Abilene High School – Abilene, Kansas

The design engineer from PKMR Engineers had a strong relationship with Lennox, but was relatively unfamiliar with the newer Lennox VRF and mini-split product lines. For this reason, a Lennox competitor was being considered for the project. But the Lennox VRF team successfully leveraged the strong relationship and educated the engineer on the Lennox VRF and mini-split products, ultimately instilling the confidence needed to award the opportunity to Lennox.

Another challenge faced in the design was how best to condition the very different spaces within the addition, from various small offices with just one or two occupants, to larger classrooms with more occupants, to a pair of very large gymnasiums. There were layout challenges to address as well, since the more similar spaces—the offices and classrooms—were separated by the two gyms located in the middle.

Several Lennox products were selected as a combined system that could deliver elegant solutions in response to the various and challenging needs of the project. The designer implemented Lennox' Energence rooftop units to replace the RTUs already in place at the high school, as well as to condition the two new gymnasiums and other spaces for the building addition. Lennox VRF heat recovery units, in combination with Lennox mini-split heat pump units, were selected to provide additional conditioning for the new offices, classrooms and equipment rooms on either side of the gyms. Central control systems were implemented via the Lennox L Connection® Network for RTUs and the Lennox VRF Manager (LVM) for VRF and mini-splits. To complement the LVM, programmable local controllers for the VRF indoor units and wireless controllers for the mini-split indoor units were utilized to put the power of control in the hands of the occupants of each zone. Owner training was also provided by Lennox.

The new HVAC system provides and maintains a constant comfortable environment for the students, teachers and administrative personnel. The Lennox solution met the layout challenge of the addition: requiring an HVAC system that offered installation simplicity and flexibility, as well as the ability for various occupants to perform individual comfort control while achieving desirable energy savings. The VRF and mini-split systems also provided the modern look and feel the district set out to achieve. The ultimate outcome was a satisfied school district with indications for future Lennox business on a middle school addition project being planned for the coming year.