Nov 15 2010
The State Capitol building in Denver, Colorado, is expected to go green with the proposed installation of geothermal heating and cooling facility. The project costing a total investment of $6 million will receive $4.6 million funding from the US Department of Energy, and will raise another $1.4 million in the form of state participation certificates and lease buying agreement with Chevron Energy Solutions, which is roped in to install the geothermal system.
The system on completion of the installation will save over $95,000 in energy costs in the first year of installation. The savings generated from the project are anticipated to make up the lease payments towards Chevron.
Chevron had begun the first phase of the geothermal installation last month and dug a well measuring over 900 feet into the Arapahoe Aquifer. The drilling explorations are expected to be extended during the spring of 2011 to facilitate upgrading the heating and air conditioning facilities and to install a second well. The underground aquifer provides a constant heat of 55° which will be pumped out to meet the cooling requirements of the building during summer and to heat the building during the winter months.
Bill Ritter, Governor of Colorado, said that the project highlights the importance of utilizing renewable geothermal energy available in Colorado. He added that by tapping the underground geothermal energy the capital building can maintain its required cool or hot temperature while saving costs on spending public money.
Source: http://www.colorado.gov/