Nov 30 2010
The Fayette County Courthouse in West Union will have a 250-ton geothermal heating and cooling system, as the city is one of the two cities chosen for Iowa’s Green Streets pilot project. About 18 local companies will have access to the system. The replacement of a very old storm water and sanitary sewer infrastructure in the downtown by the city is resulting in the installation of the system.
Waukesha, WI-based IBC Engineering’s Brain Kuhn, said that the crew would bore 126 wells with a depth of up to 350 feet and a diameter between 4 and 6 inches into the green space on the west side of the courthouse.
The officials are commissioning pumps in the basement to provide a switch at a later stage as there is a possibility of a second geothermal system as well as drilling of 75 wells at another location in the city. The project is backed by a number of funds, which include the US Department of Energy’s $1 million contribution. Architects stated that the bids for the project will happen in February or March 2011 and the scheduled date for completion is July 4, 2011. Test borings will be conducted in December 2010.
The county is not financing the project. However, the courthouse will get some benefits on its green space, as southwest corner’s sidewalk will be razed. The designers plan to reconstruct a more symmetrical sidewalk.
Source: http://www.fayettecountyiowa.org