Ball State University Cuts Carbon Footprint in Half with Geothermal Energy
The United States' largest ground source, closed loop district geothermal heating and cooling system will officially be revealed and dedicated at Ball State University on March 20th.
The system draws heat from the earth in the winter and sinks heat into the ground in the summer. The first phase is operational, while the second, and final phase, of the geothermal project is under construction. When complete, the system will allow the university to shut down its aging coal-fired boilers and cut its carbon footprint in half.
In the end, 47 buildings will be connected to the closed loop system and 5.5 million square feet of space will be heated and cooled by geothermal energy.
The $50 million project, which received $5 million in funding from the Department of Energy and $45 from the state of Indiana, is expected to save Ball State $2 million in energy costs annually.
Image credit: Ball State University
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
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