Indiana Tech gets grant for geothermal project

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly

Indiana Tech will receive federal stimulus funding for a geothermal project that is part of the renovation of its administration center in Fort Wayne.
   
The school and WaterFurnace International are partnering on a project to install ground-source heat pumps and geothermal systems for the building, according to an Indiana Tech statement. The technology to be installed is not yet available commercially and never has been implemented at this scale in the United States, the university said in the statement.
   
The project will cost $2.68 million, with the university paying half the cost. The other $1.34 million will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act via the U.S. Department of Energy. The project is expected to be completed in the spring.
   
Professors and students in Indiana Tech's energy engineering program will work with scientists at WaterFurnace, a Fort Wayne-based geothermal systems company, to monitor and test the ground-source heat pumps and other equipment as part of a five-year research project, according to the statement.
   
The new heating system will convert the administration center from a gas-fired boiler system. It is part of an extensive renovation of the building, which includes installing green technology and obtaining silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
   
The federal government on Thursday announced $338 million in stimulus money for geothermal research and projects. The Indiana Tech project was among the ground-source heat-pump demonstration projects that were funded.
   
Ball State University received $5 million to replace coal-fired boiler systems on its campus with a ground-source heat-pump system