A historical building was retrofitted with 600 tons of variable refrigerant flow technology. A daunting task given the structure’s age, but VRF holds key to Detroit renovation.
“„The floor is 22 to 28 inches thick. So right off, that made new HVAC challenging from a cost perspective. Forced air, which involves running tons of ductwork, would have meant high costs - if ductwork was even possible.- Vince Dattilo
“„At the same time, we were interested in bringing a more efficient and ductless cooling and heating solution to Detroit: VRF. People were skeptical - contractors said it was more expensive and you couldn’t afford it. We proved them all wrong.- Vince Dattilo
“„Cost was about [the] first cost. We compared two types of systems - water-source heat pumps and VRF. The construction cost for the VRF came in less than water-source heat pumps.- Don Nichols, PE, LEED AP
“„We were looking at close to five miles of piping, so compare VRF to getting guys in here crawling through tight spaces to install insulation - that’s a lot of money saved on that one piece alone.- Don Nichols, PE, LEED AP
“„We did energy modeling for the building, looking at the yearly energy cost compared to a baseline of typical HVAC. Ultimately, VRF was a lower first-cost installation and lower utility operating costs.- Don Nichols, PE, LEED AP
“„That’s the point where we said VRF makes sense financially. Forget about the energy efficiency and lack of ductwork; getting the right number is super important.- Vince Dattilo
“„We could not disturb any of the historically significant elements of the building. To solve for renovating the historic building, VRF with its small-diameter piping rather than large-diameter forced-air ductwork made sense.- Rick Mead
“„Mitsubishi has been very thoughtful in the manner in which they introduce their equipment to the North American market. They’ll train local distributors, who in turn bring an experienced engineer onto the team.- Vince Dattilo
“„The local team here has two maintenance staff, an engineer and a hydronics engineer. So, Rick doesn’t have to call the Mitsubishi headquarters; he can just reach out to the local distributor.- Vince Dattilo
“„Other VRF manufacturers aren’t doing that. They just can’t react quickly enough.- Vince Dattilo
“„When I looked at Mitsubishi and other players, I saw that Mitsubishi is very well-represented locally to help us resolve issues.- Rick Mead
“„They’ve also done more installations locally - municipal buildings, churches.- Vince Dattilo
“„The installation went very, very well.- Rick Mead
“„In January/February, the system was put to a test, and it provided the heat needed to make people happy and comfortable.- Rick Mead
“„These are higher-level rooms - real modern, very comfortable, with a clean-cut look.- Scott Mondock
“„And this is [a] higher-quality operation; the rooms are more evenly cooled/heated.- Scott Mondock
“„The guests love it. We haven’t really had any complaints about it.- Scott Mondock
“„The temperature stays consistent throughout the building, with the system getting pretty close to the set points. Older systems have at least a two to five-degree differential.- Scott Mondock
“„But with this VRF system you set it to 72 degrees, say, and the system is usually within one degree of that, often right on the money. So, this one can really maintain the set temperature of the thermostat.- Scott Mondock
“„The BACnet controls allow you to look at the system remotely - every fan coil, every condenser. We can set alarms. We can see what folks are doing 24/7/365.- Vince Dattilo
“„This is all by the touch of a finger on my cell phone, which is very nice and convenient.- Vince Dattilo
“„VRF is a lot easier to take care of than PTAC systems, which makes it easier to keep up on maintenance with a system as large as mine. And keep in mind that these systems are pretty much running 365 days a year.- Scott Mondock
“„The David Whitney is a big player in the Detroit revitalization. It’s been well received and is in the heart of everything downtown. It’s an iconic place, and now it’s the hot spot in Detroit.- Don Nichols, PE, LEED AP
“„A lot of eyeballs are looking at this application. Happily, the proof is in the pudding - VRF is a viable, excellent system, and the whole project serves as a catalyst for where the city is going.- Rick Mead