Turtle Lake Schools
Rising energy costs, 40-year-old boilers, inoperable steam coils, and the looming possibility of a mid-winter heating failure left Turtle Lake School Board looking for a fast-track solution to their energy woes. Declining enrollment and a lack of funding required a budget-conscious approach, so the Board turned to McKinstry. The McKinstry team quickly got to work over the summer to do a complete overhaul of the District’s old steam system, replacing it with a dual energy source hydronic system. The new off-peak electric thermal storage system handles up to 70% of the peak load with natural gas as a backup, and the new hydronic gas boiler system handles 100% of the peak load, allowing for month-to-month selection of the most economical energy source.
McKinstry also improved classroom ventilation by retrofitting existing air handling units with new hydronic equipment. A new DDC system replaced pneumatic controls, enabling this system to perform as intended. The better temperature control and improved ventilation of the new system has greatly improved the students’ learning environment and the district is realizing significant savings. In the initial two months of summer operation, natural gas use decreased by 71% compared to the previous two years. Annual operational and energy savings are expected to be nearly $50,000.
Project Partners:
Mechanical Subcontractor - Bartingale Mechanical
Electrical Subcontractor - TJ Electric
General Contractor - Dell Construction
