The Challenge
Many schools across the nation face limited budgets, aging infrastructure, rising energy costs, Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) issues, and student and staff well-being concerns. The Winnacunnet High School was searching for building material solutions to address these issues. In addition, the high school in New Hampshire also faced high heating costs overnight to keep classrooms warm.
The Solution
TEMPLOK Energy Saving Ceiling panels were installed as part of the Winnacunnet High School’s strategy to reduce their carbon footprint and improve the conditions for staff and students.
The TEMPLOK Energy Saving Ceilings store excess heat from the day to maintain warmer indoor temperatures at night. To date, this resulted in a 5-9% reduction in nighttime heating energy.*
Since TEMPLOK ceilings absorb and release heat, they regulate indoor temperatures, which results in student and staff comfort, improved IEQ, and reduced energy consumption. This case study is ongoing and summer/high heat conditions are currently being evaluated.
Winnacunnet High School
The study resulted in a 5-9% reduction in nighttime heating energy.* TEMPLOK ceilings absorb and release heat, thereby regulating indoor temperatures and keeping students and staff comfortable.
* The summer cooling study is ongoing, results pending.
Finding Energy Savings Solutions
A set of neighboring classrooms were monitored for heating energy use in the month of February. Daily energy use was strongly correlated between the classrooms. On March 1st, TEMPLOK was installed in Room 120, and Room 119 was left alone for comparison (Fig A).
Before TEMPLOK
In both classrooms, heating energy use was most intense overnight when the outdoor temperature was coldest (Fig B). Heating energy was moderate during the day, while the classrooms were filled with students generating heat and outdoor temperatures were warmer.
After TEMPLOK
After TEMPLOK was installed in Room 120, the classroom used less heating energy overnight compared to its neighbor without TEMPLOK (Fig C).
Temperature loggers placed on TEMPLOK indicated when the PCM was storing and releasing heat. Excess heat during the day was captured and then released at night, helping to keep the building warmer during the coldest hours.
Several months of data were analyzed before and after the TEMPLOK installation. After controlling for variables like outdoor air temperature, estimates ranged from 5 to 9% heating energy savings from TEMPLOK.