WindowMaster is supplying its automated window control system to deliver a natural ventilation solution for the new Pope John Paul II library at the National University of Ireland at Maynooth.

The project is being delivered by a design team led by architects Scott Tallon Walker and M&E design engineers JV Tierney. The main contractor is PJ Walls, which has significant experience in delivering prestigious projects across the country.

The library, which is designed to be a hybrid building, uses natural ventilation in place of a mechanical system where possible and will feature WindowMaster’s full NV Advance™ automated window control system. The NV Advance™ system will use 444 actuators to control windows around the structure as well as glazed louvres and brise soleil on the façade in order to manage the indoor climate. The double skin facade is designed to help induce draughts in summer and to provide a ‘blanket’ to the building in winter.

WindowMaster’s UK and IE business development manager Peter Connolly said: "The building is designed to use natural ventilation as much as possible in order to reduce running costs. Our NV Advance™ system will be supplemented by a displacement ventilation system when internal heat and ventilation loads are too high to be dealt with naturally. The design team estimates that a saving of 40 per cent will be made on running costs by using this strategy.

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"The contract called for system design and delivery of the necessary components, also the required wiring diagrams and commissioning. WindowMaster is supplying and mounting all the actuators and installing a control interface to the heating system. This is a complete package that includes building thermal performance simulation, system design, installation and cabling of all components. Our simulation will be used to make final design adjustments to ensure that the building meets its energy targets."

Energy efficiency and the ability to monitor energy usage were the key factors in selecting the natural ventilation system. WindowMaster’s control system also helped the designers to meet the requirement to control carbon emissions for the building. In addition it provides a method of monitoring energy usage to the building management system.

The computer enables the library staff to check if windows are open or closed and to then control the heating system via the building management system in each zone as necessary to maintain optimal energy usage.

WindowMaster, Europe’s largest provider of natural comfort and smoke ventilation solutions, was chosen to provide the window automation system for the library at Maynooth because of its ability to provide complete installations, in particular the central computer control system. In addition, each installation includes motors, window actuators, various sensors and a weather station.

The control system understands and knows how the wind speed and direction on all façades will influence the airflow through the windows on each level and location in the façade. WindowMaster determines the Cp values (pressure coefficients) individually for each window by calculating the relevant air pressures from different wind speeds and directions.

WindowMaster carries out computational fluid dynamic calculations for 16 wind directions for the specific building and its surroundings. Based on the calculations the Cp values are determined and programmed into the control system, which enables the precise control of the individual windows resulting in an optimal indoor climate. Each zone operates independently of the others according to the specific external conditions relevant to those windows and the internal environment.

(GK)