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Raising the Comfort Level at Winter Village

March 15, 2018

During the 2016-2017 Bank of America Winter Village season, we conducted a real-time experiment to compare two different systems to heat our largest temporary structures. Already seeking ways to lower energy costs, we were delighted when Brendan Casey, manager of Fujitsu’s showroom on Broadway, reached out to offer four of the company’s Airstage VRF (variable refrigerant flow) HVAC units to use at Public Fare. We were advised on the project by Green Star Energy Solutions.

The VRF units, by providing both heating and cooling, are designed to keep public events spaces more comfortable. We had found that heat-only systems could not address a problem with the glass-enclosed space: on sunny days, the solar gain made the space uncomfortably warm. The new equipment, by facilitating quick adjustments for temperature, allows for a superior experience for visitors.

We also anticipated that the VRF units would be more energy-efficient, and through the season, we tracked energy usage at Public Fare and compared it to that at the Skating Pavilion, which was equipped with a traditional electrical resistance heating system. That’s a complicated task, and we were fortunate to have Steven Winter Associates on board to perform it. The bottom line was that the VRF units are more efficient, kept the indoor temperature more comfortable, and ran quieter.

For the 2017-2018 season, we worked with Fujitsu and our Mechanical Electrical Plumbing (MEP) consultant to make several changes to the distribution system that further improved the comfort level at Public Fare. The VRF system’s low electricity consumption afforded us the opportunity to add radiant heaters that could quickly raise the temperature inside on the coldest days. At the Skating Pavilion, we added a third heater to Overlook to ensure that visitors using the space were warm and comfortable, no matter the temperature outside.

A fuller account of the 2016-2017 comparison can be found in this article by Rachel Ruhl in HPAC Engineering.