Energy Efficiency and Geothermal System Design
Weston & Sampson was contracted by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to perform an American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Level II energy and water audit for Roxbury Community College in the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts. Built between 1825 and 1995, the campus consists of six buildings totaling over 350,000 square feet of educational space, including the Reggie Lewis Sports and Athletic Complex.
The audited energy use at the facility was on the order of 6.7 million kWh of electricity; 47,000 Therms of natural gas and 3.4 million gallons of water at annual (2013) cost of approximately $908,000. We conducted an evaluation of existing equipment conditions and a broad range of water and energy conservation measures (ECMs) that included the use of renewable resources. The recommended ECMs included: lighting, lighting controls, energy management system retro-commissioning with added controls, domestic water fixture replacement, installation of variable frequency drives, vending machine economization, and improvements to electric metering and monitoring systems for management purposes. We also recommend the installation of solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and integration of a geothermal heat pump system.
Weston & Sampson has now begun design of various mechanical system upgrades at the facility including the pilot testing and design of a geothermal system. Weston & Sampson has completed geothermal well installation which was completed as a 6-inch bedrock borehole to 500 feet. Following well installation, thermal conductivity testing was conducted over a 48 hour period on the closed loop system. Data from the test was analyzed to refine thermal acceptance loads for each well and to allow refinement of capital costs and construction feasibility. Based on the results our mechanical team has begun design of HVAC system upgrades incorporating this geothermal system.