The Pirtti Elementary School consists of a net area of 3,200 m² and a volume of 21,000 m³ with a main structure that consists of reinforced concrete walls and pillars. The school is intended for roughly 400 students, and has 14 basic classrooms, special classrooms for technical work, textile work and biology, health advisory centre, a sports hall, dining room, kitchen and offices.

The Kuopio Energy supplies the heating as the school is connected to the local district heating network. The heat distribution centre is situated together with the district heating measuring centre and houses heat exchangers for the radiator network, mechanical ventilation system, domestic hot water and pre-heating for the mechanical ventilation system. The innovative solution of the heating system is based on the heat exchanger and the lower than ordinary temperature used in the design of the radiator network.

Prior to pre-heating, ventilation heat recovery equipment is installed in the ventilation system. Glycol heat recovery and condensation heat recovery in the cooling compressor support the freezers in the kitchen with an efficiency of 115 kW and is connected to the network.

The building is heated entirely (including the sports hall) with a radiator network equipped with dual piping connections. The radiators are placed in general under the windows. 
The building is heated entirely, even the sports hall, with a radiator network equipped with dual piping connections. 

The extensive insulation of the building envelope result in a relatively low energy demand, which again means that the distribution network can function with low transmission temperatures in the pipe system. Reduced temperatures generate a higher overall efficiency of the system, since the heat losses are substantially lower.

General information on the technologies:
Central heating
Insulation
Ventilation and heat exchange


Suppliers of technology:
Since the heating system is connected to an external district heating grid, the technology implemented at the school is mostly elements in the internal distribution network. The system is basically built up around the ventilation system, of which the elements primarily were provided by the Finnish company Halton. Heat exchangers and fans were integrated in the system and supplied by the companies, LPM and Koja, respectively.

Ventilation:
HALTON GROUP www.halton.fi
Halton has representatives in many countries worldwide, and specialises in various elements of indoor climate ventilation systems, such as diffusers, valves, dampers, grilles, and flow control systems.
Adress: Haltonintie 1-3, FIN-47400 Kausala
Phone: + 358 5 740 211 Fax: + 358 5 740 2600
e-mail: maarit.kuortti-lahtinen@haltongroup.com

Fans:
KOJA GROUP www.koja.fi
Koja Ltd plans, manufactures and markets fans and air handling units for industrial, commercial, office and public buildings.
Adress:1 Lentokentänkatu 7, FIN-33900 Tampere
Phone: +358 3 2825 111 Fax: +358 3 2825 401
e-mail: koja@koja.fi

Heat exchangers:
LPM Group www.lpm.fi
LPM manufactures a diverse productline of brazed plate heat exchangers designed for operation with district heating systems. The company also produces heat substation units for district heating as well as de-aerators, which remove the air bubbles and micro-bubbles in heating and cooling systems. 
Head office in Leppävirta, Finland
Phone: +358 403 092 200 Fax: +358 403 092 280
e-mail: sales@lpmgroup.com