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Committee recommends geothermal/renewables package for proposed police station; requests payback analysis
Summary
After presentations from consultants, the Public Works Committee recommended the most comprehensive sustainability package (option C) for the proposed police station, which includes geothermal HVAC, rooftop PV and preparedness for future EV charging. The committee asked staff to return with lifecycle cost and payback analyses.
Amber Anderson, representing the consultant team (Enbirger Anderson), and Mike from JDR Engineering presented three sustainability bundles under consideration for the proposed police station: a baseline conventional rooftop HVAC package; a geothermal option with rooftop DOAS (dedicated outdoor air systems) and centralized geothermal heating/cooling; and a more distributed geothermal solution with individual heat pumps and DOAS (the consultants labeled options A, B and C).
Mike and the engineering team said they were moving toward Option C (distributed geothermal heat-pump systems with rooftop DOAS) after working with Focus on Energy to refine lifecycle estimates. Consultants said Option C increases first‑costs compared with a conventional system but is expected to reduce operating costs; staff will provide a detailed payback and operating-cost analysis at a future meeting once Focus on Energy calculations are final.
Consultants also presented a preliminary rooftop photovoltaic layout covering roughly 60% of the roof and sized near 220 kW. Amber Anderson said that layout currently yields an estimated annual energy cost savings of about $20,000 and a payback period just under 14 years based on today’s estimates. The team emphasized a mid‑roof placement to minimize street-level visibility while maximizing capacity.
The consultants discussed solar hot-water options and described building-envelope measures (spray-foam wall insulation and increased roof R-value) that will be part of the design regardless of final HVAC selection. Mike and Amber also confirmed staff will run conduit and provision electrical gear to accommodate future electric‑vehicle charging stations even if chargers are not installed immediately. The team said the plan is to size switchgear to allow future upgrades; they noted a typical current-service proposal around 2,000 amps and that gear could be sized to permit future expansion (consultants mentioned planning toward a larger capacity to avoid costly retrofits).
Committee member motioned to recommend option 3 (the consultant bundle corresponding to the distributed geothermal/DOAS and renewable package) to the Village Board; the motion received a second and passed on a voice vote. The transcript records aye/nay/abstain responses but does not record a roll-call tally; staff said they will return with detailed cost, savings and payback numbers for the selected option.
Ending: The committee voted to recommend the comprehensive sustainability package (Option C/bundle 3) to the Village Board and requested a follow-up report containing Focus on Energy payback calculations, full life‑cycle operating-cost projections, and firm photovoltaic production and cost figures before the Village Board takes final action.
