Vento Australasia supplied 6 Monodraught WINDCATCHER® natural ventilation systems, and 77 Monodraught SOLA-BOOST® solar assisted natural ventilation systems to Ormiston Senior College (OSC) - the first educational facility in New Zealand to achieve a Five Star Green Star Rating and one point for Green Star Innovation.

“A lot of time, thought and energy has been put into making OSC a state of the art, green school, and the WINDCATCHER technology played a big role in securing the Five Star Green Star rating” says School Principal, Maurie Jackways.

Image: Principal Maurie Jackways, Courtesy of Times Online®

Despite the howling winds and rain experienced over the past few weeks in New Zealand, Maurie confirms that the school has not experienced any rain ingress through the Windcatcher systems.

Since the school opened in 2011, staff and students have commented on the fresh air that is being delivered through the SOLA-BOOST systems which has contributed to a refreshing and healthy learning environment.

“The staff and students love the clean, fresh air that is being delivered through the SOLA-BOOST systems,"

"During the Summer months, a comfortable indoor temperature was maintained without any mechanical assistance. This is great news as the school's running costs will be reduced." says Mr. Jackways.

Click here to read the full testimonial.

Image: SOLA-BOOST systems installed at Ormiston Senior College.
 

The SOLA-BOOST system reduces the need for air-conditioning which can produce large energy and cost savings. A total of 121 SOLA-BOOST systems have been installed in Australasian schools over the past year, with another 40+ installations to be completed by the end of 2011.

The SOLA-BOOST is ideal for learning facilities for the following reasons:

• During the night, the highly secure night-cooling mode will rapidly purge the rooms of any built up hot, stale air, thereby providing a cool and refreshing environment as the platform from which to start the next school day.
• Fresh, clean air delivered by the roof mounted systems enhances the learning and teaching environment.
• CO2 sensors will ensure CO2 levels remain below 1000ppm.
• Temperature and weather sensors will prevent overheating or draught in classrooms.
• Operates 24 hours a day with minimal running and maintenance costs.

"The overall service provided by Vento Australasia was excellent, a 10/10! The SOLA-BOOST units were a new product in the market, and Vento provided excellent back up and technical support from start to finish."

- David Houghton, Project Manager [Ormiston Senior College], Hasties Group.

Click here to read the full feedback form.

Image: SOLA-BOOST systems installed at John Hartley School in Adelaide, South Australia.

The potential for build up of CO2 in classrooms is more evident in the winter months as teachers and students shut the windows to prevent heat loss.

WindowMaster can ensure that the classroom remains warm during the coldest of days, without compromising the amount of fresh air that enters the room.

WindowMaster solutions include:

• CO2 and temperature sensors that control the opening and closing of windows.
• Trickle ventilation to prevent draught during winter and during strong winds.
• Highly secure night time cooling function that ensures classrooms are fresh for pupils in the morning.
• Entrapment protection to ensure safety of children.
• Smoke ventilation in case of fires.

WindowMaster offers a KNX BMS based programmable control system which will allow automated windows to operate in conjunction with most Building Management Systems and mechanical heating/cooling units.

Below is an example of a control strategy designed for a modern relocatable classroom in Melbourne, Victoria.

A newly constructed school hall at St. Thomas Aquinas School was officially opened by the Wollongong Diocese and the local state member for Throsby on Friday 10th June. Attendees at the opening were surprised with how well the heating worked for such a large space on a cold, wet day.

The Air Pears were installed to redistribute the warm air generated by the gas heaters, so that when the heating system was turned off, a constant temperature between 18-20 degrees celsius was maintained throughout the hall.

"My client was on a tight design budget, however the Air Pear units were highly affordable, and gave an attractive payback period and cost savings against the school’s existing gas and heating bills."

- Andrew Lowden; Project Architect; Martin O'Toole Architect.

To read the full project details click here.

Overheated classrooms is an increasing problem for schools due to major sources of heat gain coming from IT equipment, artificial lighting, occupants and solar gain.

It is therefore, essential that the source of natural daylight does not contribute to additional heat gain during the summer months.

Vento supplies the SUNPIPE® natural daylighting solution, which has penetrated virtually every country throughout the world. The unique faceted Diamond dome transmits more light than any other system, and the wide range of 10 different sizes (from 230mm to 1500mm diametre) makes SUNPIPES the universal choice.

Schools in Dubai have seen the benefit of the SUNPIPE system, not only to counteract the strong power of the Middle East sun, but also to bring in the benefits of filtered natural sunlight to school children without the problems of glare and increased internal heat gains. The use of SUNPIPE means that the windows can be kept firmly shut and the electric lighting shut off.

The SUNPIPE is available in Australia, and its performance has lifted the benchmark of sustainable lighting solutions in educational facilities.