Benchmark for Performance: Geothermal Applications in Lincoln Public Schools
Vertical-bore, geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) have been providing heating and cooling to four new elementary schools located in Lincoln, Nebraska since 1995. According to representatives of the local utility and school district, the systems are providing a comfortable, complaint-free environment with utility costs that are nearly half of that of other schools in the district. Performance data collected from on-site energy management systems and district billing and utility records for all fifty schools in the Lincoln district indicate that only five consume less energy than the best performing GHP school; however these five cool less than 10% of their total floor area, while the GHP schools cool 100% of their floor area. When compared to other new schools (with similar ventilation loads), the GHP schools used approximately 26% less source energy per square foot of floor area. Variations in annual energy performance are evident among the four GHP schools, however, together they still consume less source energy than 70% of all schools in the district. These variations are most likely due to operational differences rather than installed equipment, building orientation, or environmental (bore field) conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 6262
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/CP-102696; EB 40 02 00 0; EB 40 02 00 0; TRN: AH200115%%380
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: ASHRAE Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA (US), 06/19/1999--06/23/1999; Other Information: PBD: 19 Jun 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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