Geothermal Technology May be Coming to Wawasee Middle School
In
an effort to reduce energy costs and continue to save money in the
future, the Wawasee Community School Corporation is looking into the
possibility of utilizing the geothermal energy in the area.
Geothermal energy is the heat contained within the earth and is a
clean, reliable and renewable resource. It can be used as an energy
efficient heating and cooling alternative. Information provided by
the company, Performance Services, suggests that the location of
Wawasee Middle School is likely to have significant geothermal
potential. Recent upgrades to the heating and cooling system at
Wawasee Middle School make that location ideal to best use this
natural resource. The first step in the process is to drill a small
test well.
Drilling
a test well will provide data on both heat transfer and the type of
geology at the site. This information will help determine if the
site is suitable and aid in projecting the cost of installing a
geothermal system. The
test well will be approximately 6-8 inches in diameter and roughly
500 feet deep and it will not impact the soccer fields. The
drilling of the test well is expected to take just a couple of days
and the results reported back in a week or so. During the first two
days of the project what will be visible is a truck-mounted drill
rig. Once the well is drilled, the site will be fenced off and the
area secured until the necessary data is collected. The test well
site will either be fully restored or converted into a production
well if the project is approved by the School Board. If approved,
anywhere from 30 to 50 production wells would be installed in an open
area just east of the tennis courts. Once installed, the wells are
covered with top soil and are not noticeable.
