By John Estridge
Price tag shock occurred at the Union County Courthouse Friday morning, February 5.
Three representatives, two from Mitsubishi Electric and one from North Mechanical Contracting and Service, talked to the Union County Commissioners about a proposed heating system called Variable Refrigerant Flow Technology (VRF). It had many impressive bells and whistles and also carried a $711,000 price tag.
The heating and air conditioning system in the 35,000 square feet courthouse is failing. It is 16 years old. At the January 22 meeting, Culy Mechanical Electrical LLC made a presentation to the commissioners.
Culy originally installed the current system and said the present heating system needed an update in controls. It is believed by Culy, the rest of the system is workable for the next several years; however, the cost of the new controls and fixing one of the three boilers in the system will run about $75,000, a little over one tenth of the Mitsubishi quote.
One of the downsides of Culy’s quote is it is a temporary fix on something that is 16 years old where the Mitsubishi system would be brand new.
David McCullaugh, regional sales manager for commercial sales at Mitsubishi, said while the VRF technology began in 1982, the first system appeared in America in 2002. Its first installation was in Evansville, and that system is still running.
Commissioners listened to the presentation complete with a Power Point display projected on the south wall of the commissioners meeting room. They seemed to be impressed with all the VRF could do. It could also cut electrical bills, but at what amount was unknown because Duke Energy has not supplied Mitsubishi with the needed current electrical usage information.
VRF can do heating and cooling at the same time. Individual controls are in every office, and the system can pick up where the majority of people are in the room and direct the air – heating or cooling – toward the group of people.
The representatives said it will eliminate hot and cold spots in the building. Maintenance on the system is much simpler than with the current system. Commissioners were told grants are available to offset some of the costs, but the representatives did not know the specifics of the available grants. They also said there are payment options, which could be spread out as far as 15 years.
Commissioner Tim Williams repeated something he said six years ago about the county’s financial shape: most counties have a Rainy Day Fund, and it’s been raining in Union County for the last 10 years. Williams also used the allegory of a family getting by paycheck to paycheck and then a medical emergency does them in. He said the courthouse’s heating system is the county’s medical emergency.
Union County Council member Trisha Persinger sat in on most of the presentation. Williams asked Persinger if she was getting a little nervous hearing all the large numbers.
Persinger said the county can look for grants and alternative funding in the next two to three years and then maybe go to the VRF system in the next few years when there is a plan for funding.
Union County has faced a need for a new jail over the past decade or longer. Council members and county commissioners have been trying to save and plan for funding a new jail, which makes a large purchase like a new heating and cooling system pretty much out of reach at this point.
Commissioners voted to table the heating and air conditioning situation and have Mitsubishi come back with a quote for installing new controls on the present system. They also tabled the matter after the Culy presentation at their last meeting.
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