Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems
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Tap into Geothermal Systems for Heating and Cooling
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| Townhomes at the State University of New York
(SUNY) at Brockport. |
In the November/December 2007 issue of School Construction
News, the “Green Scene” column focuses on geothermal
heating and cooling for schools. A geothermal engineer describes
the benefits and various aspects of these energy efficient systems.
Geothermal is well suited to schools because it costs less to operate
than traditional HVAC systems. It is a good partner to masonry construction
which has thermal mass characteristics and minimizes temperature
swings.
Schools are always looking for ways to save money on operating
and maintenance costs. They are designed for long, heavy-duty use,
and taxpayers demand durable and efficient structures. The cost
of energy already represents a sizeable portion of a school’s
operating budget, and is likely to become an even greater expense
in the future. Although geothermal heating and cooling systems are
initially more expensive, their payback period is relatively quick
in terms of a school’s useful life. It is thought to range
from 5 to 12 years.
Masonry can be more or less expensive initially than other building
systems, but it is generally considered to require low maintenance
and spreads the cost over a long time period, making it efficient
over the life of a school. Both of these topics relate to sustainability,
which seemingly will influence all aspects of construction for a
long time.
Geothermal systems use the earth’s nearly stable temperatures
to act as a heat source or a heat sink, so they can heat and cool
buildings; using zones allows doing both at the same time.
Mass walls store heat and can prevent temperature swings. Both clay
and concrete masonry have this capacity. These are commonly used
in schools for both interior and exterior finishes, largely because
they are resistant to vandalism, do not promote mold growth, and
have long term durability.
A typical temperature curve for masonry walls compared to nonmasonry
walls shows the reduction in peak temperatures resulting from the
use of concrete masonry, and it shows the temperature lag that occurs
due to using a mass wall system. This reduces the need for heating
and cooling while maintaining a comfortable interior for occupants.
The geothermal system does not need to work as hard.
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| Heat gain through masonry and non-masonry
walls (with equal U values). |
Read the articles on School
Construction News by searching the archives or through
the links below:
"Geothermal
Installation Wins Praise From SUNY Brockport"
"Geothermal:
Engineer Says Systems Can Lower Costs"
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