HVAC updates planned at Weyauwega Elementary School
By Angie Landsverk
The Weyauwega-Fremont School Board is expected to take action later this month on seeking bids for HVAC updates at Weyauwega Elementary School.
That meeting is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, in the middle school library.
It precedes the school district’s annual meeting to approve a 2015-16 expenditure budget.
The annual meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., or shortly after the regular board meeting concludes.
When the school board met on Monday, Oct. 12, it received an update about the proposed project.
ATS&R, an architectural firm based in Minneapolis, and Cooperative Educational Service Agency 10, in Chippewa Falls, are both assisting the school district with the project.
Representatives from both the firm and the agency attended this week’s board meeting.
After listening to the update, board members favored an induction displacement system for the elementary school instead of a variable air volume system.
Blayne Parkos, director of mechanical engineering at ATS&R, presented project budgets for both systems.
Energy model savings for the two systems being considered were analyzed.
The project budget for the induction displacement system is $1.01 million and includes $11,000 in incentives, $7,800 in annual energy savings and a cost to operate of 41 cents per square foot.
That compares to the project budget for the variable air volume system of $1 million, with $6,500 in incentives, $4,500 in annual energy savings and a cost to operate of 50 cents per square foot.
Parkos said the projected energy savings are estimates.
Board members noted the difference in energy savings and operation costs between the two systems, and for that reason, support going with the induction displacement system at the projected higher cost.
“We’re still working on final quotes from Focus on Energy,” Parkos told the board.
He is working with District Administrator Scott Bleck on the application to Focus on Energy, so the district may get a formal number back.
Additional considerations for the school and their estimated costs include piping for $106,000, a gym air handler for $106,000 and exhaust fans for $15,000.
Charlie Schneider, of CESA 10, said the induction displacement system would look similar to what it looks like now in the elementary classrooms.
He said a variable air volume system could be put in but that they would have to “shoehorn it in.”
In regard to the additional considerations for the project, Schneider said, “I would suggest putting the options in when you bid and see how it comes out.”
With board action expected the end of this month, the plan is to go out to bid for the project by Dec. 15 and have the bids by the end of the year.
Schneider said it is important to seek bids early, noting the number of state and school projects planned in 2016.
With initial estimates for the Weyauwega Elementary project being around $675,000, some expressed concerns about the higher projected budget.
“I believe there are some components in here that Blayne and his group are coming in conservative with,” Schneider said. “I think it will come in between the two. I will be very surprised if the numbers come in at these numbers from what I’m seeing.”