Raleigh Transit Operations Center: LEED® Platinum HVAC Case Study
- 4104 Poole Road, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Key Facts
- Certification: LEED® Platinum (achieved in 2013).
- Facility areas: total 110,470 sq ft; bus maintenance facility 61,500 sq ft.
- Systems deployed: 85 active chilled beams; 13 recovery units incl. 3 Pinnacle® dual-wheel; single-wheel ERVs in the garage.
- Performance: operates as much as 50% better than ASHRAE 90.1; the city aggregate budget showed 32.5% initial savings.
- Funding: $11.1M from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Challenge
Solution
Ventilation & Dehumidification Backbone
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Pinnacle® dual heat-wheel units with integral heating/cooling coils deliver preconditioned, neutral humidity air year-round (dehumidification in cooling seasons; humidification in winter), using maximum recovered exhaust energy; coils modulate only as needed.
Space Conditioning with Chilled Beams
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Flexicool® active chilled beams handle sensible loads; ventilation and all latent conditioning are decoupled to the Pinnacle® units—preventing beam condensation and cutting fan energy (only OA is ducted). Typical ~57°F chilled water further eases chiller load.
Maintenance Bays Strategy
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Radiant floor heat for winter; displacement air delivery keeps conditioned air at occupant level; single-wheel ERVs improve comfort in a space that’s often impractical to condition with conventional systems due to large doors.
Delivery & Economics
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Lifecycle analyses showed chilled beams delivered the lowest operating cost without significant first-cost premium; ~10-year payback estimated for beams and Pinnacle® ERVs (with potential to shorten if a third shift is added).
Results
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Energy vs ASHRAE 90.1: up to 50% better (vs conventional baseline per-sq-ft).
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City energy budget projection: 32.5% savings based on actual bills and aggregate budget.
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Certification: LEED® Platinum (2013), enabled by energy-reduction credits from chilled beams + ERV strategy
“We did a lifecycle cost study… The chilled beams had the lowest operating cost without much of a premium on the first cost.”
Products Used
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