Using Embodied Energy To Make Hvac Decisions

摘要

Universities have become increasingly adept at documenting the expenses of their buildings. Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, carefully researched the benefits of renovating its 84-year-old residence hall, Skenandoa House. Balancing the embodied energy of the historic building with the operating energy it cost, the college chose to keep the historic structure and install a geothermal heating system. The renovation was completed in 2004, and the geothermal system will reach a payback point in 2009. Benefits of the heating system were evident almost immediately. In its first year of operation, the geothermal system used 250-percent less en- ergy per gross square foot than a standard gas-fired heating system in a comparable residence hall. The geothermal system is incredibly efficient. The process requires only electricity to run a heat pump and small circulation pumps, eliminating the use of natural gas.