In the summer of 2009, the Hudson Community School Board (Iowa) approved a major project upgrade, renovating the high school’s original DDC system with the expert help of their local Siemens Solution Partner.
Client Objective
The building’s original 12-year old HVAC system was barely functioning. Faulty and unpredictable, it not only created a less than desirable learning environment, but made troubleshooting of mechanical or controller problems very difficult—costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasted time and money over the years.
A Siemens Solution Partner with decades of experience in improving building performance was selected for the job. The project began in early July, with the need for completion by late August, before the return of the high school’s 286 students.
The Siemens Solution Partner proposed the open TALON with BACnet Building Automation System for the 60,000-sf facility, which contains 25 classrooms, a multipurpose room, media room, auditorium, and gymnasium. TALON with BACnet enables a smooth integration with other systems, creating more integration flexibility than other systems on the market.
The TALON system, created to improve every aspect of building automation, would provide the school with the best integration of today’s technology and keep it open for future technology and new products.
The Best Total Solution Approach
TALON seamlessly linked into the high school’s existing infrastructure, giving budget-conscious administrators an immediate appreciation for its cost effectiveness. Its integration power, open architecture, and BACnet software made the TALON system an investment that will continue to pay the school district back for years. Future system integration opportunities include HVAC, lighting, power, process, fire/life safety, and security/access control.
Since TALON makes the necessary connections between systems, it can link the entire district, managing buildings as a whole, not as disparate systems—all from a single workstation. The system can be monitored and controlled from any Web-enabled device, maximizing staff productivity and building performance and minimizing disruptions to events inside the facility.
Contact Info:
For more information, contact Phil Dlatt, 847-941-6033, phil.dlatt@siemens.com; www.usa.siemens.com/talon
Top Honors for High-Performing Control System
Following the completed work, Hudson High School now boasts a state-of-the-art, fully integrated building automation system that incorporates DDC for energy management, equipment monitoring, and control.
The improved control system at Hudson High School has successfully impacted the learning environment, the bottom line, and the buildings most important function: providing a comfortable learning environment for children and teachers.
Related Stories
| Jul 21, 2011
Bringing BIM to the field
A new tablet device for construction professionals puts 3D data at the fingertips of project managers and construction supervisors.
| Nov 2, 2010
11 Tips for Breathing New Life into Old Office Spaces
A slowdown in new construction has firms focusing on office reconstruction and interior renovations. Three experts from Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors offer 11 tips for office renovation success. Tip #1: Check the landscaping.
| Oct 13, 2010
Test run on the HP Z200 SFF Good Value in a Small Package
Contributing Editor Jeff Yoders tests a new small-form factor, workstation-class desktop in Hewlett-Packard’s line that combines performance of its minitower machine with a smaller chassis and a lower price.
| Oct 13, 2010
Prefab Trailblazer
The $137 million, 12-story, 500,000-sf Miami Valley Hospital cardiac center, Dayton, Ohio, is the first major hospital project in the U.S. to have made extensive use of prefabricated components in its design and construction.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community center under way in NYC seeks LEED Platinum
A curving, 550-foot-long glass arcade dubbed the “Wall of Light” is the standout architectural and sustainable feature of the Battery Park City Community Center, a 60,000-sf complex located in a two-tower residential Lower Manhattan complex. Hanrahan Meyers Architects designed the glass arcade to act as a passive energy system, bringing natural light into all interior spaces.
