Calvert County Public Schools

Summary

The Calvert County Career and Technology Academy, for grades eleven and twelve, provides relevant learning and real job related experiences to better prepare students for college and the workplace. The school’s mission is to help students develop a productive work ethic, master mathematics and communications requirements, and learn skills in their chosen program. Areas of focus include high-skill occupations, such as information technology, finance, construction trades, homeland security, health professions and pre-engineering.

Challenge

Due to a design flaw, the air-cooled chiller at the Calvert County Career and Technology Academy did not run properly. When its chiller issues ultimately resulted in a compressor failure, Calvert County Public Schools needed a fast solution as the fall semester quickly approached.

Solution

The Calvert County Public Schools’ director of facilities contacted Trane for help with the emergency situation. Trane worked with the district to develop a comprehensive solution that would address the school’s needs in both the short-and long-term. It included a temporary rental solution, engineering support and equipment installation.

Rental chiller answers immediate needs

Trane recommended the installation of a rental air-cooled chiller to answer the adminstrative staff’s immediate cooling needs. The rental unit was installed within twenty-four hours, on a Saturday, so as not to disrupt the workplace. Calvert County Public Schools opted for Trane’s Rental Rebate program, allowing them to rent the chiller at a discounted price while purchasing a replacement unit.

TCPN enables time-saving, best value solution.

Calvert County Schools used The Cooperative Purchasing Network (TCPN) to procure the project directly from Trane.

TCPN allows large and small government entities such as schools, colleges, cities, counties and non-profits to leverage their purchasing power. All TCPN contracts are competitively bid and evaluated by a government entity. Contracts are awarded to national vendors in accordance with purchasing procedures mandated by state procurement laws and regulation, and are based on quality, proven performance, customer satisfaction and pricing. Selecting a TCPN pre-approved vendor saved the district the time required to bid out the project and evaluate potential suppliers, while also ensuring the best value for the school. By using TCPN, the facilities director was able to work directly with Trane for equipment selection.

Chiller design simplicity provides efficient, reliable, cost-effective comfort

With the emergency situation resolved, Trane and the school district took time to address the failed compressor and the design flaw. Trane engineers worked to develop a more cost effective, long-term solution for the school, calculating that a smaller chiller would better fit the school’s needs, while saving them equipment and energy costs.

A 250-ton high efficiency Trane RTAC Helical Rotary Air-Cooled Chiller was selected. Trane Helical Rotary chillers are engineered for lower life cycle costs through design simplicity. Using Helirotor™ direct drive, low speed compressor technology, with only two rotating parts, the Trane chillers offer high reliability and efficiency. With fully automated controls, the new chiller was integrated into the school’s existing building controls system.

Results

Trane’s Rental Rebate program answered Calvert County Career and Technology Academy’s short and long-term chiller needs. The program provided the district with a discount on a rental chiller, allowing the school to apply the savings toward the purchase of a replacement chiller. Using TCPN to save time and ensure the best value, a Trane RTAC Helical Rotary Chiller was installed. The smaller, more efficient chiller offers a lower lifecycle cost, and helps to improve the learning and teaching environment at the academy.

“Trane was very professional and working with them was absolutely painless,” said Mark Wilding, principal, Calvert County Career and Technology Academy. “Plus, they even donated one of the compressors they removed to our HVAC student workshop. All-in all, working with Trane was a very pleasant experience.”

About Calvert County Public Schools

The Calvert County Career and Technology Academy is a proud recipient of the Maryland Outstanding Career and Technology Student Organization Award.