City to get first geothermal system

McMinnville Civic Center is scheduled to have a modern geothermal heating and cooling system, a first for the city, by the middle of next year.

In January, elected officials began discussing possible heating and cooling options when the 30-year-old facility once again began to experience problems. At that time, officials wanted to look into something more cost efficient.

An audit by Townsend Engineering showed the facility would benefit so much from the efficiency of a geothermal system that the city could save as much as $25,000 a year. The city could add an extra $5,000 to the savings if officials included energy-efficient lighting.

According to Townsend, the total estimated cost for the system is $740,000. TVA would pay $100,000 and a zero percent energy loan could be obtained in the amount of $226,000. The city would have to secure notes for the remaining amount.

A complete site analysis was then conducted to determine if the area around the Civic Center is suitable. A drill was used to test the site by drilling down 300 feet, and then a conductivity test was performed. Both tests were promising.

As for financing, the city was able to obtain a zero percent energy loan for $500,000, more than twice the $226,000 that was expected. The city will have to get a low-interest note to pay for anything over that amount.

As of Monday, the bidding has begun. A pre-bid meeting will be held Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m. During this meeting, companies interested in submitting a bid will go over exactly what the city wants and what their bid should include.

Currently, the city wants:

‘ Installation of the new system;

‘ Construction of an addition to the building for storage of the pump and manifold system;

‘ The creation of the geothermal bore field;

‘ Removal of the old system;

Once the bids are submitted, city officials will choose the lowest and best bid out of those which fit the requirements.