The Prescription for Lower Heating and Cooling Costs in Healthcare Facilities Brochure

G E O E X C H A N G ETHE PRESCRIPTION FOR LOWER HEATINGAND COOLING COSTS IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIESEach year, more hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers andother healthcare facilities are discovering how to deliver greaterpatient comfort while saving tens of thousands of dollars onheating and cooling costs through GeoExchange.Cost and space savings, improved comfort, lower maintenanceand equipment life cycle costs, individual room control andenvironmental conservation are just a few of the benefitsthat make this earth-friendly HVAC technology worth serious consideration.Although GeoExchange may seem to be a new tech-nology to some, it’s actually as old as the earth itself.By tapping into the relatively constant temperature of theearth below the frost line, GeoExchange heats and coolsbuildings at significant savings — 25% to 40% savings com-pared to traditional systems. Considering that a healthcarefacility requires maximum temperature control 24/7, better-managed energy consumption can produce enormous savings.GeoExchange is ideal, whether you’re building a new healthcare facili-ty, renovating an existing one or simply replacing your old HVAC system.So keep reading. Discover how much more patient-friendly, cost-efficientand environmentally conscious your treatment center can be with GeoExchange.A S U R E C U R EFOR RISING ENERGY BILLSGreat River Medical CenterWest Burlington, IowaÔUnlike traditional furnaces that burn fuels for heat and require separate airconditioning or chiller systems, GeoExchange systems transfer heat from oneplace to another using a simple process to provide both warmth and cooling.There are two types of GeoExchange systems. Each taps the earth’s inex-haustible supply of renewable thermal energy, under ground or under water,where temperatures remain fairly moderate at 45° to 55°F, year-round.“Closed loop” systems use the earth as the heat transfer medium, employing a mixture ofwater and non-toxic antifreeze pumped through a continuous loop of sealed polyethylenepipes buried beneath the ground, vertically or horizontally. “Open loop” systems drawwater directly from a well, lake or pond and pump it through a heat exchanger at thegeothermal heat pump, after which the water is returned to the source.In winter, GeoExchange systems bring the earth’s natural warmth up to a building and thentransfer it into each room or zone via a heat pump. In summer, they work in reverse toprovide air conditioning, absorbing the heat from inside a building and transferring it to thecooler earth below.HIGHER EFFICIENCY THAN OTHER SYSTEMSAfter an extensive evaluation, the Environmental Protection Agency found that, even on asource fuel basis – accounting for all losses in the fuel cycle, including electricity generationat power plants – GeoExchange systemsaverage 40% to 75% greater efficiencythan all other available heating and coolingtechnologies.S I M P L I C I T Y O F D E S I G N A N D O P E R AT I O N F RO M T H E G RO U N D U PClosed Loop Vertical SystemClosed Pond Loop System2GREAT RIVER MEDICAL CENTER WEST BURLINGTON, IOWAConstruction: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998-2000Building Type:. . . . . . . . . . . . . $120 million hospital complexTotal Area: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700,000 sq. ft.HVAC: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GeoExchange, lake-coupled, closedloop system; 105 grids, 800 heatpumps, total capacity: 1,500 tonsSystem Comparison: . . . . . . . Conventional boiler and chillerEstimated Annual Savings:. $1.5 millionWORLD’S LARGEST LAKE-LOOP SYSTEMOUTSTANDING COMFORT INSIDE,VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE OUTSIDETraditional systems have two major shortcomings. Theyheat or cool an entire building at once, with little or noability to control comfort levels in individual rooms orzones. Second, they occupy tremendous space, bothinside and outside the building.A GeoExchange system creates anexceptionally comfortable healingenvironment by giving medicalstaff precise temperature con-trol, room by room, accordingto patient preference or medical need. The system cancompensate for morning orafternoon shade, heat buildup ortemperature variance anywhere in abuilding. Administrative offices, non-clinical areas,even surgical rooms can be designed with sensors thatactivate the system when they’re occupied, and shut itdown when they’re not.Humidity levels are ideal.There’s no “blast” of hot air. No“cold blow” that sends patients scrambling for blankets.Temperatures don’t fluctuate, so thermostats don’t needconstant adjustment.GeoExchange systems are much more compact than tradi-tional systems, and out of sight. Mechanicalrooms can be much smaller. Thereare no boilers, smoke stacks orfuel tanks. No massiverooftop chillers requiringadded structural support,labor and constructioncosts. No holes drilled inroofs to secure them either,reducing the risk of leaks.No above-ground equipment to be seen at all.In fact, the surface above a ground loop can be used forparking lots, walking paths or courtyards. And becauseGeoExchange equipment is usually underground (wells andpiping) and inside (heat pumps), it’s not exposed to damagefrom weather or vandals.Great River Medical Center, West Burlington, Iowa3MORE DESIGN FLEXIBILITY,MORE AVAILABLE SPACETraditional systems limit architects, designers andengineers to traditional thinking. GeoExchangepermits them to envision a new world of hospitaldesign possibilities, inside and out.A GeoExchange system needs only about one-third thespace of a traditional boiler room. Pipes hidden above the ceiling transport warmth to or from heat pumps concealed in small closets in patients’ rooms. Large blowerunits and radiators need no longer be a visual detriment in every room. And the eyesore of above-ground androoftop equipment completely disappears from view.The result? Unlimited architectural creativity. GeoExchangesystems permit more attractive exterior and roof designs.They allow older healthcare facilities to be modernizedwithout negatively impacting their appearance. They alsopermit more room in every room, with higher indoor airquality and controlled humidity. More overall space avail-able throughout the building. And preservation of the natural beauty that surrounds your facility.W I T H G E O E X C H A N G ET H E S K Y I S N O L O N G E R T H E L I M I T4“It’s amazing to me after 23 years in the business to be able to use 33-degree pond water to heat abuilding. The (geothermal) system purred like a kitten from the start-up.”Rex ClarkFacilities Development Team St. Joseph Medical CenterFort Wayne, Indiana“I’ve had so many compliments from staff, patientsand surgeons even, about the performance of thesystem. And the savings we’re generating areprobably in the neighborhood of $1.5 million a year at today’s energy rates.”Steve Leavitt, Director of DevelopmentGreat River Medical CenterWest Burlington, IowaENVIRONMENTALLY SAFERIN THE AIR AND THE GROUNDEven the most advanced fossil fuel systems release emissionsinto the air during combustion. And rooftop cooling towerscould present additional air quality concerns related towaterborne bacteria or airborne mists from water treat-ment chemicals.GeoExchange systems present no such problems. Andthey are fully endorsed by the Department of Energy andthe Environmental Protection Agency. GeoExchange is environmentally responsible, creating warmth withoutcombustion while drastically reducing greenhouse gasemissions. In fact, GeoExchange systems currently in useeliminate more than 3.8 million metric tons of carbondioxide from our atmosphere annually. GeoExchange systems are a good business decision and a good exampleof environmental stewardship. All of which helps to keepAmerica’s blue skies blue.Dupont Medical Center, Division of St. Joseph Medical Center Fort Wayne, Indiana5QUALITY LIVING, INC.OMAHA, NEBRASKAOriginal Construction: . . . . . 1999Building Type:. . . . . . . . . . . . . Nursing facility, 60 long-term-careunits, 52 apartmentsTotal Area: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95,896 sq. ft.New HVAC: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GeoExchange, 162 vertical loop wells, 230 ft. deep, 180 individualroom heat pumpsSystem Comparison:............Traditional variable air volume, gas-fired hot water heating, chiller watercooling, central air conditioningSpace Savings:.....................40% smaller mechanical roomEstimated Cost Savings: . . $460,756 over 20-year life cycleEXPERTS IN THE KNOW,AS CLOSE AS YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTERThe GeoExchange industry is growing rapidly, with anexpanding infrastructure of knowledgeable experts skilledin the technology. From design engineers and architects towell drillers, pipe fitters, HVAC contractors and equipmentspecifiers, you can find everyone you need to help design,install and maintain a GeoExchange system precisely tailored to your hospital’s or healthcare facility’s present and future needs.Easily contacted by phone or e-mail, these people can putyou “in the loop” quickly, bring you up to speed on the lat-est technology, and show you other institutions that havebenefited, economically and ecologically, from GeoExchangeheating and cooling.East Campus Development, Quality Living, Inc., Omaha, NebraskaASSISTED LIVING IN TOTAL COMFORT6Main Entrance, Quality Living, Inc.Omaha, NebraskaA CONSTANT SUPPLY OF HOT WATERIn hospitals and healthcare buildings withcafeterias or food preparation facilities, on-sitelaundries and therapy rooms, GeoExchange systems canalso help cut the cost of refrigeration, ice making, and hotwater production. Walk-in refrigerators and ice makingequipment, even computer rooms, generate excess heat,which can be captured by the fluid circulating in theground loop and used to help produce hot water very economically.In the winter, this excess heat can also be used to helpheat the building interior. This heat can also be routedthrough pipes under parking lots and sidewalks to meltsnow and ice. Since heat is merely transferred from whereit’s generated to where it’s needed, operating costs arelowered even more than when GeoExchange is used just for heating and cooling the building interior.LESS MAINTENANCE,FEWER INTERRUPTIONSTraditional HVAC systems can be complexand costly to maintain. Oil and gas-fired boilersdemand regular cleanings and component maintenance.Chillers need routine check-ups, fluid testing and replace-ment. Both systems require the attention of skilled technicians to ensure reliable operation. And should eithersystem fail, the hospital or healthcare facility could shutdown with it.GeoExchange systems, however, are remarkably simple andreliable. They consist of standard pumps, water valves andheat exchange units. The polyethylene pipes undergroundA D D E D A D V A N T A G E S O F G E O E X C H A N G EH E AT I N G A N D C O O L I N G7“I would definitely recommend this system over a conventional HVAC system.”Alex MartinezMaintenance EngineerIndian Health Service HospitalAlbuquerque, New Mexico“With the system performing well and with cost savings so impressive, we expect a payback of a little more than four years for the cost of the geothermal system.”Mike Larson, P.E.Farris Engineering Quality Living, Inc. Rehab CenterOmaha, Nebraska can last 50 years or longer. Routinemaintenance consists primarily of airfilter replacement. And in the unlikelyevent that an individual heat pump, water pump,pipe or valve should fail, that component can be taken off-line and repaired, without affecting other units.WHY YOU SHOULD PRESCRIBEGEOEXCHANGE FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE FACILITYGeoExchange is the most efficient, most environmentallyresponsible heating and cooling technology you can use.For a world of good reasons.It is unrivaled for economy — comparable to traditional systems on first-installed costs and vastly superior over the long term — with energy cost savings of 25% to 40%annually. It offers precise control of comfort levels in individual rooms or zones. It affords exciting new architectural possibilities, inside and out. Its simple designand equipment ensure years of reliable performance withmuch less maintenance than traditional systems.GeoExchange also enables healthcarefacilities to demonstrate global steward-ship by example, utilizing a limitless supply ofnatural heating and cooling energy with no impact onthe environment. Or on the world’s dwindling supply offossil fuels.If you’d like to learn more about the very real benefits ofGeoExchange heating and cooling for your hospital or health-care facility, contact the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortiumtoll-free at 1-888-ALL-4-GEO (255-4436) or visit our website at: http://www.geoexchange.org8Indian Health Service HospitalAlbuquerque, New MexicoGEOEXCHANGE ADVANTAGES• Cuts heating and cooling costs 25% to 40%• Increases patient comfort and staff control• Reduces mechanical room space up to 60%• Eliminates heavy rooftop equipment• Preserves building aesthetics and beauty of land• Simpler design, maintenance and operation• Environmentally friendly technologyCredits: Photos of Quality Living, Inc. – East Campus Development courtesy of Farris Engineering, Omaha, Nebraska. Photo of Dupont Medical Center courtesy of WaterFurnace, Ft.Wayne, Indiana.The Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, Inc.(GHPC) is a nonprofit organization whose goal is toadvance the use of GeoExchange heating and cooling systems. GHPC is a partnership made up of electric utilities and the geothermal heat pump industry.PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER$8.00 GB-032 ©2001, GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP CONSORTIUM, INC.701 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.WASHINGTON, DC • 20004-2696PH: 202-508-5500 • 888-255-4436 FX: 202-508-5222 • http://www.geoexchange.orgGEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP CONSORTIUM, INC.