Geothermal systems at LPS schools save approximately $4 million each year

November 4, 2024

Money may not grow on trees, but geothermal systems at Lincoln Public Schools are proving that it can grow underground.
 
LPS is reaping financial benefits from hundreds of geothermal wells, pipes and heat pumps every day. All but two school buildings rely on vertical-bore geothermal systems for heating and cooling.
 
LPS Director of Operations Scott Wieskamp said the systems have saved taxpayers millions of dollars in utility costs over the past three decades. LPS installed its first four geothermal wellfields in 1995 and began converting other buildings in 2005.

 
“It’s a great untold story,” Wieskamp said. “People know about it and know it’s here, but not about the money it’s saved for the taxpayer in terms of the investment. The fact that they took that leap back in the 1990s and the board and exec team were willing to make that decision was really forward-thinking. That was a great move, and now look what we have to show for it. It’s been incredible.”
 
LPS Sustainability Coordinator Brittney Wees said geothermal’s sustainability benefits are also enormous compared to a traditional forced-air heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Geothermal heat pumps are more efficient for heating and cooling spaces than central air-handling units, and the wellfields and heat pumps produce fewer carbon emissions. They also allow LPS to maintain better indoor air quality.
 
“The geothermal systems in our schools are a huge accomplishment for sustainable design across our district,” Wees said. “They significantly decrease energy consumption for heating and cooling compared to a traditional boiler/chiller system.”

 
Vertical-bore geothermal systems rely on the constant underground temperatures of 50-59 degrees found in the Midwest. During the winter, pipes transfer the warmer underground water back to heat pumps, which then circulate the water’s heat into the air in each classroom. When outside temperatures are warmer, the heat pumps remove hot air from the building and transfer it to the water. Pipes then deposit the heat into the ground.
 
LPS discovered the benefits of geothermal when it constructed six schools in 1995. Lincoln Board of Education members directed Campbell, Cavett, Maxey and Roper elementary schools to have geothermal systems and Lux and Scott middle schools to have traditional systems.

 
Wieskamp worked for a local architectural firm at the time and was a member of the design team for Campbell, Cavett, Maxey and Roper. Geothermal systems use different ductwork and equipment than traditional HVAC models, and the technology was fairly new when the school board opted to install it. The decision, however, has paid off in millions of ways.
 
“Time has proven that there is no comparison regarding energy utilization and costs per square foot between the two conceptual approaches,” Wieskamp said.

 
LPS leaders soon found that the four elementary schools were saving a large amount of money. Their annual energy costs were in the range of 50-65 cents per square foot, while Scott and Lux both had annual energy costs in excess of $1.40 per square foot.
 
Those numbers attracted the attention of the United States Department of Energy, which commissioned an April 2000 report by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The report found that the four elementary schools used approximately 26 percent less source energy per square foot of floor area than other LPS buildings. Circulated air from geothermal systems also covered 100 percent of each school’s total floor area, while other buildings had less than ten percent of floor coverage.

 
Lincoln taxpayers approved a $250 million bond issue in 2005 that included geothermal and indoor air quality upgrades. Scott and Lux still have traditional systems today, but all other K-12 schools switched to geothermal technology over the next 15 years. Yankee Hill Education Center, The Career Academy, Steve Joel District Leadership Center, Don D. Sherrill Education Center, Nuernberger Education Center and the Science Focus Program building also have geothermal utilities.
 
Wieskamp said LPS administrators regularly monitor energy consumption. Each time a school building changed to geothermal, the energy expenses dropped in the following budget cycle.
 
“You could see that noticeable difference a year later when we compared what we were spending before to what we were spending with geothermal,” Wieskamp said. “There was not one building that disappointed us.”

 
Today, LPS has more than eight million square feet of building space. Wieskamp said geothermal units save each school at least 50 cents per square foot in energy costs, which equates to roughly $4 million in annual benefits. Multiply that by the several decades LPS has been adding geothermal wellfields, and those overall savings stretch into the eight digits.
 
“It’s an incredibly good deal for the taxpayer,” Wieskamp said.
 
Wees said the geothermal systems are helping more than the bottom line. They are also playing vital roles in every student’s ability to learn in their classrooms.
 
“Designing and operating a sustainable school is not just about saving energy and money,” Wees said. “It is also about having safe and healthy spaces for our students to come to each day. These systems keep each room at a comfortable temperature and they are providing essential ventilation and filtration to have great indoor air quality.”

 
Wieskamp said LPS will continue to benefit from geothermal wellfields, pipes and heat pumps for many years to come.
 
“It’s a perfect system for educational facilities in the Midwest, and it’s why it’s worked well for us,” Wieskamp said. “We have good design teams and good contractors, and LES (Lincoln Electric System) has been a great partner with us. All the stars have lined up to make geothermal just right for LPS.”

To learn more about our Sustainability efforts, visit our website at https://home.lps.org/sustainability/.

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