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Radiant Buildings, Renewable Resources by Nancy Argyle for Sonic Drill Corporation In Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada, rated the third best city in the world in 2019 by Mercer Consulting, one thing is very clear - geothermal has a lot of fans. With a population of more than two million people in the Greater Vancouver area enjoying one of the highest ratings for quality of life, many are also choosing geothermal systems for residential, municipal and commercial builds. Considering the numerous benefits, it’s not sur- prising to see large construction projects embracing geothermal but it’s especially gratifying to see how many individual residential projects have also opted in. Since geothermal installations work by moving heat instead of cre- ating heat, there are many environmental benefits including a reduced carbon footprint as well as the use of a sustainable renewable resource that already exists in the ground beneath homes and buildings - a win- win for everyone. “Due to increasing awareness of global warming issues, eventually, I expect geothermal to become the gold standard for new homes,” said Ray Roussy, president of Sonic Drilling Ltd. in Surrey, BC, Canada. Roussy, an engineer, is the developer and patent holder of modern sonic drilling technology which is now in use across six conti- nents and in various applications. His drilling met hod has won four awards for best technology and he has subsequently pa tented the use of sonic drilling specifically for geothermal installations. Meet the Fastest Drill on the Plan et - With th e ability to drill through mixed soils at a rate of 3-5 times faster than traditio nal methods , Roussy’s sonic drills are already the speediest on the planet but they co me with an additional advantage that makes them ideal for geothermal installations, both big a nd small. In a patented one-step operation, sonic drills are able to drill th e hole, case it, install the geothermal loop and then fill the hole with grout - something that no oth er technology in the world can do. With a clear savings from reduced on-si te project ti me, sonic drills have quickly become the preferred drilling method for geo- thermal installations. Vancouver Airport Catches Geot hermal Fev er - In an attempt to significantly reduce greenhouse gases, the Vancouver Airport Authority recently embarked o n an ambiti ous $360 million geothermal project to construct a new Central Utilities Building which will house all the neces sary equip ment to heat and cool the airport. The airport’s new geo-exchange system will initially use approximately 1100 geothermal holes, drilled 400-500 feet belowground, with additional holes planned for future projects. Considering the airport’s soil condi- tions, which can be challenging for tra- ditional drilling methods, the Vancouver Airport Authority opted to use Roussy’s sonic drilling technology - given that it is able to drill easily and quickly as well as provide one-step geothermal loop installation. Wi t h h i s BC-deve l oped son i c drilling technology now 35 years old, Roussy said he is delighted to see it at work on so many local projects, know- ing the benefits it brings and the role it plays in furthering a clean energy future. TWISTER™ High-Efficiency Geothermal Heat Exchanger • Increase the value of your bore 50% • Increase bore capacity 50% • Reduce requireddrillingby1/3 • Installs like a standard HDPE loop • Complete more installations in less time • Manufactured from standard HDPE geo pipe material (866) 499-2220 info@agreenability.com www.agreenability.com Saves Time, Space, and Money!! See our article on page 30. 17 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® APRIL 2020 ENV Open the Doorway to all the Event Photos during Underground Construction Technology 2020 To see more photos from this event, go to www.worldwidedrillingresource.com Feel free to download at will and print the photo(s) of your choice. Compliments of WorldWide Drilling Resource ® . Photos are copyrighted and released for personal use only - no commercial use permitted.