WorldWide Drilling Resource

When our local electric com- pany held a seminar entitled: “Selling Energy” with Mark Jewell, I was im- pressed at how many times there were fringe benefits associated with an energy upgrade improvement project. Many of Mark’s clients who switched to LED light bulbs later reported they also saw increased production by workers because of the brighter work spaces. While inspecting the drilling of a borehole for a geothermal retrofit project in Connecticut in December, I thought I heard a strange noise when the drill rig wasn’t making its own. Sure enough, one of the two-ton air source air conditioner condensers near the five-ton condenser we were replacing was running! It stopped soon after, but the next day I video recorded the other two-ton unit running too. The widowed owner did not realize this problem was ongoing for years, though I suspected something was afoul when she had shown me her $500 per month electric bill and high propane bills a few weeks earlier. After I shut off power to the three disobedient condensers (and thermostats) at the panel box, our competent heating contractor reported there was a backfeed in the low-voltage wiring (it was never done correctly), requiring him to add some isolation relays and do a little rewiring. Had she not decided on the geothermal project, her wasteful situation of heating and cooling at the same time would have persisted. Other benefits likely to occur during a geothermal system install include locating unknown footing and gutter drains, extent of buried oil tank if near a trench cut, etc. The drilling tells the landowner how deep ledge is, if it were unknown, and what water yield is at the borehole depths. When coring through a basement wall connecting to a borehole, sometimes other openings letting semiconditioned air escape are discovered and sealed. These can usually be where the line set enters the house. The floor plan studied for heat loss calculations for a recent job on file with the town was incorrect, and the owner had an opportunity to address tax appraisal cost. Lastly, once the geothermal system is in place, and the winter humidity of the inside air is higher because coil temperatures are lower than from combustion, the owner experiences nasal comfort like never before, and feels the real extra benefit. The statements and comments in this article are based on information and references believed to be true and factual. If you have any questions or comments, please forward them to me in care of WWDR . Pete Peter Tavino may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com Extra Benefits of Geothermal by Peter Tavino Litchfield Geothermal 59 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® FEBRUARY 2016