James M. Bennett Middle School
The $70 million, 160,300 sf replacement school includes a ground source heat pump HVAC system. Ground coupled heat pumps are water source heat pumps which operate at extended water temperature ranges. Ground coupled heat pumps do not require heat rejection and generation equipment, such as cooling towers and supplemental boilers associated with standard water source heat pumps.
The majority of the school is heated and cooled utilizing a heat recovery variable refrigerant flow system. Multiple ductless units are connected to branch selector boxes via refrigerant piping. The branch selector boxes are connected to compressor units that are coupled to the geothermal piping system. The ductless units are variable speed and the water cooling compressors are variable speed.
This is the first project in Wicomico County to achieve LEED Gold Certification.