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NORTHEAST ISD to buy Trane and Daikin chillers directly to speed 2025 bond projects
Summary
The board approved direct purchase of HVAC chillers and a slate of chiller suppliers (Trane, Daikin among them) to accelerate work under the 2025 bond; staff said manufacturer warranties and factory representatives will support commissioning and service.
The Northeast Independent School District board approved a recommendation to purchase HVAC chillers directly as part of the 2025 bond program and to authorize a list of chiller suppliers, a step district staff said will speed installations and allow the district to negotiate pricing.
Trustee motion and second carried unanimously (6–0). Staff recommended Trane and Daikin as preferred manufacturers after evaluating five vendors and conducting site visits, reference checks and rubric‑based scoring focused on past service, factory support and vendor stability.
"Based on the evaluation results, the committee recommends Trane and Daikin," said Dr. Barry Lanfer, the district’s executive director of facility operations. Staff eliminated one vendor on price and negotiation grounds and said four manufacturers remained under consideration after initial review.
IAQ coordinator Elliot Johnson explained the allocation of equipment: the district split orders by chiller type and tonnage so that scroll chillers and screw chillers were distributed to vendors in a way that matches site needs. "We broke it out by tonnage... Daikin got all the scroll chillers, and Trane got all the screw chillers," Johnson said.
Trustees asked how warranties and installation responsibilities interact. Staff said the contractor warranty covers installation (one year) while manufacturers are providing a five‑year equipment warranty for parts and labor. To reduce installation disputes, the district will require factory representatives for startup and retain independent electrical/mechanical/plumbing engineers to oversee installations.
District staff also cited energy‑savings examples from prior replacements: "At Reagan, we replaced four chillers and saw about a $30,000 per month decrease in utilities," Dr. Lanfer said, noting additional immediate rebates available from the utility for higher‑efficiency equipment.
What’s next: Staff said purchases will appear on a future board purchase agenda; design‑build contractors approved earlier will perform installations and district staff will manage warranties and commissioning oversight.
