Elgin's new Sherman Hospital to use geothermal heating and cooling

From the dog days of summer to frigid winter nights, the key to keeping a new Elgin hospital at a cozy temperature lies in an 18-foot-deep lake.

[wonderful]

good to know. too bad this was in other papers a month ago!

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/...

[KMK123]

The new Sherman Hospital's 15-acre geothermal lake produces more energy than any other lake of its kind in the nation. The Hospital is scheduled to open in late 2009 at the intersection of Randall and Big Timber road.
For more information about the new Hospital, please visit
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chic...

[KMK123]

http://www.thefutureofsherman.com/r/news+/chi...

[Roger Agnew]

How do you meet the required Joint Commission requirements for filtration with low pressure fans in heat pumps?

[Hank Jackson]

Geothermal heat pump systems generally have LOWER maintenance costs than "traditional" heating and cooling systems because there is no exposed mechanical equipment such as cooling towers and air cooled condensers. Also, the lake doesn't "produce" energy, it simply transfers energy into and out of the loop. The sun, ultimately, is the source of energy, except for that provided by the electric grid. And I'm not sure why it would take an hour for the temperature in a room to reach the setpoint - either there's a control problem, or the heat pump is being turned completely off when the room is unoccupied.

Finally, filtration - I haven't read the Joint Commission / HHS guidelines in a while, but I thought the requirement was for filtration efficiency only? Pressurization is another issue, and can generally be controlled by the exhaust system independent of the supply fans.

Hank Jackson
ETech Solutions
Weaverville, NC