E Source Companies LLC, an energy research and advisory company based in Boulder, Colo., recently released “Relocatable Classrooms: Less Energy, Better Air,” a report that summarizes research aimed at improving indoor air quality and reducing noise and energy consumption of relocatable classrooms, otherwise known as modular or portable classrooms. Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developed specifications for an improved heat-pump air-conditioning (IHPAC) system that provides SEER 13. Field tests revealed that the SEER 13 IHPAC units are superior to the more conventional SEER 10 hvac units that are currently used in relocatable classrooms because they: improve indoor air quality; save energy; operate more quietly; and provide similar or better thermal comfort.
Although the study primarily focused on relocatable classroom applications, these wall-mounted packaged units are designed to fit on any modular or portable buildings for both new construction and retrofit applications and can be used in most U.S. climates.
