News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Teachers Are Happy and Kids Are Cool

after ArkansasSchool District Overhauls HVAC System

Jonesboro, Ark., April 16, 2007 – They are problems common to many school districts: aging buildings and building systems, and little or no funds to make the desperately-needed repairs.

At Jonesboro Public Schools in Jonesboro, Ark., these issues were further complicated by the fact that the school district had already initiated major construction, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) renovations, in three of its schools. Those initiatives had used up what little capital funds were available, leaving two other schools to be upgraded.

One of those was Annie Camp Junior High, built in the early 1980s, whose 25-year-old water-source heat pumps were beginning to fail. An even bigger problem was that these units were lodged above the ceilings between bar joists, making service very difficult and expensive. Outside air for the units was provided by a non-pressurized system, making adequate fresh-air ventilation questionable at best. In addition, the existing wooden window systems had deteriorated and required replacement.

The school found a solution to its budget problem in a $1.4 million Performance Agreement for Comfort (PACT™) from Trane, which helped fund the overhaul. Trane’s PACT agreement helps building owners create high-performance environments and significantly reduce energy and operating costs. Cost savings fund facility enhancements included in the contract.The renovation, which started in November 2005 and concluded in June 2006, required Trane to install the following:

  • Eighty-eight Trane water-source heatpumps, 40 of which were console-style with outside air capability; the remainder were concealed horizontal heat pumps. The heat pumps include the capability of converting to ground-source in the near future and are all controlled by:
  • A Trane Tracer™ Summit™Building Automation System located on the operations manager’s desk. New operating strategies insure comfort and allow energy savings.
  • TwoTrane packaged rooftop units service the gymnasium.
  • One new 100 percent OSA unit serves the cafeteria with fresh air.
  • Replacement of 84 windows with high-efficiency aluminum double-pane egress-type windows allows the school to meet exit requirements for classrooms and allows for an OSA design with the console-type heatpumps.

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Jonesboro Schools - 2

Trane worked on the project during the school year, moving children in and out of the 34 classrooms, each of which were renovated in about two days. “The cooperation between the school system, Trane and our subcontractors was outstanding,” says Marty Petrusek, Trane account manager in Memphis. It allowed us to execute the project without disrupting the academic schedule.”

“The PACT agreement gave us a lot of flexibility, and the construction went smoothly,” reports Clint Byard, facilities manager for Jonesboro City Schools. “The school administrators are happy, the teachers are happy and the students are cool.”

For more than 50 years, Trane has provided HVAC systems and solutions to education customers– enhancing their indoor and outdoor environments through improved indoor air quality, humidity control, acoustics and energy efficiency performance. Trane has supplied more HVAC products, systems and services to schools than any other manufacturer.

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Performance Agreement for Comfort from Trane (PACT) helps building owners create high-performance environments and significantly reduce energy and operating costs. Cost savings fund facility enhancements included in the contract. Trane is the only single-source, integrated comfort solutions provider offering performance-contracting solutions. As such, only Trane can deliver solutions with the largest guaranteed energy savings, highest reliability, and greatest probability of success.

Trane, the air conditioning systems and services business of American Standard Companies, is a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and comprehensive facility solutions. Its offerings include energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, service and parts support, advanced building controls and financing solutions. Each Trane system is designed to meet the specific needs of customers who want heating, cooling, dehumidifying and air cleaning systems for residential, commercial, institutional and industrial applications. In 2006, Trane contributed $6.8 billion to American Standard's total sales of $11.2 billion. For more information, visit the Trane Web site at

For more information, reporters may contact:
Melinda Paulson, 608-787-2745, ; Perri Richman, 732-980-6386,