Geothermal Energy Equals Cost Savings

by Tara Ninmann
Created: June 22, 2012

The site around a commercial project has the potential to be an energy source for heating and cooling comfort. Outdoor air temperatures fluctuate throughout the year with the changing seasons. In...
The site around a commercial project has the potential to be an energy source for heating and cooling comfort. Outdoor air temperatures fluctuate throughout the year with the changing seasons. In contrast, ground temperatures 4 to 6 feet below the earth's surface remain relatively constant all year because the earth absorbs heat energy from the sun. Loop installers, like Durbin Geothermal in Illinois, drill into the earth to install loop fields.
Drilling rigs, like these used for the closed-loop system installed at Lake Land College in Illinois, drill loop fields typically 100 to 300 feet deep.
Drilling rigs, like these used for the closed-loop system installed at Lake Land College in Illinois, drill loop fields typically 100 to 300 feet deep.
Loop manufacturers use high-density polyethylene, a tough plastic, for the piping in a geothermal installation. When installers connect sections of pipe, they heat fuse the joints, which makes the...
Loop manufacturers use high-density polyethylene, a tough plastic, for the piping in a geothermal installation. When installers connect sections of pipe, they heat fuse the joints, which makes the connections stronger than the pipe itself. The fluid in the loop is water or an environmentally safe antifreeze solution that circulates through the pipes in a closed system.

The past 12 years have been a learning curve for Dom and his family on diversified loop installation methods and site construction needs. And in those 12 years, geothermal installations have become more popular. “There are now enough case studies and enough tests have been done that more engineers and contractors are more comfortable with geothermal systems,” he notes.

Dom credits communication as a key to any project’s success.

“Everything you change and modify on a geothermal installation has an impact on another piece of the installation,” he stresses. “If you just tried to divide work from inside the structure [mechanical contractor] and outside the structure [excavating/drilling contractor] ... if either make changes to anything [piping/depth/unit sizes/building envelope/building load] it has an impact on other sides. Communication and working with other trades is critical to the success of a geothermal installation.”

The future of geothermal

“Building operators are extremely concerned with energy costs, now and in the future,” explains Freitag. In addition to being an environmentally friendly heating/cooling option, geothermal systems are providing cost savings for those who install them.

According to Freitag, geothermal energy has the potential to play a significant role in moving the United States (and other regions of the world) toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy system. Geothermal energy is one of the few renewable energy technologies that — like fossil fuels — can supply continuous, baseload power.