Equipment and control upgrades, along with design improvements, are improving the learning environment, building comfort, and controllability

Round Lake CUSD is an extraordinary district; exemplifying what can be accomplished through perseverance of strong leadership, determined staff, and a supportive community. This collective effort has resulted in huge advancements in education metrics including graduation rates and test scores. Community support has also been demonstrated through renovations at Round Lake High School; creating new learning lab classrooms, a Business Incubator, Project Lead the Way, Next-Generation Science labs, a new gymnasium, and new collaboration spaces.

To further support the District’s efforts, Allied Facility Partners is addressing facilities needs that will improve the learning environment while increasing energy efficiency and improving indoor air quality. During the Summer of 2022, Allied Facility Partners mitigated reliance on equipment beyond their expected useful lives operating outdated technologies. At Village Elementary School, these improvements included a full redesign of the Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC)system and eliminating the usage of fiber duct board which breaks down and compromises indoor air quality. This redesign also improves the learning environment, leveraging Variable Air Volume (VAV) control to provide appropriate heating and cooling to each space instead of the more limited hot-deck, cold-deck approach.

At the Administrative Service Center and Early Education Center, Allied redesigned the dual-temperature heating hot water and chilled water system. The existing boiler and chiller systems had reached the end of their useful life and had their operation compromised by heating hot water leaking through into the chiller. These systems were replaced, and the dual temperature system redesigned to improve isolation, eliminating this occurrence.

As part of these improvements, Allied replaced fluorescent and incandescent lighting with new Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures in areas where new HVAC distribution systems were replaced. These new fixtures provide improved light levels and light quality, improve control, extend fixture life, and consume less energy than their existing counterparts.

Allied is empowering the District to better operate and control their buildings through Building Automation System improvements. These improvements will provide the District improved ability to adjust schedules, temperature set points, and alarms and utilize new site-specific programming for new equipment.