Polk County's HQ gets greener with new electric HVAC system

• The system can achieve more than 40% in energy savings.

Catch up fast: County supervisors passed a resolution three years ago to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040.

• The government is already transitioning to an EV-based vehicle fleet and could transform the roof of the Iowa Events Center into a solar field.

How it works: Room temperatures and specific areas can be controlled in the new system as opposed to a building-wide setting used in the current gas-powered operations.

• That allows operators to adjust heating and cooling levels in places not being used.

State of play: The third floor installation is complete and the first and second floors will be operational before next winter.

Follow the money: Partial funding comes from a nearly $80,000 federal grant announced last week.

The intrigue: County officials won't have a cost savings estimate until the system is fully operational, Scott Ourth, Polk's director of general services, tells Axios.

• The environment, rather than savings, is the primary reason for the installation, he says.