Anyone whose university residence was heated by steam probably remembers well the nighttime clanging and banging of pipes. But in addition to those noisy nights, steam systems depend on combustible fuel, making them one of the biggest obstacles to reducing carbon emissions that universities with ambitious climate goals typically face. Now, however, the days of fossil fuel-based heating and cooling may be numbered—a growing cohort of schools is pioneering district energy systems based on geo-exchange instead.
Geo-exchange takes advantage of the fact that, below the frost line, the ground holds a fairly steady temperature. (In the northern United States, it’s about 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and in the southern U.S., it’s about 50 to 70.) Because heat wants to move from warmer molecules to cooler ones, surplus building heat can be conducted into the ground during hot weather, and ground heat can be extracted when it’s colder up top. And if you’re thinking 50 degrees in winter is no good to anyone, here’s the kicker: the magic of heat pumps and compressors is that they amplify the base temperature, producing levels of heat (or, in summer, cooling) that are all that’s needed to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. Returning three to four units of energy for each unit of electricity used to operate them, geo-exchange systems are widely considered to be the most efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning available today.
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