Corporate Headquarters Showcases VRF System

Franklin Energy’s 10,000-sq.-ft. national headquarters is a showcase for the fi rm’s approach to energy effi ciency.

Franklin Energy saves 32% on electricity and 48% on gas with zoning system.

Featuring a small footprint, the outdoor units maximize space. W hen Franklin Energy, Port Washington, WI, moved its 10,000-sq.-ft. national headquarters into a historical structure on the shores of Lake Michigan, it went without saying that the renovation would be as energy effi cient as possible. The company has always made its headquarters a showcase for the fi rm’s approach to energy effi ciency, and the newest headquarters would continue this tradition, according to Franklin Energy CEO Paul Schueller.

“We have a long history of selecting underutilized buildings for our headquarters and regional offices,” Schueller said. “Our first Franklin Energy headquarters was in a Port Washington hotel built before the Civil War. Next, we moved into a vacant church built in 1913. When we outgrew that, we moved into this space in the old Smith Brothers processing plant, the best-known building in town. We like all our offices to be part of a community where our employees can walk or bike to work.”

Franklin’s new headquarters was formerly the Smith Brothers fish processing plant (Port Washington was once famous for the national distribution of white fish, chub, perch, and trout). The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Planning for his new office space, Schueller called on Randy Mueller, Mueller Heating & Cooling, Saukville, WI, to help design the cooling and heating system to keep everyone comfortable. Over the years, Mueller had provided counsel and several HVAC installations for Schueller, including an installation at Schueller’s home. Mueller’s first suggestion was to install a hydronic heat system in the new headquarters, but Schueller rejected the idea as being out of step with his high energy-efficiency goals.

Mueller then turned to his long-time distributor, Auer Steel & Heating Supply Co. in Milwaukee. Auer’s VRF specialist, Dave Janquart, looked at Schueller’s floor plan and told Mueller he had a much better

idea—a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) zoning system from Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Cooling & Heating Division (Mitsubishi Electric), Suwanee, GA.

According to Janquart, VRF zoning technology was an ideal choice for Franklin Energy for several reasons. The system’s recognized energy savings was at the top of his list, but he had several other reasons for his choice: • ease of installation • quietness (sound attenuation) • ability for load sharing (not possible with conventional systems) • inverter-driven compressor • small footprint and lightweight modularity of the outdoor units • simultaneous cooling and heating ability.

“Franklin Energy has a reputation for helping utilities and municipalities all over the U.S. achieve impressive energy savings,” said Mark Kuntz, P.E., senior vice president, product strategy and engineering, Mitsubishi Electric. “This was a high-profile project for us.”

Franklin’s Savings

Electric Energy Usage

CBECS average: 17.9 kWh/ft. 2 /yr.

Franklin Energy actual: 12.2 kWh/ft. 2 /yr.

Savings: 32%

Gas Energy Usage

CBECS average: 42.3 ft. 3 /ft. 2 /yr.

Franklin Energy actual: 21.9 ft. 3 /ft. 2 /yr.

Savings: 48%

Using utility-meter data as well as measured data from an energy-monitoring system, the results showed signifi cant energy savings compared to the average Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) energy usage.

An example of Franklin Energy’s work is the Focus on Energy program, which has been working with Wisconsin residents and businesses for more than 10 yr. to install cost-effective energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects. Franklin Energy worked with Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy customers to save more than 89 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) and more than 1.5 million therms. That amount of energy savings prevented greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 13,500 cars.

Kuntz said that Mitsubishi Electric is pleased that Franklin Energy selected the VRF zoning system for its headquarters building. “Not only do we respect Franklin Energy’s work in the area of energy efficiency, but the installation provided an opportunity for our engineers to collect 12 months of solid energy-savings quantification,” Kuntz said.

Using utility-meter data, as well as measured data from an energy-monitoring system, the results showed significant energy savings, compared with the average Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) energy usage for a building of its size and construction type (see sidebar). The results validated the original energy model projections. The actual energy usage for electricity and gas were within 1% and 5% of the models, respectively.

“Because of the building’s orientation and outdated glass windows, solar gain was a huge issue for our HVAC systems selection,” Schueller said. “This VRF zoning system has been a lifesaver for individual comfort and for helping us save on energy costs. Because of the inverter technology and individual room controls, the perimeter offices in this old building have been very comfortable in all seasons.”

While saving a great deal of energy is important, comfort was still a top priority for Franklin Energy and the people working on site. CBP

DATA CACHE

Want more information? The resources below are linked in our digital magazine at cbpmagazine.com/digital/novdec2014.

Circle 10 on the Reader Service Card.

View a spec sheet for City Multi VRF, air source. View a spec sheet for City Multi VRF, air source.

View a spec sheet for City Multi VRF, indoor units.

View a spec sheet for remote zone controllers.

View a spec sheet for centralized controllers.

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