HVAC, energy efficiency projects look to be complete by first day of classes
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Rodney Pickering
Thursday, July 10, 2014, 11:50 p.m. — Some of the energy management projects now underway at several Nelson County Schools facilities are facing tight schedules in order to be completed in time for the start of classes on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Rodney Pickering of CMTA Consulting Engineers told the Nelson County board of education at its working session Thursday the replacement of the HVAC system in Cox’s Creek Elementary School faced a very tight schedule. Work on one wing of the school’s heating and cooling systems will be complete by July 23, the other wing should be ready the following week.
“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Pickering said. But there will still be work to do before the building is ready for teachers and students.
Thursday mornings working session of the Nelson County Board of Education — including a short executive session — lasted 3-1/2 hours.
Todd Sanders, the district’s director of physical support services, told the board that the timeline for work at Cox’s Creek means there probably won’t be time to wax the hallways and classrooms in time for the start of classes. Simply cleaning the school after the HVAC work is done will be a big job, Sanders said. “The floors will be clean, but not waxed,” he said.
At Nelson County High School, the work includes HVAC upgrades for the gymnasium and upgrades elsewhere for energy efficiency. At the Boston School, HVAC blower motors are being replaced by variable speed units that adjust their speed by the building’s need for heating and cooling. “It’s an efficient, more cost effective way to operate the building,” Pickering said.
Similar energy efficient projects are also under way at Old Kentucky Home Middle School and Bloomfield Elementary, he told the board. The upgrade also include LED lighting outside, which are efficient and have a longer life than traditional lighting.
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