Liberty Schools J-4 is a small, rural public school district serving the communities of Kirk and Joes in the Eastern Plains of Colorado. With a focus on educational excellence, the District is proud to have a 100% graduation rate for over two decades and has received Accreditation with Distinction from the Colorado Department of Education for five consecutive years.

For many years, the District has dealt with a failing steam heating system, inefficient and ineffective cooling from window A/C units, and no ventilation system of any kind. During the development process, the Millig team identified a unique opportunity to address the heating, cooling, and ventilation needs not only at the K12 School but also the central plant building. These two facilities now share one highly efficient thermal energy network provided by a ground-source Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system. This system combined with a dedicated ventilation system, fed by Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV), provide much-needed cooling and ventilation functions, both lacking previously, while maintaining the operating costs previously experienced by the District.

To offset significant project costs associated with ground loop installation and the highly efficient electric heat pumps, the Millig team assisted District administration in applying for and securing several external funding sources.

Scope:

• Ground-Source Variable Refrigerant Flow (Thermal Energy Network)

• Energy Recovery Ventilation System

• Packaged Rooftop Unit (Gymnasium)

• New Electrical Infrastructure

• Modern Code Compliant Fire Alarm System