The following LWSD schools have (or will have) geothermal heating systems:
"The average payback time for our geothermal systems is about 30 years into a 75 year lifetime of the building."
-- Shannon Parthemer, District Communications and Community Engagement Director."
- Ella Baker Elementary School (Redmond)
- Clara Barton Elementary School (Redmond)
- Rachel Carson Elementary School (Sammamish)
- Peter Kirk Elementary School (Kirkland opens 2019-20)
- Margaret Mead Elementary School (Sammamish opens 2019-20)
- John Muir Elementary School (Kirkland)
- Carl Sandburg Elementary School/Discovery Community School (Kirkland)
- Timberline Middle School (Redmond opens 2019-20)
- Lake Washington High School (Kirkland)
- Redmond High School (Redmond)
- Juanita High School (Kirkland – first phase opens 2019-20)
"The average payback time for our geothermal systems is about 30 years into a 75 year lifetime of the building."
-- Shannon Parthemer, District Communications and Community Engagement Director."
"114 wells were bored for this Juanita School project. Borers drill as deep down as the Statue of Liberty is tall." $
-- Project Manager, Juanita project.
The Pros & Cons of close-looped geothermal heating, by Jifayalazm Kinhal, ecologist.
The Pros & Cons of close-looped geothermal heating, by Jifayalazm Kinhal, ecologist.
Gotta say, the risk of underground pollution is seriously overemphasized, and the "risk" of damage to the earth's surface seems to confuse heat-pump style "geothermal", which uses the ground as a heat sink, with actual geothermal, which uses heat from the earth's core to provide steam.
ReplyDeleteThe REAL geothermal systems, which tap into near-surface magma have a wide variety of problems including surface damage, damage to aquifers, and a whole heap of technical difficulties, have to be very carefully engineered. Since they generate electricity, though, they actually aren't a localized problem.
Heat pumps using the ground as a heat sink (you cool it in the winter, and warm it in the summer) have no huge issues as long as the extraction and injection wells are in the same layer of aquifer and carefully done. And they pump water from the ground, and back into it, so the "water use" is rather quite disingenuous there.
I found an article by an ecologist that addresses the "closed loop" system. You can find it linked to the bottom of the post. It offers some of the same information as you have...and more.
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