I had the chance to go through the Westgate Lofts last week and tour the phase 2 building. I have to admit, they are pretty awesome. The ceilings are high, the brick is exposed, the beams are varnished, it is the essence of downtown loft living.
Being an EcoBroker, I was particularly interested to know how the building stacked up in the way of energy efficiency. Was it using any neat technologies or finishes that helped reduce owners’ cost?
Well, as a matter of fact, it is. A gem of one I think.
Their Awesome Geothermal System
Westgate lofts is using a geothermal heating and cooling system in its building. Basically what happens is this: pipes are run down or across the Earth’s surface, anywhere from 10 to 400 feet. The pipes create a loop. They are filled with either water or a combination of water and an antifreeze mixture. Then the water or mixture is pumped through the loop.
In the winter, the water touches the cold air and is cooled itself. It is then pumped through the system and is heated by the Earth’s natural temperature. The water comes out of the Earth warmer and heats the space. In the summertime, the water touches the warm air and is heated up. It loops through the Earth and is cooled and, when it returns, cools the space around it. Round and round we go.
Seems so simple doesn’t it?
Savings of this System
Homeowners end up saving anywhere from 25% to 75% in utility costs from doing this. The typical owner will return his investment in 7-8 years. A geothermal system costs less than double what it would cost to put in a conventional natural gas furnace system. That ain’t bad ladies and gentlemen.
Not only are you saving the moola, but you are also being so friendly to Mother Earth. Usually, heat has to be created using combustible fuels that becoming increasingly scarce and are harmful to the environment. Not this way! Things are taken into Earth’s own hands and are done the natural way.
Prices for Westgate range from $259,989 to over $1.1 Million. If you would like more information about these fine condos, or more information on geothermal technology, send me an email or visit some of these kewl websites.
Guv’ment website on Geothermal Heat Pumps:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/heatpumps.html
Some other blogs on Geothermal Power:
http://wordpress.com/tag/geothermal-power/
Awesome commercially-sized project in Beaver County (go Beav’s):
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705261308,00.html
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