This article first appeared in the January 2013
issue of BD+C.
Built in 1907, the Muscatine County Courthouse in Iowa recently underwent a series of renovations and upgrades, becoming one of only a handful of courthouses in the U.S. to earn Energy Star certification. Variable refrigerant flow zoning technology from Mitsubishi Electric was installed and interfaced with a closed-loop geothermal field designed by mechanical engineer A&J Associates. Heat pumps recover excess heat generation and reuse it to heat cold spots or to warm water. The system also serves the energy needs of a new jail addition across the street, saving the county even more on energy costs.
