Green Building Features

Click on the images above to learn about the features of the building.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

What is geothermal energy?
In Greek, “geo” means “earth” and “thermal” means “heat,” so geothermal energy is literally “earth-heat.” The deeper you go into the earth’s crust and eventually to its core, the hotter it gets. However, almost everywhere across the entire planet, the upper 10 feet below ground level stays the same temperature: between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is a geothermal heat pump?
A geothermal heat pump takes advantage of that constant temperature to heat or cool a building. Pipes are buried in the ground near the building, and inside these pipes a fluid is circulated (much like antifreeze in a car’s radiator); it is a closed loop system so that the fluid flows down one side of the tube (cooled or heated, depending on the season) and flows back up the other side of the loop.

In winter, heat from the ground goes through the heat exchanger of a heat pump, which sends warm air into the building. During hot weather, the process is reversed: hot air from inside the building goes through the heat exchanger and the heat is passed into the ground.

Heat removed during the summer can also be used to heat the building’s water.
Our building will have approximately 22 wells, with each one running nearly 500 feet deep. The depth and number of the wells is generally determined by the size of the project, soil conditions and the depth of the water table.

Why use geothermal heat pumps?
Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable resource which emits no greenhouse gases. Geothermal heat pumps use 25 to 50 percent less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems, and can reduce energy consumption and corresponding emissions anywhere from 44 percent to 72 percent.  They also have relatively few moving parts, making them durable and reliable.  You may have heard that installation costs are higher than more traditional systems, but the energy savings usually provides returns within 3 to 10 years. As demand for cleaner energy sources increases, the cost of producing geothermal energy will become more affordable.

Next: Living Wall ...

Large Rendering: Example of a vertical closed loop geothermal pump system. Rendering courtesy U.S. Department of Energy.