EPL Gets New Energy-Efficient Cooling Units

Evanston residents looking up in the sky Tuesday morning got to watch two giant cooling units being removed from the Evanston Public Library.

The 13,000 lb. cooling units were replaced with new, 9,800 lb. energy-efficient units as part of the city's 2011 Capital Improvement Project program.

"The new units are smaller, energy efficient and use an environmentally friendly gas to generate cooling for the building," the city said in a release about the units. "The city has been pre-approved for a $16,000 rebate through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for replacing them."

The process went off with minimal disruption to residents and traffic, the city said, though they noted that the hoisting, removing, and setting the new machines was a major undertaking.

"The project required precise staging of a hoisting crane, which arrived on two large trucks; a semi-trailer delivering the new cooling units; two semi- trailers hauling away the old units; and several service vehicles," the city said.

To view a photo gallery of the units being removed and replaced, click here.