A new, extremely efficient HVAC system has been installed at the Oak Park Temple in collaboration with ComEd.
The HVAC emerging technology pilot program, called the Very High Efficiency, was presented by the efficiency team at a news conference at the Oak Park Temple last month. VHE both heats and cools the temple, providing a comfortable environment for congregants and students in terms of both temperature and air quality.
“With the installation of the new system, made possible through a grant from ComEd, we now have a building that is warm in the cold months and cool in the hot months. The grant from ComEd allowed us to install a system that aligns with our religious values in place. It is a central religious tenet for us that we should mend and tend our environment,” said Rabbi of Oak Park Temple Max Weiss.
Upgrading and automating HVAC systems gives building owners greater control over their environment, reduces energy costs and helps maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
Prior to the installation, rooms at Oak Park Temple were too hot in the winter and too hot in the summer and had regular breakdowns.
“This installation of this new high efficiency electric HVA system, which not only reduces long term costs, but also contributes greatly to the … goal of environmental sustainability. The students, you know, from kindergarten on up, and the members of the congregation can now learn, gather, and worship in an energy efficient and ecofriendly setting,” said ComEd’s senior vice president of governmental regulatory and external affairs Lewis Binswanger.
Oak Park Temple installed new windows and replaced most of the lighting with motion-sensing LEDs. The work to install the new, all-electric heating and cooling equipment at the temple included the installation of energy recovery ventilation units that bring in highly filtered outside air and reduce the energy used by the heating and cooling equipment.
The temple also replaced a 50-year-old boiler and a high water-use cooling system with high-efficiency, variable refrigerant flow heat pumps that provide both heating and cooling, as well as removal of asbestos and the delivery of fresh air ventilation to areas of the building that had none.
Besides lower costs, reducing energy consumption is essential in reducing the pollution that is emitted from non-renewable sources of energy.
Village trustee of Oak Park Chibuike Enyia spoke at the news conference and praised Oak Park Temple for installing the new HVAC system.
“We know that most greenhouse gasses produced in Oak Park come from residential and commercial buildings. A project like this where Oak Park Temple is committing to a high efficiency, all electric HVAC system is exactly the kind of effort that can help to lower greenhouse gas emission and create a more sustainable environment,” Enyia said.
Enyia added that the community needs to make significant changes to increase energy efficiency in buildings and convert appliances from natural gas to electric and transition to more renewable energies.
“The village stands ready to partner with any organizations and property owners at Oak Park We are looking to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings. Our team is always happy to connect with our partners and valued partners such as ComEd for offering pro incentives to make this affordable,” Enyia said.
