Aurora Public Schools: Vista Peak Preparatory
Vista Peak Preparatory is one of 62 schools in the Aurora Public School District (APS) located in Aurora, Colorado. The school serves over 1,100 students in grades 9-12. While the building contains a number of energy efficient components and earned LEED Gold certification in 2013, the facility consistently measures a high energy use intensity per square foot (EUI). The district selected Vista Peak to undergo a 14-month recommissioning of the HVAC system to maximize energy savings potential. The project is estimated to realize a 20 percent EUI reduction and an annual energy cost savings of $54,000.
MoreAurora Public Schools is one of the most diverse school districts in the country, educating students from 131 countries, speaking over 140 different languages. The Vista Peak campus houses both Vista Peak Exploratory and Vista Peak Preparatory, the first preschool through post-secondary educational concept in the nation where students can earn high school and college credit at the same time, beginning in 9th grade.
LessVista Peak Prep’s facility contains a number of energy efficient designs to reduce HVAC demands and highly efficient mechanical and electrical systems. Post-construction, the facility underwent an initial commissioning of building systems to ensure its energy performance optimization. However, the continually high EUI concerned district officials. The recommissioning project will recalibrate instrumentation and properly sequence air circulation.
MoreThe recommissioning project examines the heat transfer path of the HAVC system from the outdoors into the conditioned school space using building optimization software. The result is a list of system inconsistencies.
LessAside from optimized HVAC operation, it is anticipated that several outcomes will result from the enhanced visualization into the building’s HVAC performance parameters. APS intends to leverage the BuildingIQ platform as yet another project based learning tool by which students can experiment with myriad nuances of energy conversion, consumption, and conservation. It is also anticipated that the added level of detail and customization will support APS in its efforts to transition from preventative to predictive maintenance.
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