Project Spotlight: Bellarmine University Geothermal Field
Each April, we celebrate Earth Month to raise awareness of environmental issues and promote activities that protect our planet.
So this month, we’re spotlighting a past project that helped to conserve electricity and water usage on Bellarmine University’s campus in Louisville, KY.
Project Spotlight: Bellarmine University Geothermal Field
Client: Bellarmine University
Project: Koster Dining Hall Addition
Type: Renovation/Addition
Green: Geothermal
Problem to solve: The university was expanding its main dining hall and needed additional equipment to heat and cool the new space. The weight and dimensions of the cooling tower the building would require meant it couldn’t be placed on the roof – and the client wanted to avoid any additional external equipment on campus.
Obstacles to overcome: A geothermal field was recommended in order to solve the problem. Geothermal heat pumps use the constant underground temperatures of the shallow earth as thermal storage that enables efficient heating and cooling.
However, an exploratory dig on the initially planned site revealed too much water for installation, so an alternative option had to be determined.
Solution implemented: To meet the university’s goal to conserve energy and eliminate external equipment on the surrounding greenspace, an 88-well geothermal field was installed under the adjacent parking lot for this expansion of the main dining room on campus. In addition, tanks collect rainwater that is used for toilets and urinals to minimize water usage.
Impact to organization/community/environment?
Cooling towers, which the original design called for, require continuous water from the city, along with fairly large motors to turn the fans. The geothermal solution put in place eliminated these power and water demands, resulting in significant cost savings to the university – as well as benefits to the environment.
Not to mention, the new geothermal field was sized to replace the water source heat pumps for six other buildings on campus – resulting in system efficiencies for multiple buildings, beyond just the dining hall addition.
