'Green' School Has Faulty Underfloor System (one more reason for integrated design)

"GUILFORD, N.C.—Pressure loss in the ductless underfloor heating and cooling system at an award-winning North Carolina middle school appears to be the primary reason the school has not achieved the level of energy efficiency that school district officials expected. The district learned last year that the middle school, which has won national awards for its energy-efficient and environment-friendly design, used more energy per square foot in 2008 than another local school built in 2009 for substantially less money. The district's chief operations officer said it is looking at ways to preserve the integrity of the plenum space in order to get the system to operate efficiently."

Source: ASHRAE, News & Records (link)
Picture source: School web site
Case study link (Source: North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance)