Commercial Architecture December 2017 - 30

PROJECT

hvac
A ROBUST SOLUTION

After evaluating the needs of the project, Ranor Mechanical,
Jay, ME, recommended Englewood Cliffs, NJ-based LG's Water
Source VRF system for The Mill. The robust solution uses 180
tons of Multi VTM Water IV heat-recovery units that tie into the
geothermal well system and include a variety of indoor units,
such as ceiling cassettes, wall mounts, and high-static ducted and
floor-standing indoor units. By implementing a predominantly
duct-free solution, the small refrigerant piping was minimally
invasive to the building's envelope. The design flexibility of the
LG VRF solution allowed the appropriate mix of indoor units to
be used to meet the comfort and aesthetic requirements of each
space for the occupants.
In addition to the space savings from eliminating the need for
bulky ductwork, the condensing units themselves are substantially smaller than a conventional system. With a small and compact
footprint, the Multi V Water IV units were installed in the mechanical room under the building. This placement not only serves
to make the units unobtrusive, but also allows easier control of
the temperature from the source water loop that enables the system to effectively heat in the extreme temperatures.
One of the key requirements of the new system was energy efficiency. With future goals of creating a net-zero building, The
Mill management chose to maximize efficiencies by implementing the company's water source heat-recovery units that tied into
nine, 1,000-ft. geothermal wells. The Multi V Water IV units were
easily incorporated to the geothermal well system and use water
control valves to regulate the operating pressure to the VRF units
for improved efficiency. Heat-recovery units were selected for the
mixed-use complex due to the varying temperature demands
across the spaces. By choosing a heat-recovery system, The Mill
HVAC system is able deliver simultaneous heating and cooling
while balancing the comfort demands of the occupants. This not
only allows excellent comfort and maximizes the energy efficiency, but it also lowers the operating costs and eliminates the need
to have a secondary system to supply heat.
By only using small piping rather than traditional, large
ductwork, the Multi V Water IV system seamlessly blends into the
building's interiors without disrupting the exterior. The architectural integrity of the historic mill complex and compliance with
the guidelines set forth by the National Register of Historic Places
were both met with no issue. In recognition of this accomplishment, the architect was awarded Maine's Historic Preservation
Honor Award for Stewardship in 2015. CA
Top. A predominantly duct-free solution,
the LG VRF small-refrigerant piping was
minimally invasive to the building's envelope.

building a net-zero facility in the future, with plans to restore the
turbine of the pre-existing hydroelectric dam.
Located 100 miles from the Canadian border, where during
the winter months the temperature can frequently sustain be-

Above. The design flexibility of the LG
VRF solution allowed the appropriate mix
of indoor units to be used to meet the
comfort and aesthetic requirements of
each space. Multi V Water IV heatrecovery units tie into the geothermal
well system.

low-freezing temperatures, the new HVAC system needed to provide year-round comfort. Along with functioning in the extreme
conditions, in order to achieve the desired net-zero impact, the
system needed to be energy efficient while still delivering on the
specific comfort requirements of the varying businesses operating
throughout the complex. All of this had to be achieved with minimal modification to the structure to preserve its historic nature
while meeting the new requirements.

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

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DECEMBER 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture December 2017