06/01/2026
The Dunklin R5 School District is the recipient of $67,325.02 in incentives from Ameren Missouri after building an energy-efficient gymnasium. Superintendent Dr. Clint Freeman says, “It was awesome to partner with Ameren and McClure Engineering on this project. This is another example of fiscal responsibility by the district with our vendor partners.” Ameren works to lower future power demand by offering incentives to install energy-efficient systems. Under the oversight of the Public Service Commission, Ameren Missouri annually sets aside funds for these programs.
The systems used in the new 23,284-square-foot Herculaneum High School Gym were designed by Project Manager Rick Hautekeete and others at McClure Engineering. Their work goes beyond the obvious, like double-pane low-e glass windows. For example, the gym’s comprehensive HVAC systems feature an energy recovery process. The indoor air is routed from the gym through the locker rooms and exhausted to an energy recovery unit. The unit pushes the conditioned air back through the system, reducing the need for outside air. When there is a crowd in the gym, the system’s carbon dioxide detector triggers the apparatus to draw in more outside air, improving air quality and lowering CO2 levels.
Getting from a design to building takes a lot of work. It starts by reviewing the local building codes and calculating the difference between what is acceptable and what was installed. The energy modeling was done by Engineer Anuj Bhargava, who worked with Matt Farwig, a contractor for Ameren who helps manage the program. After crunching all the numbers, the new gym will achieve a 70% reduction in energy use compared to a code-compliant baseline. That’s a savings of 211,712 kWh annually, which is enough to power 366 homes for a month. The gym will save 175 metric tons of CO2, which is equivalent to removing 37 cars from roads for a year. Dunklin R5 will have an annual cost savings of $22,003.23.
McClure Engineering won a first-place award for its design of the Herculaneum High School Gym. The St. Louis Chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) gave McClure the 2026 Technology Award in New Educational Buildings. The award was accepted by Dr. Freeman on behalf of the Dunklin R5 School District.
Pictured: Ameren Engineer Anuj Bhargava, Board President Tammy Heidland, TRC Company's Matt Farwig, and Superintendent Dr. Clint Freeman.
