A resident told a Haines Borough
subcommittee Tuesday that a geothermal heating system would likely be viable for municipal
buildings, including the school.
Insurance salesman Ned Rozbicki, who recently spent six months
attending engineering seminars to learn about geothermal technology, said the initial
investment in a system is pricey, but would quickly pay off.
Rozbicki is slated to make a second presentation at the Energy
Sustainability Commission’s regular meeting March 30.
The borough is studying the viability of a biomass heating system for
the school and borough facilities. Commissioners also are researching other energy
sources.
"The maintenance costs are way less" than traditional
oil-fired boilers, Rozbicki said. "Geothermal is 50 to 70 percent more efficient,
with paybacks of five to seven years." Installation costs to retrofit borough
facilities would be the biggest hurdle, he said.
Rozbicki said engineering studies would be needed to determine
feasibility and costs and drilling a test well would be the first step. Among variables
are soil composition and conductivity and the amount of horizontal water flow, which helps
re-warm the ground after heat is extracted.
Geothermal systems use electric heat exchange units to extract energy
gained by circulating cold water underground to absorb heat from the earth. They also can
be used to cool buildings, when the pumps use stable ground temperatures as a heat sink.
Rozbicki said the best type of system for Haines might be one using a
series of wells drilled into the ground outside rooms needing heat, with small heat
exchange units in each room to provide temperature control.
Commission chair Gary Lidholm raised questions about electricity costs,
including whether the system’s electric requirements would exceed the capacity of
existing hydropower sources.
Commissioner Leonard Dubber said he thought cordwood boilers remained
the best alternative to oil-fired heat, but said geothermal was "a viable heat
source."
Dubber also questioned the cost and availability of electricity for
heat exchange units used to extract heat from water circulated through the ground.
"If we had Connelly Lake and solid hydro, I would be way more enthused," said
Dubber, who opposed spending money on engineering studies.
Commisioner Eric Holle said all energy options should be evaluated on
an equal basis. "We know (geothermal) works. We know it can be done. We know there
are advantages to it. But we don’t know what the cost-benefit ratio actually would
be."
Holle said the electric load of a geothermal system was a question for
engineers.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, over 500 schools nationwide
have installed geothermal heat pumps. Closer to home, geothermal heats the Juneau Airport
and is planned for use in the new Juneau municipal pool complex and Gastineau Elementary
School.
