An Australian company will play a major role in the delivery of New Zealand’s first school, aiming for a 5 star rating under the Green Star accreditation system.
Sydney-based VIM Sustainability has agreed to supply 83 Monodraught Windcatcher units that will provide integrated natural ventilation and cooling for a public high school under construction in Ormiston Road, central Auckland.
The deal comes after VIM Sustainability secured exclusive Australasian distribution rights for Monodraught’s range of natural ventilation and daylighting products and technologies that have enjoyed success in Europe, with over 7,000 installations to date.
Use of the Monodraught technology will help the Ormiston Road School cut costs as the Windcatcher units are energy and maintenance-free and make the use of air-conditioning redundant.
"Each Windcatcher unit is custom engineered based on the specifications of the particular installation and provides a cost effective cooling system that harnesses the prevailing wind and difference in pressure and temperature created by variances in height between the building roof and ground level," says John Brodie, managing director of VIM Sustainability.
"There is no other natural ventilation system available in the southern hemisphere capable of providing a constant flow of fresh air while simultaneously extracting warm air to create an optimum ambient room temperature.
"Natural ventilation of buildings will play a much larger role in future development and with the Ormiston Road set to become New Zealand’s first 5 star rated school it is a perfect showcase for the benefits of this technology."
The New Zealand Ministry of Education (MOE) has previously stated that a standard school air-conditioning system costs around $100,000 per year in maintenance and running costs.
The system has only one moving part and a 10-year warranty and expected life cycle in excess of 50 years. Brodie says the system has been in use for decades in the UK where it was originally designed and is adaptable to suit a range of varying climates.
The Ormiston Road School is designed by Auckland-based Jasmax Architects, while WSP Lincolne Scott is the project’s service engineers. Fletcher Construction is currently building the school, which is expected to open in early 2011.
