Revolving Doors for Energy Efficiency in Schools

Automatic doors boost energy efficiency while maintaining essential door functions you need in a door for your educational facility. Revolving doors are especially effective because they maintain a tight seal, decrease heat and air conditioning loss, and reduce the need to equalize temperature and use more energy. Revolving doors limit air exchange because the door never has a direct opening, which balances air pressure.

Are Revolving Doors More Energy Efficient?

Yes!

Revolving door systems welcome pedestrian traffic without unsealing the interior of your building. These doors prevent outside elements from affecting indoor temperatures. Less interior air is lost when someone enters the building, providing significant energy cost savings over time.

Automatic doors are one of the most energy-efficient options available for schools. They prevent drafts, create an airlocked space, and prevent the loss of indoor heated and cooled air.

How much energy your school saves depends on your building, how much traffic your building sees, and the climate in which your building is located.

However, one MIT study concluded that using revolving automatic doors in schools would equate to a 1.5% annual savings required to heat and cool buildings. With swinging doors, air enters and exits buildings from air pressure differences. Regular foot traffic in large commercial buildings may generate air leaks at 30,000 cubic feet/minute. According to the MIT study, swinging doors allow eight times more air to pass through buildings than their automatic revolving counterparts.

In the study, researchers found that 75,000 kilowatt-hours of energy could be saved if everyone used revolving doors. This would eliminate as much as 14.6 tons of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, despite revolving doors not being completely airtight, the barrier positively impacts differences in air pressure. While there may be some energy loss as the door spins, less air passes through than a swinging door.
Automatic revolving doors prevent the loss of air pressure when in use, making entries and exits to and from your building easier on your HVAC system and as energy efficient as possible.

How Do Automatic Doors Save Energy?

Automatic revolving doors ensure a tight seal between the outdoors and the entry and exit of your building. This means less air is lost when people move into and out of space than would be with a swinging door (automatic or otherwise).

Replacing your school’s swinging doors with an automatic revolving door means you’ll never have to worry about air escaping when the door is open. There is never a direct opening, and pressure stays balanced no matter whether the door is in use or not.

Many people believe that automatic glass revolving doors are one of the most powerful solutions to creating the most energy-efficient building possible. These doors can also improve traffic flow, accommodate people with accessibility issues, and help you make the safest and healthiest entry and exit ways possible in your school building.

Read more about Regular Maintenance of Automatic Doors in Schools.