Geothermal Heat Pump Installations in Colorado
Originally presented April 28, 2009
Audio recording and presentation slides available - click here to order

Installation case studies to be discussed are:

Custom Home Construction in Lafayette, Colorado installed by Dr. Fred Walls with PK Geothermal. The 3,300 square foot ranch style home built in 2006 in Lafayette, Colorado showcases how a residential customer can work with their builder and his mechanical contractor to incorporate a geothermal heat pump installation. Dr. Walls estimates that he heated his home for just $1.25 a day and saved about $800 in energy costs in 2007,before gas rates increased dramatically. Dr. Walls projects that his incremental installation costs will be paid back in energy cost savings within 10 years.

Village at Country Creek in Fruita, Colorado installed by Sunshine Development with Comfort Air of Grand Junction. This planned neighborhood offers eight floor plans with a geothermal heat pump system for heating, cooling, and hot water as standard equipment in all 48 homes. Home Energy Ratings certify that the homes that range in size from just 1,200 to 1,600 sq. ft. and sell for only $215,000 to $256,000 perform 50% better than average in projected energy savings. The ground loops were drilled vertically in two phases to hold down costs. Otherwise, installing geothermal system instead of traditional heating and cooling systems was no different, according to the developer.

Conoco/Wendy's Joint Facility installed by Danny Eilts, Frisco, Colorado. This multi-use facility, which includes a restaurant, convenience store, gas station and car wash, demonstrates the versatility of a geothermal heat pump system. By installing a geothermal heat pump that provides heating, cooling, hot water, and snowmelt, store owner Danny Eilts saves more than $1,400 in energy costs every month and the system will "pay for itself" in just six years. This system designed by Terry Proffer from Major Geothermal incorporates many environmentally-friendly features which reduce the total carbon emissions from this 7,000 square foot building.

Valley Bank & Trust in Brighton, Colorado installed by Blue Valley Energy. When bank officials decided they needed to replace the heating and cooling equipment in its 30 year-old building in downtown Brighton, they made the "smart" choice by installing a modern geothermal system. This installation combined the bank's wishes to embrace "green energy" solutions while also making sound financial decisions. Since the installation in 2001, the bank has saved more than $53,000 in energy costs.

Kinard Junior High School in Fort Collins, Colorado installed by Poudre School District. This school reflects the "evolution" of high performance buildings by incorporating both energy-efficient and environmentally friendly elements. The 113,000 square foot building operates at half the cost compared to other junior high schools in the district. These costs savings are due to the installation of a geothermal heat pump system combined with day lighting, and foam insulation. According to the Poudre School District's energy manager, the building's operating costs are even lower than projected, saving between $30,000 and $40,000 annually.