Earlier this year, the experts at FICO helped complete a major BMS upgrade of the HVAC System for\u00a0Havre Public Schools in Havre, Montana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Providing quality ventilation, climate control, and building management systems (BMS) in classrooms is serious work that is vital to schools’ operations. Fresh air ensures students remain alert and ready to learn. Frequent air exchanges also provide excellent protection against infectious diseases. Well-implemented BMS systems can also help school districts save as much as 30% on energy costs through the efficient operation of mechanical equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In early 2023, Havre Public Schools selected Ameresco, a Massachusetts-based company specializing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, to upgrade school district buildings. Ameresco turned to the FICO experts to install the project’s BMS portion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
School districts, like hospitals and universities, pose a unique challenge to energy management. Most districts start with a few schools and related structures, but as they grow and evolve, newer buildings incorporate updated versions of HVAC systems and controls. This sometimes happens within a single school. After a few decades, it is not uncommon for one school to have three different HVAC operating systems. In addition, districts add new schools as communities grow, and these new institutions also incorporate newer systems, making them more efficient than older schools, but at the same time, making the entire system unwieldy and challenging to manage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, Havre, in the northern part of Montana, is 34 miles south of the Canadian border. Winter temperatures are often below freezing in the daytime and remain at that level for weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFICO\u2019s task was to integrate all the existing systems, making them centrally controlled from the district offices,\u201d said Dan Morris, a project manager at FICO. Morris added that one of the challenges they faced was that some older schools had incomplete documentation. As systems were modernized over the years, the accompanying paperwork was not always properly updated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a common problem,\u201d Morris said. \u201cSometimes it was difficult to identify and track what technology was incorporated into the system.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Havre Public Schools includes five schools: three elementary schools, a junior high school, and a high school. Brandon Berreth, a service technician at FICO, worked on the project and brought extensive knowledge to the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI worked at Havre Public Schools in maintenance for fifteen years,\u201d he said. Berreth was the supervisor of the maintenance team when he left Havre Public Schools to work at FICO. \u201cI know most of those buildings like the back of my hand. Highland Park Elementary was by far the most significant challenge. It\u2019s the oldest school in the district, more than 60 years old. There have been two major additions. Every wing has a different system. There\u2019s an air handler\/VAV system, a radiant floor-heat system, and a radiant finned-tube system. We needed to get all of them under one control system.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEverything at Highland Park was pneumatically controlled,\u201d added Morris. \u201cWe changed it all over to digital. That in itself is a significant change. Maintenance will no longer have to scrounge on e-Bay for replacement parts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Substantial work also happened at Havre High School, which received new unit ventilators in each classroom. The middle school received a new boiler plant. FICO\u2019s portion of the project accounted for more than $1 million in services and systems. Federal funding, including ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds, was used to pay for the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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To govern the district-wide HVAC system, FICO installed the latest version of the EcoStruxure Platform from Schneider Electric. FICO is a Master level partner with Schneider Electric and has been partnered with them for over 20 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we finished, it was all one system, and everything communicated,\u201d said Berreth. \u201cThe custodial supervisor can see what every school is doing from his office, and the head custodian at each school can also control that school\u2019s system.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m very pleased with the result,\u201d said Scott Filius, Facilities Director at Havre Public Schools. \u201cThe central reporting is great. Our maintenance people can pull up a printout in the morning and verify that everything is working well. If there is a problem, we\u2019re out in front of it. Before, we were always reactionary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moses Deanon, business manager at Havre Public Schools, added that the project was officially completed this past October, which makes it too early to get a complete picture of the energy savings. The integration of new HVAC equipment, however, along with the most updated BMS system providing central controls, will surely propel Havre Schools into the category of saving as much as 30% in their energy bills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you have questions about a building management system for your business or building? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact FICO today. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"