4 minute read
Going geo: Okanagan Skaha School District completes second geothermal upgrade
By Jillian Mitchell
British Columbia rests soundly in the heart of “The Ring of Fire,” a region along the Pacific Ocean renowned for its abundance of geothermal energy. The clean and renewable source is, interestingly, one of the greenest ways to generate electricity, and as such, “going geo” is markedly on trend in B.C. – with much staying power.
Last year, the Okanagan Skaha School District (No. 67) received a $1.2-million annual facilities grant from the B.C. government for its 2012 summer work plan which includes, among other developments, the installation of a new geothermal plant at Penticton’s Princess Margaret Secondary, a facility that previously operated on boiler heat. As Doug Gorcak, the district’s director of facilities, shares, the main drivers behind the upgrade were cost-efficiency and environmental consciousness.
“This system will save money in the long run,” he says. “We know that putting a little more capital in the beginning may cost us more upfront, but schools in general, with 75-year life expectancies, can recoup the cost down the road, and then the savings carry on.”
In addition, the low-emission system offers a predictability not shared by solar, wind and even hydroelectric power, notes Gorcak, citing that the “power is continuous no matter the time of day, weather or season.”
Additional funding from the FortisBC Efficient Boiler Program ($26,688) and the Ministry of Education’s Carbon Neutral Capital Program ($106,000) allotted for further expansion of the Princess Margaret Secondary geothermal field, well-positioning the neighbouring Skaha Middle School for connection to the system early next year; this secondary project is currently being tendered.
Kelowna-based Christman Plumbing & Heating Ltd. was awarded tender of the Princess Margaret Secondary upgrade that commenced July 2012. The project, which consisted of a mechanical upgrade and the installation of a new geothermal field, wrapped in January 2013.
“We put in 10 headers out there and 12 bore-holes per header at the depth of 200 feet, so that’s 120 holes,” says project manager Mardy Matson. “We had a crew of three or four at any given time for the five months of concentrated mechanical efforts. There were no major hiccups throughout the job; we have a really good crew here that understands how to do things.”
Industry leader GeoTility out of Kelowna was subcontracted for the geothermal portion, while Poole & Associates Mechanical Engineering Ltd. & JDQ Engineering Ltd. provided engineering services. As Matson confirms, all teams on site coordinated with the school district to ensure school classes were not disrupted by construction.
For Matson, geothermal is a welcome trend. “It’s nice to see schools going this route. Going green is good for our future; it’s good to be part of it. A lot of school districts are going the geothermal route, as long as the initial investment is available. But in the long run, there’s going to be payback for sure.”
The Princess Margaret Secondary School geothermal upgrade marks the second project of its kind for the school district; the first, Penticton Secondary, involved the replacement of aging infrastructure and the addition of a new geothermal system in 2008.
“We are quite happy with both systems,” says Gorcak of the district’s geothermal projects.
“Because it was a multi-year approach at Princess Margaret, we haven’t really seen 100 per cent of the benefits, but we will soon. The initial savings have reduced the energy consumption by almost 1300Gj of natural gas, reduced our carbon output by over 65 tonnes and saved about $13,000 in operating costs. These savings allow the school district to continue with other efficiency measures and continue to promote our environ-
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF A COMPREHENSIVE ROOF GUARANTEE
mental stewardship.” b
OR THE STUBBORN DETERMINATION OF A SINGLE RAINDROP TO GO WHERE IT DOESN’T BELONG
All roofing guarantees are not created equal. Case in point: a non-prorated RoofStar Guarantee by RGC is good for five- or ten-years and completely covers all labour and materials. RoofStar is also the only one that includes a comprehensive inspection schedule overseen by independent, third-party inspectors who monitor the installation process and follow-up inspections at pre-determined intervals. All of which is comforting. Because the only thing more determined than a raindrop is our commitment to make sure none of them ever go where they don’t belong.
RoofStar: New name. Same great guarantee.
604.882.9734 RoofStar.ca
ROOFING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
GUARANTEED. BETTER.
