DAIKIN EQUIPMENT IN SILVER LEED CERTIFIED MALL
Dominican Republic – Agora Mall, located in Santo Domingo, won the Silver LEED certification, becoming the first space of its kind in Central America and the Caribbean with green building certification, and the first green building throughout the country.
The building’s installation of Daikin air conditioning equipment contributed to the LEED® score required for certification, under the stipulations of the US Green Building Council.
Daikin air conditioning solution included a hybrid system consisting of WSHP Series Enfinity (Water Source Heat Pump) and 120-ton RoofPak (Applied Rooftop Systems) units. WSHP Enfinity incorporates the greatest flexibility in design, installation and operation using R-410A – an environmentally friendly refrigerant – providing very high levels of efficiency while protecting the environment. This solution was so efficient that it consumed 30% less water to operate without sacrificing the original design of the project thus helping the property achieve higher scores for its LEED® certification.
Property specifications required equipment to be IBC (International Building Council) certified and to have an integrated control system to communicate with the mall’s automated system. Daikin RoofPak complied with these requirements. Plus its’ double wall construction which provides better internal air quality, the use of R-410A environmentally friendly refrigerant and the use of microchannel capacitors that use up to 30% less refrigerant all contributed to achieving LEED® certification ratings.
Agora Mall is an icon in the city of Santo Domingo. This modern shopping center was conceived and developed from its inception as a Green Building project, a sustainable green building that contributes with the environment while offering greater satisfaction and experience to its customers and consumers. This goal required special, process-based management for LEED® certification that would involve appropriate selection of suppliers and materials, plus a higher initial investment which translates into medium-term profit from optimization of energy resources and operational savings (lower consumption of light and electricity).
