Ready for a sustainable future

Renovation and preservation of elementary school CBS De Ark in Daarle

CBS De Ark in Daarle has taken a big step along the route to a sustainable and energy-efficient future. Between September 2023 and March 2024, the school building with its iconic boat shapes was rebuilt, made more sustainable and redesigned in phases. While contracting company J. ter Horst was responsible for the construction work, installation company FH Loohuis took care of the installation techniques. Among other things, the installation company from Daarle opted for Mitsubishi Electric air/water heat pumps.

Regulation by room 

After twenty years of faithful service, the accommodation of CBS De Ark on Het Caphorst no longer met current requirements, knows Marijn Reefhuis, Project Manager at FH Loohuis. "The building was poorly insulated and used gas-fired central heating boilers for its heating. The necessary renovation of the school building was therefore the moment for CBS De Ark to make the building more sustainable and energy-neutral. The school building is equipped with roof insulation, wall insulation and floor insulation. The building has also been rearranged, with new classrooms and learning squares." FH Loohuis equipped each classroom with its own WTW unit in combination with CO2 sensors, allowing CO2-controlled ventilation. "This involved looking at the right size and location for each classroom. For the rooms without a suspended ceiling, an air handling unit has also been placed on the roof, which can also be used for heating. All rooms have underfloor heating as the main heating system. A special zone controller here enables comfortable and individual control per room."

Heat pumps in cascade arrangement

The underfloor heating system is powered by two air/water heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric. A deliberate choice, according to Reefhuis, because of the proven quality and reliability of these systems, combined with excellent service. "Chosen were two 23 kW heat pumps in cascade arrangement, allowing a combined output of 46 kW. Thanks to the heat pumps, all classrooms can not only be sustainably heated, but also cooled. This ensures an optimal learning and living climate in all classrooms and in all seasons."

Energy neutral building

A large number of solar panels were installed on the roof of the building. On the advice of FH Loohuis, a different arrangement was chosen than initially prescribed in the specifications, Reefhuis said. "As a result, as many as 164 panels could be installed and CBS De Ark is operating completely energy-neutral."

Business card in the backyard

The work was carried out in three phases or sections of construction so that school classes could continue as usual. The final work was completed in March. "Because CBS De Ark is located only 400 meters from our location in Daarle, we were able to switch very quickly and flexibly. The lines of communication were literally short and the cooperation was extremely pleasant," he concludes. "We now have a beautiful business card in our backyard with it."