November 8, 2010

Township of Langley, B.C. saves big with new geothermal system

A geothermal system installed by the Township of Langley, B.C. at its Aldergrove water treatment plant has reduced the township’s greenhouse gas emissions by 31 tonnes in six months, according to initial data.

The plant used 29 gigajoules (GJs) of natural gas between May and October of this year. During the same period in 2009, the plant consumed 652 GJs.

The cost to heat the plant between May and October of last year was $6,674.42; this year is was $319.34 – a savings of $6,355.08.

The data was collected during summer months, when not much energy is consumed. “Even more dramatic savings are expected to be seen during the winter,” the township said in a news release.

The thermal recovery heat pump system utilizes the heat that is available from groundwater in the area to reduce the facility’s dependency on natural gas.

Previously, the water treatment plant used gas to meet its heating and cooling needs; the new recovery system extracts energy directly from the drinking water already being processed through the plant.

-RCD Digital Media

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