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Feather River College
Geothermal Heat Pump System
Quincy, California
Location: Quincy, California
Owner: Feather River College
Temperature: 190°F (88°C)
Startup date: 1998
Developer: Princeton Development
Cost: $512,000
Feather River College in Quincy, California, significantly cut their energy costs by switching from antiquated air conditioners to a geothermal heat pump (GHP), a highly efficient and cost effective space heating and cooling technology.
Designed and engineered through a partnership with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and private groups, the innovative GHP project has enabled the college to significantly reduce its heating and cooling energy costs. The GHP was installed in January 1998 by Heat Transfer Systems.
In Quincy, at 5,000-ft altitude, ambient temperatures are extreme both in summer and winter. This caused both cost and capacity problems for the college's former electric resistance heating and electric air conditioning systems. To cut $190,000 of annual heating and cooling costs, the college decided to employ GHP technology to four buildings containing a library, classrooms, offices and a gymnasium. The 135-ton system relies on 24 individual GHPs strategically located throughout the buildings. The GHPs allow separate areas to be heated and/or cooled simultaneously and independently, based on need.
The idea of updating the school's antiquated comfort system started in 1992, but no actual plan was made because of limited financial resources. In 1996, Princeton Development Corporation, Guttman & Blaevoet and engineers and technical experts from the CEC assisted the college administration with developing alternatives. They eventually opted for the GHP system.
Princeton Development underwrote 100 percent of the project's costs. Funding for the project came from various sources, including the CEC, the California Community Colleges, the National Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, long-term debt financing and third party equity financing. As a Geothermal Heat Pump Demonstration Project, the College received assistance in engineering, commissioning and monitoring of the ground loop installations.
The entire project cost was $512,000, roughly $218,000 more than the base price of air source heat pumps. The in-ground heat exchange loop is responsible for most of the cost differential that will be paid back many times over during the system's life cycle.
Since its start-up in 1998, the GHP system has saved the college about $50,000 in energy costs each year. The college also benefits from the quieter operation of the GHP system, which is important to their educational environment.
References and Additional Information:
GEOheatpumps.com (December 2002)
California Energy Commission News Release (August 1999)
