Demanding considerations for complex needs
Frequent opening and closing of outside doors and the operation of kitchen hoods coupled with spaces that are already cooled from refrigerated display cases make exacting humidity control challenging. If not controlled properly, humidity will disrupt display case performance (excessive defrost cycles) or overcooling of the space for the occupants. We were tasked with providing the required cooling and building pressurization to dehumidify/humidify the environment for optimal performance.
One well-designed, integrated system
Schnuck Markets, Inc. have been serving customers a unique combination of quality food, variety, and value for more than eight decades. A family-owned grocery company founded in North St. Louis in 1939, Schnuck Markets, Inc. have been serving customers a unique combination of quality food, variety, and value for more than eight decades. Supermarkets have unique and demanding load profiles not found in other commercial buildings.
Our Work Included
To enhance energy savings by better matching load conditions, AAON Digital Precise Air Control (DPAC) units were selected to serve these areas. DPAC units were calibrated to perform unique functions to best optimize internal, envelope, and outside air loads:
- Cooling and heating will modulate to supply 53°F and 95°F discharge air, respectively, if a cooling or heating call is present under varying outside air conditions
- Supply air will reset to relaxed conditions as the space approaches the desired setpoint
- In dehumidification mode, cooling will modulate to condition the supply air to ~52.5°F (this will be mainly the outside air due to the return air bypass feature). The air will then be reheated to ~ 75°F by untampered space air and, if required, from “free” hot gas reheat via the compressor.
Results
The cases are clear, customers are comfortable, and the refrigeration equipment and anti-sweat heaters are running in their ideal states.
