Visit the Energy Systems Laboratory Homepage.
Investigation of Cooling and Dehumidification Energy Use and Indoor Thermal Conditions in Polk County Schools Permanent Replacement Classroom Buildings
Abstract
Increasing enrollment in grades K-12 coupled
with the spiraling costs of construction has pushed
school boards to develop more cost-effective
classrooms, from the perspective of initial cost, longterm
energy consumption, and ease of maintenance.
To this end, the Florida's Polk County School Board
has developed a four-quad permanent replacement
classroom building. Each classroom is equipped with
a package terminal heat pump (PTHP) with a
thermostat control with a four-hour crank timer. The
objective of this research was to compare the energy
consumption and interior conditions of the
autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) construction with
an unvented roof assembly to that of the conventional
metal framing and concrete panel buildings. Four
buildings, 2 metal-framed and 2 AAC buildings with
dehumidifiers were chosen for extensive testing and
monitoring. The goal was to maintain a relative
humidity of 50% as well as an interior temperature of
75oF.
Citation
Moyer, N. A.; Cummings, J. B.; Chasar, D. (2002). Investigation of Cooling and Dehumidification Energy Use and Indoor Thermal Conditions in Polk County Schools Permanent Replacement Classroom Buildings. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /4569.