Education

Air cooled chillers with ice storage were chosen by JLRD after an extensive study of multiple thermal storage options of both ice and chilled water was conducted. With budget being a major concern for this project, air cooled chillers with ice storage offered the most cost effective solution.

Some plumbing features included 1 pint flush urinals, metered faucets and dual flush valves. A 20-percent reduction in water use has been achieved with these features. Cisterns have also been provided for landscape watering and a demonstration flushable toilet.

Electrical design included the use of photovoltaics for renewable energy. Occupancy sensors are utilized for lighting control, as well as variable frequency drive control. The classrooms used daylight harvesting as a way of reducing the need for artificial light and depending more on natural light.

The School Board of Palm Beach County has developed a strict design criteria for the design professionals to follow. JLRD worked closely with the District's mechanical and electrical engineers to develop an approved design, and still meet the intent of the design criteria.

The equipment selected for this project was maintenance friendly and met the District's design criteria. The School Board of Palm Beach County has over 120 schools to maintain with a very limited staff and constraints. Introducing into the design equipment that is not familiar to the District, and has different maintenance requirements than current equipment provided no benefits to the District.

Galaxy Elementary opened for the 2013 school year and is on-target to meet LEED Platinum certification.

This 120,000 square foot elementary school consists of five buildings, is a 53 classroom campus incorporating a media center, administration wing, dual function cafetorium with stage, and ECO-Porch/Amphitheater. Viewing windows into the mechanical and electrical spaces, as well as a photovoltaic power array are featured to introduce LEED building components into the curriculum.

Conservation of water usage and electrical power for water heating of the campus was a primary focus of the plumbing design. Low flow fixtures were specified utilizing dual-flush toilets and lavatories with sensor valves. The kitchen's use of hot water was offset by a roof mounted, 6-panel solar array. In an effort to assist the District in quantifying the electrical power, water and HVAC system efficiencies, measurement and verification systems were installed. This allowed the District to verify, on a real-time basis, the conservation of the building element via the internet, local monitors, and projectors in the classrooms to aid in academic lessons. Compared to the District's average elementary school, Pine Jog is saving 35% of electricity equating to a $48,000 annual savings.

JLRD performed an Engineering Energy Analysis to determine the most economical HVAC system for the project. Some major design features of the project are as follows:

• Water cooled chillers with variable air volume air handlers and terminal boxes.
• HVAC systems for Performing Arts Theater, Greenhouse, and Gymnasium, as well as classrooms, Media Center and Cafeteria.
• Designs for fire alarm system, data distribution and structured cabling, security access control, athletic fields, sports lighting and PA systems.
• The electrical design also included site lighting and systems, lighting, data designs for the Performing Arts Theater and Greenhouse.

Design challenges for this project included selection of the optimum HVAC system from both a performance and efficiency perspective. The system employed utilizes high efficiency water cooled chillers in conjunction with a variable air volume distribution system, via terminal boxes in the spaces. Full plumbing and fire protection designs were provided as well. Electrical design included multiple lighting solutions tailored to support the varying spaces such as classrooms, offices, media center, cafeteria, gymnasium, a performing arts theatre, and sports lighting on the athletic field complex.

Power and systems needs for these miscellaneous functional spaces were also addressed and included segregated computer power and A/V instructional technology, along with various life safety and security systems such as fire alarm, intrusion detection, access control and video surveillance. JLRD also participated in the planning and development of the site which included extensive modifications to accommodate traffic patterns and an expansive sports complex that adjoins JFK Middle School on the adjacent site.

This project included complete remodeling of the 6,540 sf, 1st floor of the 2-story, 13,000 sf building, as well as complete replacement of the building's HVAC, electrical, and telecommunications systems. The HVAC systems for both the 1st and 2nd floors were upgraded to a variable air volume air distribution system with terminal boxes with electric heat. Air handling units serving both the 1st and 2nd floors were replaced with high efficiency, double wall units powered by variable frequency drives.

During the demolition phase, a new electrical room was constructed, installed and commissioned before the 1st floor demolition was completed, in an effort to minimize downtime of the 2nd floor. A life safety distribution system with automatic transfer switches was introduced to the electrical system which serves the means of egress lighting and fire alarm loads. The telecommunications structured cabling system throughout the facility was replaced with Category 6 cabling, and a new telecom room was provided on the 1st floor for building service interfacing. The building's existing fiber optic backbone from the campus NOC was reused, however, a 100 pair cable was installed in new ducts back to the main PBX at the NOC to accommodate voice.

This facility’s chilled water and heating water systems are provided from a campus-wide energy plant. The piping systems were tapped into a campus utility tunnel and routed below grade to this building. Chilled water was routed to the centralized mechanical equipment penthouse for distribution to the various air handlers, while the heating water piping had to be distributed throughout the individual floors of the building to serve the VAV box heating coils on all levels.

Back-up refrigerant DX systems were provided in sensitive areas that require 24/7 air conditioning and humidity control. A fire pump was provided to serve the various floors and varying area densities needed to ensure fire sprinkler protection.

A kitchen and dining area was designed in the ground floor central core area and includes a commercial kitchen hood with exhaust and make-up air, as well as automatic dishwashing capabilities.

The campus-wide medium voltage distribution system needed to be extended to serve this new facility. To do so required tapping an existing 15kV feeder in a utility tunnel, and extending the circuit in underground ducts to the pad mounted transformer which serves the building. A stand-by emergency generator was installed in the building to support life-safety loads and other equipment to allow for minimal operation during an outage.

Dual lighting schemes were designed into each of the black box theaters to allow for the space to be used as a teaching space, or theater venue. Lighting scenes are adjustable via DMX controllers operated by the instructor, or the projectionist.

The project was phased to allow a two-story administration and classroom expansion to the existing building, followed by a comprehensive remodel of the existing spaces, including the Data Center. Outages and work-arounds were scheduled to maintain continuous operation of the data center throughout the entire construction period.

The design provided for new chilled water service to the building, and the installation of a new stand-by emergency generator to support the building and the data center UPS system, improving the reliability of the data processing services for the University.

At JLRD's suggestion, the remodeled Data Center was changed into a hot aisle/cold aisle configuration which has increased the unit cooling capabilities and in-turn the room’s capacity for future expansion.

Schematic designs were developed to illustrate the work required under each time frame. The analysis included alternate designs to provide mechanical and electrical redundancy, including electrical service from two different substations.

A follow-up design was performed which added a 1,500 ton centrifugal chiller to complete the initial 3,000 ton build-out. To address poor chiller loading, the design included rework of the existing primary chilled water pumps (new motors and impellers) to decrease the temperature differential to better match the secondary and allow full chiller loading.

Existing chilled water and heating water pumps and heat exchangers were retained and used to continue their service. A chilled water decoupling system was installed so the existing pumps would still work while adding the secondary pumps for the new building expansion.

Outdoor air monitoring stations were installed in conjunction with modulating outdoor air and return air dampers to maintain the required outdoor fresh air needs and allowing the outdoor air quantities to modulate as the building loads shift throughout the spaces.

Existing fire protection wet-pipe risers were used to tap new sprinkler system assemblies which needed to be extended to the new areas.

Both normal and emergency power was extended from the existing building distribution system, to serve the expansion. In addition, fire alarm, security and telecommunications systems were extended as well, to integrate the expansion with the existing facility. A unique component of this center is the interactive lecture hall. The space is designed for the speaker to be located in the center of the space, with control of all audio/video systems. The room provides for complete interaction of remote sites allowing the space to be utilized to host distance learning classes.