CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) – The University of Illinois is embedding a new geothermal heating and cooling system within the foundation of a building addition on its engineering campus as part of an effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
The News-Gazette reports that the project will install geothermal heat exchanger loops in the foundation of a novel “smart” pedestrian bridge. The bridge will link the 13,000-square-foot Hydrosystems Laboratory extension to the Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory.
Officials say that by using the 50-foot-deep rods currently being drilled for the foundation, the project will reduce general geothermal installation expenses in addition to providing for on-site research.
UI Facilities and Services director Mohamed Attalla says the new installation method costs around $240,000, which is around 30-40% cheaper than drilling holes for a long-established geothermal “field system.”
