MGE installed an efficient closed-loop geothermal heat pump system to handle the heating and air-conditioning needs of the Lussier Community Education Center that serves children and others on the west side.

MGE owns and maintains the system. Once the geothermal monitoring system is completed and operating, MGE will provide real-time geothermal system performance data on this Web page.

We expect the system will reduce the center's:

• Maintenance costs.
• Energy costs.
• Overall energy use (natural gas and electricity) by about 30%.
• Carbon dioxide footprint.

How it works
Geothermal heat pumps use the earth's natural heat to assist with the heating and cooling of buildings.

• A series of U-shaped pipes will be buried in 20 holes about 300 feet deep to reach a constant ground temperature of about 50 degrees.
• Fluid (water with a small amount of environmentally friendly polypropoylene glycol) circulates through the pipes and carries the heating or cooling to a series of heat pumps.
• The heat pumps amplify the heating and cooling effect and release it inside the building.

Winter heating mode

Summer cooling mode

Cost
For a geothermal heat pump to reach its maximum performance, a building must be energy efficient. The Lussier Center was built to exceed state energy codes—with high-performance windows, insulation and other features.

The geothermal system costs about 20% more to install than conventional commercial heating and cooling units. The payback of the system is expected to be 12 to 15 years.

Project engineering consultation

• Sustainable Engineering Group LLC (for the geothermal heat pumps)
• KJWW Engineering Consultants (for the HVAC engineering)