Dear UUCF Members and Friends,
This Sunday, August 25 at 11:45am
,
you are invited to an Information Session about the UUCF Air Conditioning
. This session will be held in the sanctuary approximately 15 minutes after the end of the 10:30am Sunday Service.
The estimated cost to replace the broken HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning) units is $80,000. But after extensively exploring options and inviting multiple bids, the consensus of the Board of Trustees, Facilities Team, and Rev. Carl is that the best way forward is to
replace the entire HVAC system, which is estimated to cost $172,920.
Our current 17-year-old HVAC system uses R22 (commonly known as “Freon”) as a refrigerant
,
which is being phased out at the end of this calendar year
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This change makes it costly, if not impossible, to repair our current units after January 1, 2020. R22 was standard in 2003 when our building was constructed, but our units need to be replaced with R-410 units, which is the new, more environmentally-friendly standard.
A piecemeal replacement would be easier if we were still in the same HVAC paradigm as 2003. But
technology has advanced so much that moving fully to the new system will eliminate the system conflicts, confusion, and workarounds required to run two different systems.
Previously our plan was to replace our existing HVAC units as necessary, but the recent breakdown of units this summer caused us to closely consider all the current options. We then realized the advantages of moving fully to a new HVAC system immediately:
- The new system is much more efficient. Some estimates indicate a 50% improvement in efficiency which will save on both annual propane and electricity costs and be in alignment with UUCF’s commitment to be a Green Sanctuary.
- The new system will be automated, turning on and off whenever it senses people entering or leaving the room.
- Our current units were expected to last at least through last year, so other units will likely break sooner rather than later.
- Our remaining R-22 units are in critical areas such as the sanctuary, Circle of Life Preschool, and offices.
Installation will be completed over the course of a month in phases, and will not require the closing of the building.
Paying for the system will require financing, and we are in discussions with Frederick County Bank about options.
For more information, please join us
this Sunday, August 25 at 11:45am
in the sanctuary. As always, thank you for your ongoing support of UUCF and our mission to encourage spiritual growth, build a beloved community, and act for peace and justice.
In service,
The UUCF Board of Trustees
