Geothermal Design is very friendly to institutions. Geothermal Units allow institutions to allocate funds for more meaningful purposes, reflect a positive image to the community, decrease occurrences of unexpected maintenance costs, and allow institutions more time and money to pursue their actual goals.
Institutions such as hospitals, schools, churches, and governmental buildings have many important functions in their respective communities. Citizens experience some of the most important moments of their lives in these institutions, and many of their biggest decisions, and smallest concerns are handled by them. It is this key position in the community that sets institutions apart form other types of buildings. Institutions comprised of community leaders, watchdogs, role models, elected officials, and other key individuals. They lead the community, and work to improve life for their neighbors and patrons. Institutions also have strict budgets, and must maximize their allocation of funds, in order to please both board of directors and tax-paying community members. These concerns lead to the obvious conclusion that Geothermal Design is perfect for institutions.
Operating costs are necessarily kept to a minimum. Institutions are most successful when they can allocate funds to best serve their patrons, and best pay their employees. It is true that Geothermal Design is more expensive initially. However, heating and cooling expenses do not end with construction. HVAC systems cost much more over time. Maintenance is minimal for Geothermal Systems, with the only anticipated maintenance being the changing of air filters as required.
GHP Systems shave 25-50% off of annual heating expenses. An average institution can expect to recoup those extra initial expenses in less than 10 years. Because institutions are often housed in larger structures, heating and cooling costs can be a major drag on operational budgets. By implementing Geothermal Systems, institutions can maximize their investments. Geothermal Systems can readily accommodate larger structures, and the savings begin immediately.
There are excellent examples of the benefits of Geothermal Design principles for institutions. The U.S. Government installed a Geothermal System in Fort Polk, a sprawling training Center, in Leesville, Louisiana. Through this decision to install a Geothermal System to heat and cool Fort Polk, the U.S. Government was able to educe energy costs by $44 million over the life of the energy savings performance contract! Over 4,000 GHPs were connected to 700 miles of underground pipes, replacing an aging HVAC system. The project has saved Fort Polk about $3.3 million per year and won the prestigious "Golden Hammer Award" in 1997. Imagine how must better their training seminars are, with such a burden lifted from Fort Polk's operational costs!
The administration building at Whitman College (located in Walla, Washington) is another institution benefiting from a Geothermal Systems. Originally built in 1899, the historic building faced many design constraints when it came time to retrofit their aging HVAC system. A Geothermal System was the ideal solution because it did not require ducting throughout the building. Instead, individual heat pumps were mounted above the ceiling. This allowed Whitman College to maintain the integrity of their historic Administration Building, to preserve its unique design elements, and to save plenty of money in the process.
Geothermal Systems are guaranteed to last: the Geothermal Heat Exchanger is guaranteed for 25 years, and are estimated to last upwards of 50 years; the heat pump unit can last for a minimum of 20 years. By minimizing maintenance costs, cutting heating and cooling expenses in half, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels, Geothermal Systems are a responsible choice for institutions.
Both Fort Polk and Whitman college realized that installing Geothermal Systems was the right thing to do. It reflected a very positive image to the community, maximized their budgets, and saved them millions of dollars. With the money saved, these institutions were able to spend more money actively achieving their operational goals, without sacrificing funds to maintain their operational budgets. They rid themselves of budget killing HVAC Systems, and reaped the benefits of Geothermal Systems. If Geothermal Design Principles can benefit a base the size of Fort Polk, or a building over 100 years old, then wouldn't your institution benefit too?
