HUMBOLDT — Things are heating up at USD 258.
Humboldt school board members were given a lot to digest Tuesday when 360 Energy and DeWayne Vaughn of Integrated Consulting Engineers, Inc., vied for the opportunity to address the district’s chronic air and heating issues.
Jacob Hurla of 360 Energy began the evening’s discussion with a brief description of the Lawrence-based company and pointed out that up to 30-year financing was available for the project if the school district chose to work with them. He ended his presentation with an estimated price tag of more than $2 million.
Vaughn offered board members three different options ranging from $240,000 to $620,000 which he assured could be paid in installments based on fiscal year funding.
Both companies agreed that the fundamental problem is that the school district’s ground source loop is not large enough to meet the cooling needs of both the high school and the fieldhouse, and is causing compressors to continually malfunction. The current system, installed more than eight years ago by a company no longer in business, includes 60 wells located on the northeast corner of the high school campus, 350 feet deep, supplying approximately 60 tons of cooling capacity.
“The fieldhouse alone depletes your entire cooling capacity,” 360 Energy’s Josh Slocum said.
There are two things that should be accomplished including balancing the flow and having equal pressure drop across each well, Vaughn said.
The solution is where the two companies differed.
360 Energy’s recommendation included a high school HVAC upgrade, replacement of water source heat pumps and piping, an automation control system and Gas Dx rooftop units on both the fieldhouse and the gymnasium.
Vaughn’s first option included repairing the current well field and replacing the existing fluid cooler with a small cooling tower and boiler for a price range of $275,000 to $315,000. His second recommendation included abandoning the current well field and installing a new larger cooling tower and boiler for $240,000 to $280,000. The third option, he said, is to install Dx cooling, gas-fired rooftop units for the fieldhouse and reuse the existing wells for the high school for $580,000 to $620,000. Although the third solution is an option, it was not one he recommended, he said.
Board members agreed to discuss all the recommendations during the next board meeting.
Representatives from Five Star Mechanical, Inc.,Wichita, were also present.
The heat is on (It just doesn’t work that well)
