Install geothermal heating and cooling systems.
A geothermal system is an electrically powered device that uses the natural heat storage ability of the earth and/or the earth's ground water to heat and cool a building. A few feet beneath the surface, the earth's temperature remains fairly constant and a geothermal system takes advantage of this constant temperature to provide extremely efficient heating and cooling. In winter, a water solution circulating through pipes buried in the ground absorbs heat from the earth and carries it into a building. The geothermal system inside the building uses a heat pump to concentrate the earth's thermal energy and then to transfer it to air circulated through standard ductwork to fill the interior space with warmth. In the summer, the process is reversed: heat is extracted from the air in the house and transferred through the heat pump to the ground loop piping. The water solution in the ground loop then carries the excess heat back to the earth. The only external energy needed for the geothermal system is the small amount of electricity needed to operate the ground loop pump, fan, and compressor.
Practice Information
| Capital Cost: | Very Expensive (>$500,000 US) |
| O&M Cost: | Moderate (>$50,000 – $100,000 US) |
| Payback Period: | Immediate (0 – 2 years) |
| Staffing Requirements: | Negligible (<10 hours per month) |
| Reportability of Metrics: | Quantitative metric with baseline for comparison practices and is already tracked |
| Maturity of Practice: | Proven at multiple airports |
| Energy Reduction: | Decreases energy consumption and generates renewable energy |
| Environmental Benefits: | Moderate environmental benefit |
| Social Benefits: | Low social benefit |
Airport Characteristics
Categories
Case Studies
Multiple Airports
Other airports with geothermal systems include Amsterdam-Schiphol, Paris-Orly, Stockholm, Zurich and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
2011
Portland International Jetport (PWM), Portland, Maine
A geothermal heating and cooling system was part of a $75 million US terminal expansion in 2011 at PWM in Maine. The airport used an FAA Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) grant to fund $2.5 million US of the $3 million US project. The system built at PWM is Maine’s largest, with nearly 23 miles of high-density polyethylene piping and 120 ground wells that reach up to 500 feet deep. The system moves up to 475 gallons of water per minute with a 125-horsepower pump. Under normal operation, it takes approximately 30 minutes for water to complete a round trip to the farthest well. The new geothermal system is designed to reduce the facility’s oil consumption by more than 50,000 gallons per year and save more than an estimated $160,000 US per year.
Related Links
Zurich Airport, “Environmental Achievements at Pier E”
Environmental News Service, ""New York's JFK First Airport to Install Geothermal Power""
Aeroports de Paris, ""Geothermal Energy""
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