The initial proposal was to remove the boilers and install one large central heat pump. The design was reconsidered because a single-unit system would respond poorly to changing campus loads, create a potential single point of failure and require the new heat pump plant to cover the most extreme winter condition. The project was therefore changed to a modular hybrid solution, with the existing boilers retained only for peak demand and emergency backup.

The final configuration uses four EXINDA 90 kW R32 Commercial Inverter Air-to-Water Heat Pump Chillers in a three-duty, one-standby arrangement, delivering 360 kW of installed heating capacity and 288 kW of installed cooling capacity. EXINDA’s DC inverter EVI scroll compressors allow capacity to follow actual building demand, while operation from −25°C to 43°C and hot-water production up to 60°C support reliable integration with the school’s existing hydronic system.

Connected to the campus BMS through Modbus RTU or BACnet MS/TP, the system enables staged operation, runtime rotation, occupancy scheduling and individual module isolation. The school can now condition each area according to its actual schedule, reduce routine boiler operation and maintain service when one module is offline—providing easier maintenance, greater operating flexibility and a scalable path toward campus electrification.