As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above approach to American energy, the Energy Department recently congratulated Ball State University for its campus-wide ground-source geothermal system, the nation's largest geothermal heating and cooling system.
Building on significant investment from the State of Indiana and the University, the Energy Department provided key support for the project with a $5 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Ball State system—which the university anticipates will save $2 million annually in operating costs and cut its carbon footprint by nearly 50%—is one Energy Department investment helping to reduce energy costs, diversify the nation's energy portfolio, and create clean energy jobs across the country.
Launched in 2009, Ball State's geothermal system will replace four aging coal-fired boilers to provide renewable power that will heat and cool 47 university buildings, representing 5.5-million-sf on the 660-acre campus.
To provide heating, the geothermal heat pump removes the heat from the fluid in the Earth and transfers it to the building. For cooling, the pump removes heat from the building and transfers it back into the Earth. Nearly every component of the Recovery Act-supported system was manufactured in America, and Ball State has contracted with more than 50 Indiana firms to complete the project, which included drilling 3,600 boreholes around campus.
Buildings consume about 40% of total energy in the U.S. The Energy Department's support for projects like the Ball State geothermal system underscores the Administration's commitment to clean, efficient energy solutions that can create significant costs savings. The innovative geothermal system highlighted today demonstrates the tremendous potential of sustainable energy technologies, and serves as a model for other major facilities and universities across the nation. BD+C
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Nov 3, 2017
Top 25 military architecture firms
Jacobs, Michael Baker Intl., and HDR top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest military sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Engineers | Nov 2, 2017
CannonDesign expands its presence in Colorado with BWG acquisition
Future mergers could be in the offing.
Giants 400 | Nov 1, 2017
Top 35 industrial architecture firms
Jacobs, Stantec, and BRPH top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest industrial sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
K-12 Schools | Oct 31, 2017
Exploring empathy in architecture: Put yourself in your student’s shoes
People are enigmatic and inherently complex, which can make it difficult to design for a larger population.
Architects | Oct 31, 2017
AIA selects recipients for the 2017 Innovation Awards
The program honors projects that highlight collaboration between design and construction teams to create better process efficiencies and overall costs savings.
Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2017
Top 130 green architecture firms
Gensler, Stantec, and HOK top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest green sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Architects | Oct 30, 2017
City 2050: What will your city look like in 2050?
What do we think the future will look like 30 years or so from now? And what will City: 2050 be like?
Architects | Oct 25, 2017
Mason & Hanger appoints Ben Lilly as its new president
The firm expects to continue mining growth opportunities with its federal agency clients.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 25, 2017
Creating child-friendly healthcare spaces: Five goals for success
Children often accompany parents or grandparents in medical settings; what can we do to address their unique needs?
Giants 400 | Oct 24, 2017
Top 160 reconstruction architecture firms
Gensler, Jacobs, and Stantec top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
