Warren County Public Schools has begun an energy savings project that will result in almost $1 million saved annually in utility/building operations. The renovations will include many geothermal HVAC system installations, new control systems, and many other mechanical and electrical upgrades throughout the entire WCPS district. It will help financially and improve the learning environments for all who attend school daily, both teachers and students alike.

The district created a contract, named the Guaranteed Energy Savings Contract, with CMTA Energy Solutions, in which all total construction sums up to about $30,000,000. The contract ensures that the energy used will be measured, tracked, and verified for the next 20 years.

As seen on our boys’ baseball field, the geothermal HVAC system is currently being put into place–in 2018 and 2019, Warren Central High School, Warren Elementary School, Warren East High School, and Natcher Elementary School will also receive new geothermal HVAC systems. Lost River Elementary School will, in addition, get an HVAC system, but not geothermal.

“The slow decay of radioactive particles in the earth’s core, a process that happens in all rocks, produces geothermal energy,” as described from EIA Energy kids. The name, “geo” meaning “relating to the earth”, and “thermal” being “heat”, is pretty much self-explanatory. It’s heat from down from in the earth. A large percentage of geothermal resources are located near tectonic plate boundaries (near most volcanoes). Since most tectonic plate areas are mostly in the west of the US, the majority of geothermal plants are based in that general area, including Alaska and Hawaii.

The purpose for tapping into geothermal reserves is the amount of energy that can be used in multiple ways. It is straight from the earth’s core, so the energy used from there is clean and plentiful, and can be converted into electricity, used for turbines and generators, heating buildings, growing plants, and much more.

The energy savings project includes all schools in Warren County Public Schools district, with many new changes–23,000 LED fixtures, various plumbing, irrigation, roof and window replacements, will occur, along with 520 KW of solar panels at many elementary schools.