Commercial

GEOEXCHANGE AND COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

In large commercial buildings, such as schools and high-rise offices, the use of multiple GeoExchange systems allows commercial users to control the climate of each indoor area or zone of a building individually. Each classroom of a school, guest room of a hotel or room of an office building may have its own GeoExchange unit.
This design means extraordinary savings because the heat removed from the sunny side is transferred to the GeoExchange unit heating the shady side, reducing the demand on the earth loop.

The Advantages:

• Lower operating costs
• High efficiency
• Less mechanical equipment space
• Reduced floor to floor height requirements
• Lowest life cycle cost
• Minimal maintenance
• Long-lasting and reliable

GEOEXCHANGE AND SCHOOL BUILDINGS

School systems face many concerns and challenges. Administrators face the problems of upgrading old schools and constructing new facilities that meet today’s standards. The way that school buildings are being 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 shown to have competitive initial investment costs, lower operating and maintenance costs, as well as the lowest life cycle costs compared to other systems. These savings make GeoExchange ideal for schools of all sizes and locations.

The Advantages:

• Substantially lower operating costs
• Remarkable savings on maintenance
• Classroom comfort and user satisfaction
• Design flexibility and reduction in roof repairs
• Increased safety with no combustion
• Educational values and earth stewardship
• Competitive installation costs
• No boiler room; decreased building size
• Eliminates large duct work
• Ceiling height can be reduced
• Construction cost savings were more than one million dollars for a 180,000 square foot school in Toronto

It’s important to include construction savings in any economic analysis. We also have the ability to conduct formation thermal conductivity test and data analysis. These tests can be useful for sizing the loop field for larger scale projects. These tests consist of connecting a control/data box to a generator and to one vertical loop. The control box then pumps heat into the loop and the data logger records how well the geologic formations in that area accept and dissipate heat. These tests will show the formation’s thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and undisturbed temperature.