Completion: March 2011

Objective: To become the first LEED Platinum office facility in Savannah, Ga.

Work Completed: Georgia Power set a goal to make its 11,400-square-foot coastal regional office a corporate metaphor for sustainability and green building practices. The 1920 building’s small project area, existing poured concrete structure, and minimal space for ductwork narrowed the field of acceptable HVAC choices. Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating’s variable refrigerant flow (VRF) zoning heat pump system helped the utility company achieve its goal. The VRF system, coupled with a dedicated outside air system, high-efficiency lighting, and solar thermal and photovoltaic envelope improvements helped the building achieve a 54 percent annual energy reduction when compared to ASHRAE 90.1 2007 baseline.

“Our first design priority was a desire for superior energy efficiency. Mitsubishi Electric’s ductless technology was a perfect fit. The ductless VRF equipment allowed us to integrate many small ductless air-handling units, refrigerant piping, drain piping, and small ventilation and exhaust ductwork into the historic fabric of the building in a concealed manner.”
— Jimmy Swails, PE, LEED AP, principal, Dulohery Weeks, Savannah, Ga.

Publication date: 05/28/2012