Great Falls Elementary School is among a select number of schools in Maine to be heated and cooled exclusively with a geothermal system. That says something not only about the school’s design, but also about those making project decisions. That those same people saw fit to top the energy-efficient school with standing seam roofing from Englert Inc. is equally impressive. It is a testament not only to the reputation of metal roofing in general, but also for the products of Perth Amboy, NJ-based Englert in particular.
PDT Architects of Portland, ME, designed the new Great Falls school, located in Gorham, ME and completed in 2012. Lyndon Keck was the project manager and designer. Keck was ultimately responsible for the decision to go with an Englert’s Series 1300 system for the job. More than 56,000 sq. ft. of roofing was needed for the project. The panels specified feature a Hemlock Green ULTRA-Cool™ paint finish.
“We chose this profile for its known performance and durability in our harsh snow-ice- rain climate, with high winds and rapidly changing temperatures. Metal roofs are longer lasting and less maintenance.”
In addition to the Englert roofing, Keck specified 26,100 sq. ft. Bone White Englert H-16 wall panels, a concealed fastening panel with ribs on 4” centers. The paint for those panels was also an ULTRA-Cool™, Kynar 500® formulation, meaning both the roofing and wall materials were LEED and Energy Star compliant.
Another 4,000 sq. ft. of Englert B4000 soffit material was utilized, along with 2,000 square feet of Alpolic aluminum composite rain screen panels at the front entry of the building, both also supplied in a Bone White color. All of the material was fabricated and installed by the IRC Industrial Roofing Co. of Lewiston, Maine.
He noted that at some future time, the school may elect to install solar photovoltaic panels or other onsite renewable power systems to produce the electricity to run the geo-exchange pumps or other systems. Meanwhile, the pumps have the capacity to move heat or cooling resources from zone to zone as people move from classrooms into the auditorium, cafeteria, etc.