Monday, November 17, 2008

Flower Mound school explores alternate system for heating/cooling

By Staff of Lantana Links

Anyone who’s ever been in a cavern or cave, regardless of the season, knows that the temperature within that cavern is always constant, usually between 65 and 70 degrees, despite the temperature or humidity outside. It’s the natural principle of geothermal heat, where the combined heat from the sun and the coolness of the earth makes the temperature constant.

It’s that principle of nature that Coram Deo Academy is planning to use as an alternate way to heat and cool its planned expansion, according to Trent Clark, an architect with A Plus Design Group of Flower Mound. Recently, the Group drilled a geothermal test well to determine the conductivity of the soil, which will help in the design of the system at the Flower Mound campus.

"Different types of soil and rock each have varying amounts of conductivity," said Clark. "We’re collecting data to determine how to design the system and to determine how many wells are actually needed to efficiently heat and cool the new facilities in the planned expansion."

Clark estimates that between 40 to 60 well fields will be needed, which will be under parking areas, drives and ball fields.

Installing a geothermal heat pump system for the heating and cooling needs of the school’s new buildings is a way for Coram Deo to save on energy costs and significantly lighten its carbon footprint, school officials said.

The system forces water into the earth at a depth of about 300 feet and retrieves it through pipes arranged in a closed loop. While under ground, the water takes on the subterranean ambient temperature, somewhere around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Once looped back above ground, the water is circulated through an exchange process, cooling or heating air that’s blown over the pipes and into the buildings.

A geothermal system differs from a conventional furnace or boiler because of its ability to transfer heat and coolness versus the standard method of producing heat through burning fuels or air conditioning using refrigerant. As energy costs continue to rise and pollution concerns continue to dominate the news, geothermal systems may hold a solution to both of these concerns.

Should the system prove viable, the savings from heating and cooling costs may range anywhere from 20 to 40 percent, even more if energy costs continue to rise. The carbon emissions avoided by such a system can be substantial as well, with some estimates pegged at 50 to 70 percent as compared to today’s technology, according to industry sources.

Pegasus News content partner - Lantana Links

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• Private Schools > Elementary and Middle Schools > Coram Deo Academy