manager, said Trevor Day School was selected for an energy pile project based on the piles, the geology, and the building heating and cooling demand. The energy loops are integrated into the foundation and through the slab into the building. “At Trevor Day, the energy piles are able to provide 100% of the building’s heating and cooling,” Nichols said. “Right now we have only a small boiler and that’s designed to manage the ground couple, not to heat the building. There is an option for a dry air cooler to manage the ground temperature since the building is cooling dominated. Challenges for U.S. Companies Thatcher’s Wysockey noted companies that install foundations in multiple geographic areas may face some chal- lenges. “Regulations regarding instal- lation of geothermal foundations are locally controlled and locally variable,” he said. “To install a geothermal foundation pile system in Indiana, for example, you must be a certified water well driller.” Training for well installers, much different than training for geothermal installers, delves into techniques that address environmental concerns of drilling a hole into the ground. In contrast, geothermal installers require training in basic mech- anical engineering practices. In Seattle, the Kulchin crew learned on the job. “Technicians from GI trained our 10-person crew in the specifics of geother- mal loop installation,” said Kulchin. “Our crew is now eligible to train others. In addition, our key crew members have earned certifi- cations from IGSHPA [International Ground Source Heat Pump Association], headquartered at Oklahoma State University (OSU).” IGSHPA can train installers of geothermal piles according to executive director Jim Bose. Adding that the skills required to install geothermal piles are similar to those skills required to drill boreholes for conventional geothermal systems. The concept is the same. Economic Viability Bose, also director of engineering technology at OSU, said geothermal heating and cooling is the “most energy- efficient technology available and one of the best investments a business or homeowner can make.” When heat pump technology emerged decades ago, fossil fuels were abundant and inexpensive, Bose said. “Now that the price of fossil fuels has gone up, heat pumps have become more popular.” Wysockey added that geothermal has better economic viability than some of the other “green technologies out there,” citing wind energy, which “requires government subsidies to get anywhere.” Geothermal “makes sense on its own,” although tax incentives are available for this technology, he said. “Private industry needs to help promote these incentives, and GI Endurant is well- positioned to assist in this effort. If we get others behind it besides the foundation and engineering community, shorter payback periods will happen.” Noting the fluctua- tions in fuel costs, he said the length of payback period is market-driven. “It also depends on where you are geographically. In regions with fewer heating and cooling needs, the payback is longer. The more you use a system, the quicker it pays for itself.” Steve Kulchin: “The “aha” Moment This is an excerpt of an interview with Kulchin by Sharon Boranyak Soon after, he learned of plans to build Art Stable in Seattle. Kulchin, president of Foundation Drilling Co., the first U.S. contractor to complete multiple geothermal living foundation projects, says he first thought of expanding his drilling services by offering geothermal ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. Then he began to see geothermal GSHP being specified for schools, and felt it was only a matter of time until geothermal GSHP would routinely be used on commercial buildings. Kulchin performed drilling for commercial buildings on a regular basis, and he thought the firm could make that transition. The “aha moment” came when we asked ourselves, "Hey, what if we eliminated the drilling costs by putting these tubes in our drilled foundations?” We researched this possibility and partnered with Geothermal International (GI) of England. There, he learned that GI was installing energy piles that integrate geothermal pipe loops into deep foundation elements. Kulchin says he introduced the concept to the project team and convinced them that the technology was economically viable and sustainable, and would tie in well with their marketing focus as a green building. The Art Stable project design team designed the energy foundation, and Kulchin installed it. According to Kulchin, a lot has happened in recent months in the U.S. GI acquired Chicago-based Endurant Energy, whose North American arm is now known as GI Endurant. The firm can offer a wide range of GSHP and combined heat and power systems, including energy foundations. Also encouraging is DFI’s support of U.S. geothermal foundation research. GI and other foundation companies that now work with GI Endurant in North America, are active industry partners with Virginia Tech in the research. Today, Kulchin is “proud” to have been involved with bringing this innova- tion on a nationwide basis to the U.S. as Living Foundations™. Energy foundation piles being installed at Trevor Day
