in the $2.7 million facility that includes nine new classrooms/labs, six offices and two mechanics' bays. The poles in the building are 35 feet tall. However, students also practice on poles in the outdoor labs that are up to 60 feet tall.

The building was designed to be energy efficient in heating, cooling and electrical power consumption. It features motion-sensor lighting controls and other energy-saving devices. VP's framing system was used because of its cost-effectiveness and the quick turnaround time of construction. Because the framing system arrived ready to assemble, no time was required to cut the material to size, and there was no expensive waste. The project was completed in just 14 months.

The building also is surrounded by 600 acres of outdoor lab space. The facility can accommodate more than 100 full-time UL students on a daily basis and up to 48 truck driving students a year.

Crafts Inc. (Norfolk, Neb.), an independent authorized Varco Pruden Builder, was the general contractor for the project.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 172 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Web presence

Customized CMS-based website helps boarding school streamline operations

Sametz Blackstone Associates

Dana Hall School, Wellesley, Mass., is an independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 6 to 12. It recently underwent a complete brand renovation, including redeveloping its website. The school adopted a new technology platform as well — an open-source content-management system (CMS) for the site.

Previously, the website was on a proprietary technology platform that made content updates and site evolution difficult and time-consuming. Each change required working with the website vendor, and the technology limited the school's website functionality and design options.

The new site, built on the Joomla CMS, has provided Dana Hall with advantages on many fronts. The design reinforces the voice of the school's brand and helps it stand apart from other schools. Communications staff now can edit content, add pages and modify navigation instantly, and staff in other departments can contribute material. Because the CMS is open-source, the school is not locked into an expensive maintenance agreement.

The switch has made it easier for the school to use its website as a strategic communications tool.

"It helps us meet our overall goal of telling more student stories, which really resonate with our target audience," says Liza Cohen, director of communications. "And it's as unique as we are — it's not a cookie-cutter site."

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 173 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Athletic equipment storage

Bison Inc.

Equipment for up to four complete volleyball courts can be stored in one compact cart. Eight posts, four nets, eight post pads, four pair of antennae and up to 12 volleyballs can be stored neatly and transported easily from storage room to court. Floor-friendly casters support heavy-steel volleyball stands and allow this cart to move easily. The carts can be customized with school or mascot names.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 155 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

HD video surveillance

Dedicated Micros

The DV-IP HD video server is for security applications that require megapixel network cameras and high-definition displays. Its compact size allows for either rack mounting or desktop placement. The cost-effective video server supports high-definition CCTV recording, playback and local 1080i HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) monitor outputs. The local playback through attached HD monitors eliminates the requirement to stream the live or recorded megapixel camera streams to separate viewing stations.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 156 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Faucets and fixtures

Chicago Faucets

The ECAST line was developed in response to California Assembly Bill 1953, which establishes new lead-content levels for faucets, pipes and plumbing fittings. The line provides durable brass faucets and fixtures, including deck-mounted and wall-mounted faucets, metering faucets, stop valves, specialty fittings and bubblers. Chicago Faucets also can assist with specifications and quotes for upcoming projects immediately. This is important because the new law very likely will affect projects that are in the planning stages.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 157 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Used-oil boiler

Clean Burn

The CB-500-CTB is a large-capacity used-oil coil tube boiler that can recycle large volumes of used oil (3.6 gallons per hour). Designed to recycle used oil and produce hot water, it can be used for in-floor, baseboard and space heating, as well as for ice-melt applications. It has an input rating of 500,000 BTU. It weighs 1,600 pounds and can heat an area of more than 12,000 square feet. The unit has a low-mass design that holds 20.6 gallons of water, yet 37 gallons per minute flow through the coil.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 158 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Wireless solution

Cellular Specialties Inc.

With Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology, DSP85 offers the market's highest level of performance and flexibility with major benefits over traditional repeaters including unlimited agility, sharp filtering and state-of-the-art monitoring and control. One model meets all market configurability requirements, reducing inventory costs and deployment time.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 159 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Dish washing

Hobart

The CLe conveyer warewasher delivers clean and sanitized dishware at a low cost. It is ENERGY STAR-qualified; final-rinse water usage is as low as 0.39 gallons per rack. It uses Hobart's NSF-certified Opti-Rinse system, as well as an energy-saving Auto-Timer that is configured to shut off the pumps and conveyor automatically after a predetermined time once the rack exits the machine.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 160 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Greywater system

Sloan Valve Company

The Sloan AQUS Greywater System reclaims greywater from bathroom drains and reuses it in toilets, saving thousands of gallons of water annually. The system funnels water that flows down lavatory sinks and routes it through a sanitizing device that disinfects and filters it. The water then goes to a storage reservoir under the sink. When a toilet that is connected to the system flushes, water is pumped from the reservoir to the flush tank.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 161 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Furniture layout

Smith System

DesignU is an online design planning tool configured to help those involved in furniture purchasing to better understand how the furniture will function in day-to-day classroom, computer lab and library environments. Available at www.smithsystem.com/designu, it enables dealers, designers and school personnel to simulate different furniture configurations and design the optimum learning environment based on curriculum and teaching methodology.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 162 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Backup power

Russelectric Inc.

Custom-designed emergency/backup power systems automatically keep critical security equipment and systems up and running if the utility feed is lost, even for a short time. Upon receiving a utility power failure signal, switchgear starts engine generators and controls their synchronization and individual circuitbreaker closure to parallel the generators onto the emergency bus. Additional controls allow transfer of loads to the emergency bus on a priority basis.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 163 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

USB duplicator

Hamilton Electronics

The EduCast USB Duplicator System with MP3 Players is a standalone flash drive duplicator system. Sleek and compact, it streamlines the duplication of classroom materials so students can learn at home or on-the-go. The duplicator system makes it easy to duplicate any lesson or podcast onto USB media players and flash drives.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 164 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Water-saving showerhead

Alsons

Fluidics spray technology delivers a reduced, water-saving flow while giving the user a superior showering experience. The showerheads are available with a 1.85 gallons-per-minute (gpm) spray, a 1.75 gmp spray and a 1.6 gpm spray — a 36 percent water savings over the standard 2.5 gpm. It also is available in a two-spray unit that allows the user to switch between a water-saving 1.85 gpm and standard 2.5 gpm with the turn of a lever. The fluidics technology features a series of chambers that control the shape, velocity and thermal dynamics of water with no moving internal parts that would wear or need repair.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 165 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Roofing system

The Garland Company

The 2-Ply roofing systems provide the waterproofing integrity of modified bitumen technology with the labor-saving design flexibility of a simplified base/cap system. It ensures waterproofing performance, while reducing labor and asphalt costs significantly compared with 3- and 4-ply modified bitumen solutions. The 2-Ply systems can be hot-applied, cold-applied, torch-applied or self-adhered; are available in a variety of thicknesses; and can be configured with mineral, smooth or gravel surfacing, providing optimum flexibility to meet a full range of performance requirements.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 166 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Painting application

JLG Industries

The LiftPod combines the portability of a ladder with the stability of a work platform. Its lightweight and compact design (it weighs 145 pounds) makes it easy for a single person to move it around on the worksite, assemble it in less than 30 seconds, and operate it with ease. A sturdy platform and enclosed basket, in addition to a work tray that holds tools and materials, allow workers to focus on their jobs, work with both hands, and work with a 360-degree range of motion.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 167 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Fixed seating

Sedia Systems

The Tecton features a contemporary textured polypropylene back with a perforation detail. The chair can be enhanced with an upholstered back panel or armrests for additional comfort. The stack frame is available in black, chrome and gray. In addition to stack, base options include task, castor and swing-away.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 168 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.

Green hand dryer

Bradley

The Aerix is an adjustable-speed hand dryer that suits any application. Multiple speeds give facility managers the option of turning up for fast drying in settings such as recreation centers and schools, or turning down for quiet operations such as museums or libraries. Aerix series hand dryers are a green solution because they use 80 percent less electricity than other dryers.

Select the January 2009 issue RSN number 169 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.