Project Overview
In August 2011, Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin completed a 10,000 sf renovation of the Roy E. Kumm Center. The renovated portions of the building include the Student Union, Food Court, production kitchens, and the kitchen labs which are used as teaching labs for the College’s culinary program. The stylish new Food Court features gourmet coffee, a Mongolian Grill, Wi-Fi, and plenty of comfortable space for socializing.The area was renovated to provide students, staff, and faculty with an updated, attractive, comfortable space for dining, learning, and socializing. A very important element of the renovation was the College’s commitment to sustainability. Western has a very effective, on-going effort to incorporate sustainability and green living into their campus culture. Their commitment to these efforts is demonstrated by the adoption of policies and procedures that guide the development of the campus and its culture.Energy recovery was a natural fit for the Kumm Center renovation because the kitchen exhaust fans generate a significant amount of waste heat which is ideal for heat recovery. Western selected a custom designed system from Konvekta USA Inc. The system has a life of more than 20 years and comes with a guarantee to recover 65% the heating energy required for the renovated space. The system will reduce Western’s annual energy cost as well as their carbon footprint substantially. The system was started up in August 2011 and recovered 68% of the heating energy for the renovated space through the end of the year and reduced carbon emissions by 24,398 lbs. Konvekta systems also qualify for LEED innovation and measurement and verification points and SMART building technology.