New contract for ground-air heat exchanger system

Renewable energy specialist Rehau has been awarded the largest ever contract for its award winning Awadukt Thermo ground-air heat exchanger system in a 'School for the Future'

The installation to provide a renewable source of controlled ventilation will take place shortly at the new Queen Elizabeth's School in Wimborne, Dorset, which is being built as part of the DfES Building Schools for the Future (BSF) One School Pathfinder programme.

Dorset County Council has secured additional funding for the school to become a Demonstration Project for Sustainable Schools, and the Awadukt Thermo system, which will deliver substantial energy savings on both heating and cooling, has been specified in line with that.

Its performance will be data-logged by the school and the on-going savings analysed into the future.

Around 3,500m of the Rehau 250mm diameter polypropylene pipework will shortly be installed in grids 1.5m below ground underneath three of the school blocks, and will use the natural temperature of the ground at that depth to pre-heat or pre-cool ventilation air before it is delivered into the school.

The Rehau optimised polypropylene pipe material ensures the most efficient heat transfer between the ground and the air, while an integrated silver antimicrobial layer inside the solid walled pipes prevents microbial growth.

The temperature of the air drawn through the network of pipes will be increased by up to 9C in winter and reduced by as much as 14C in summer, providing not only a more comfortable internal environment for the staff and pupils during the warm summer months but also reducing the energy required for space heating in winter.

Installation is expected to begin at the end of September 2008.

The main contractor for the project is Carillion, concept architects are Feildon Clegg Bradley and consultant engineers and architects are Mouchel.

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