The Educated Choice for Schools The Educated Choice for Schools(Published with the Permission of the Director of Communications, GeoExchange)
GeoExchange systems are the most economical and environmentally friendly way to heat and cool schools. They are already providing safe, year-round, room-by-room comfort to hundreds of schools across the United States and Canada.
School systems face many concerns and challenges. Administrators face the problems of upgrading old schools and constructing new facilities that meet today’s standards. And the way that school buildings are used has changed — from single-use facilities closed after classes are finished to year-round use with lots of evening and weekend activities.
The life-cycle cost of the heating and cooling system is an important economic consideration. Schools must plan for long-term efficiency to maximize their resources. GeoExchange systems have been repeatedly shown to have competitive initial investment costs as well as lower operating an maintenance costs than other systems in most every climate. These savings make GeoExchange ideal for schools of all sizes and locations.
Below the frost line, the temperature of the earth is relatively constant. GeoExchange systems use geothermal heat pumps to take advantage of this constant temperature to provide efficient comfort conditioning. Since GeoExchange systems operate by moving heat from or to the earth, no fossil fuels are burned. This approach taps an inexhaustible source of renewable energy.
In most school installations, one geothermal heat pump is used for one or two classrooms. The heat pumps may be in the classrooms as consoles, in closets, or above hallway ceilings. Larger heat pumps are used for areas such as cafeterias and gymnasiums. And still others may be used to provide hot water for kitchens and locker rooms.
Generally, all of the heat pumps are attached to the same earth connection by a loop of pipe inside the building. The earth connection is either a series of buried pipes (closed loop) or water wells (open loop) often buried beneath parking lots or playing fields. Closed loop systems circulate water or an environmentally safe antifreeze through plastic pipes buried beneath Earth’s surface. The fluid absorbs heat from the ground during the winter and transfers it to the heat pumps inside the building. In the summer, the process is reversed with heat from the building returning to the ground. Open loop systems operate on the same principle, and can be installed where an adequate supply of water is available.
GeoExchange systems provide cost-efficient, comfort, safety, reliability, and quality learning environment while freeing-up tight budgets for quality educational programs.
Operating costs are substantially lower.
Kentucky Utilities commissioned studies by three engineering firms who modeled the life cycle costs of alternatives including GeoExchange. Even assuming that the GeoExchange system would cost more to install, the enormous operating and maintenance savings yielded 12 to 19 percent life cycle savings over 20 years. The study also compares energy costs for 24 schools with various HVAC designs. The three lowest operating cost schools have GeoExchange. Similarly, a Lincoln Electric System study of new GeoExchange schools in Nebraska showed savings — even though the GeoExchange schools were designed to meet higher ventilation standards than earlier comparison buildings.
Maintenance savings are remarkable.
At one Canadian school, maintenance costs are less than $0.03 per square foot per year. Routine maintenance is primarily replacement of air filters, and can be done by custodial staff. No in-school technicians are needed in GeoExchange schools. Likewise, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District has converted many of its facilities to GeoExchange. One of the advantages they find is that maintaining spare parts is easier than with alternative systems. The heat pumps are modular and interchangeable, and Austin no longer needs to stock parts for multiple boiler and chillers.
Classroom comfort and user satisfaction.
Because GeoExchange systems use many relatively small heat pumps, each teacher has control for his or her classroom. This leads to greater comfort and satisfaction. Larger GeoExchange units are installed in spaces such as auditoriums, allowing cost-effective heating and cooling for after-school events.
Design flexibility / reduction in rooftop repairs.
GeoExchange eliminates the need for outdoor or rooftop equipment. Schools are no longer limited to flat roofs, allowing for better architectural design. And with no roof penetrations for piping or servicemen on the roof, the need for roof repairs is reduced.
Safety.
Some combustion-based systems present an explosion hazard if the storage or delivery of their fuel is not carefully controlled. Since these systems require a flame to operate, failures can result in loss of property or life to fire. Incorrectly installed systems, chimneys that become blocked, or downdrafting can cause carbon monoxide to remain inside of buildings.
GeoExchange systems have no combustion, and thus produce no indoor pollutants like carbon monoxide. And since the earth connection is buried, there is no dangerous outdoor equipment that children might be tempted to play on.
Integration with educational values.
As the most energy efficient systems available, GeoExchange systems prevent pollution. In addition to creating a quality learning environment, GeoExchange communicates the important message of stewardship of the Earth to students.
GeoExchange installation costs are sometimes higher due to the additional cost of the required earth connection. However, experienced architects and engineers often find that other factors offset that additional cost, specifically:
GeoExchange systems need much smaller mechanical spaces. Leaving out boiler rooms can decrease the size of the building (and its cost) by 3 to 5 percent.
Because large ductwork is not used to distribute energy throughout the building, floor-to-roof (or floor-to-floor) heights can be reduced. For instance, in Toronto, construction cost savings were more than one million dollars for a 180,000 square foot school.
It’s important to include these construction savings in any economic analysis. Involvement by one of the many experienced designers who understand schools and GeoExchange systems helps assure success.
Over 300 principals are proud, 45,000 teachers are smiling, and 1,250,000 students are learning in a more comfortable environment thanks to GeoExchange heating and cooling systems.
GeoExchange systems offer many ways for schools to save money, improve safety, and enhance the learning environment while demonstrating stewardship of our natural resources. No wonder school districts around the country are building or converting all of their facilities to GeoExchange after they experience its comfort and cost savings.
For more information on GeoExchange technology and design options for schools, please contact the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium at 1-888-ALL-4-GEO. Ask about our video for school administrators, case studies from schools throughout the United States and Canada, or the list of hundreds of GeoExchange schools across the continent.
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