Summary
Since its founding in 1879, Trinity United Methodist Church has been striving to make a difference in the lives of its members, in its neighborhood and in the world. This mission is carried out through the organization’s Sunday worship services and its local and global ministries. It is also evident in its childcare program, where the goal is to build creative, nurturing and stimulating environments that promote exploration and discovery.
Challenge
As its needs changed, Trinity United Methodist Church moved to a new location in a traditional neighborhood in southeast Lincoln, where demographic studies project excellent growth and neighborhood development over the next twenty years. The new location houses a beautiful church, administrative offices and a daycare, which nurtures the lives of nearly eighty children.
Pleased with the new location, the Trinity United Methodist Church staff was dismayed when four of the eight daycare rooms began experiencing humidity issues. When its first line of defense, adding a dehumidifier, didn’t resolve the issue, the church turned to its contractor for suggestions on improving comfort for the daycare children and staff.
Solution
The Trinity United Methodist Church contractor consulted with the project’s mechanical engineer, who contacted Trane to discuss potential solutions to the humidity issues. The mechanical engineer recommended replacing the single-stage water-source heat pumps with Trane variable-speed units.
Superior comfort, maximum efficiency
Two Trane Axiom™ water-source heat pumps with eFlex™ variable-speed technology were installed to resolve the comfort issues in the four daycare rooms. The eFlex technology employs a variable-speed compressor and fan to efficiently adjust output to match the comfort requirements in each zone, and alleviate humidity in problem areas. The varying speed optimizes energy consumption, while improving reliability, acoustics and comfort. Operating at reduced speeds to match demand minimizes on/off cycling, helping to reduce temperature swings and noise, while extending component life.
Optimizing operation
Tracer™ UC400 unit controllers on the water-source heat pumps were programmed by Trane engineers to take full advantage of the heat pump capabilities. The controllers optimize efficiency up to a 40 EER (Energy Efficiency Rating). With the controllers factory installed and tested, the system was up and running quickly, saving Trinity United Methodist Church both time and money.
Results
Two Trane Axiom™ water-source heat pumps with Trane eFlex™ variable-speed technology replaced existing heat pumps to solve humidity issues at Trinity United Methodist Church, providing a more comfortable environment for the church’s daycare children and staff. The more efficient variable-speed water-source heat pumps, combined with the factory-programmed Trane Tracer UC400 unit controllers, provide a potential energy savings of up to 60 percent in utility costs, when compared to conventional water-source heat pumps. As a result of the installation, the church also received a rebate of $1,500 from the electric company.
“Our facility is now more comfortable and the units are so quiet you can hardly tell they are running,” said Kathy Kuna, Trinity United Methodist Church, business administrator. “Trane was wonderful to work with; they went above and beyond. I would not hesitate to use Trane again or recommend them to others.”
About Trinity United Methodist Church
The Trane Axiom water-source heat pumps with eFlex variable-speed technology optimize energy consumption, while improving reliability, acoutics and comfort.
