In this episode of Green Talk, Green Building Pro Editor, Mitchell Funk talks with Mark Mizrahi, President and CEO of EnLink Geoenergy. Mark goes over geothermal heating and cooling and its application in the green building industry. Geothermal energy can be harnessed to drastically reduce water and energy use in your project, all powered by the moderate and stable temperature of the Earth. By utilizing geothermal pumps (GHPs), you can tap into one of the most efficient energy sources available. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that GHP systems can range from 300 to 600 percent efficient, outputting more units of energy than are put in. Mark talks about the range of applications he has seen for the system including schools, commercial buildings, and homes. He concludes with valuable tips for those looking to implement a system in their next project.

Interview Transcript

From Green Building Pro, this is Green Talk.  I'm Mitchell Funk, editor for Green Building Pro, and joining me today is Mark Mizrahi, president and CEO of EnLink Geoenergy.  We're very happy to have you with us today, Mark.

Thank you, Mitchell.   Well, we're here to talk about geothermal heating and cooling.  And I wanted to start off asking just a general question for our audience today.   What is it and how does it work?

Well, geothermal heating and cooling, I like to refer to it as the original renewable.   It's been in place for 50 years, but unfortunately most people haven't heard about it.  Basically what geothermal heating and cooling does, is it harnesses the constant stable temperature of the top 500 feet of the earth's surface to heat and cool your buildings, without the need for chillers or boilers.

Fifty percent of the sun's energy is absorbed by the earth and it is stored in the form of a stable, moderate, constant temperature that's accessible anywhere in the country, any time of year, at the point of us.   And by bearing a series of pipes circulating a refrigerant through them (which is almost always just plain water) into the building, then the heat pumps can take that water that comes in at a stable temperature and make it warmer or cooler as needed.

The same system provides heating and cooling.   Once the system is filled, it consumes no water, there's no fossil fuel, and the electricity used is up to 70% less than a conventional heating and cooling system.   

So it is the most energy-efficient heating and cooling system available.  The other key feature about it is it's a base-load demand application, so it's a peak-shaving, renewable, and it can be used anywhere for any building type.

Well, to me it seems that geothermal heating and cooling is a very versatile technology, and so I wanted to continue with that and ask, Where is it applicable?  And what building systems have or can utilize this technology?

Well, it would apply to the entire building.  So anywhere that you would have a conventional heating and cooling system, you could use geothermal instead.  And it is just...again, we're not generating any kilowatts, we're just working with BTUs.  It's just a heating and cooling application.  So any type of building where you have heating and cooling, you could utilize geothermal heating and cooling instead.

And you would just be heating and cooling your building at up to seventy percent energy savings, compared to a conventional system.   This looks like a very efficient technology.  That's what was running through my head.  And what makes geothermal a smart choice over traditional chiller and boiler HVAC systems that are in place?  

Well, the energy savings certainly, the water savings...In an average size elementary school, a conventional system can consume hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per year.  Geothermal systems consume no water because they're a closed loop system.

Fossil fuel savings, there's no onsite fossil fuel use, no transmission lines of any type, and your maintenance and operating costs go way down because most of the componentry is buried beneath the Earth in the form of pipes, heat pumps and fans which are very easily maintained.

So your operating maintenance cost drops significantly as well.  So over the life cycle of the system, there are immense savings, not only from energy, but again from water maintenance and operations.  

Going off of that I wanted to talk a little bit about EnLink Geoenergy and what you guys are doing.  So I want to ask you a question about the initiatives that you guys are currently doing.

What's the latest and greatest in terms of the projects you guys are involved in?   Well, EnLink is sort of a pioneer in this area.   We've been in the business for over 15 years.   We are a leader in terms of technology development.

We have over thirteen patents that we own or co-own related to both process and products related to this system.

We are a full-service design build contractor, which means we're involved in the early stages of thermo conductivity testing and conceptual development to installation of these systems themselves and everything in between.

So we work closely with energy companies.  We work closely with designers, architects, engineers, building owners, and construction management companies throughout the entire process.

Endlink's focus is on quality systems at a cost-effective price .   And our technology and our expertise allow us to install a higher quality system at a competitive price.   I guess the last question before we go, Mark, for our audience today, if someone was looking into implementing geothermal heating and cooling in their project, what are...what is a tip you can offer them?  

I would say, well, first of all, you want to make sure you're a good candidate for the - I'll probably give more than one tip, if that's okay.   We're going to...First thing is, make sure you're the right candidate for it.  You want to evaluate the economics and make sure it's appropriate for your building type.  

The paybacks can vary and, so you'll want to pay attention to that.   Secondly, you'll want to ensure quality design, so make sure you find a certified geothermal designer who will be a mechanical engineer, but with this specialty.  And you certainly want to make sure you have a top-quality installation that is being drilled properly, grouted properly from the bottom up, and is only using the highest quality materials.

So I'd say those are the three main considerations when evaluating them.

Well, I want to thank you, Mark, for that great interview.  We get a lot of information out of you and we really appreciate it.  I wanted to touch on the fact that we also have an article from you in this month's Green Building Journal, and we very much look forward to reading it.  So, thank you very much for joining us today.

Thank you, Mitchell.  Thank you for your time.

This has been another edition of "Green Talk" by Green Building Pro.  This has been a production of CMC Media.    And for more on this series, please check out GreenBuildingPro.com.

The green product race is on. Every day, new products hit the market  claiming to be green. Exhibit floors across the country are being  invaded by companies showcasing their latest green innovation.  Unfortunately, many of those products are, relatively speaking, old  news. Many of the biggest sustainable design conferences and expositions  in 2009, and so far in 2010, have lacked anything truly new and  astounding. Where, then, are the products just barely rolling off the  production line? Those just waiting to be launched? Those still in  research and development?

The most effective way to be in the know is to build a green network.  This is also the most important part of building a green library. When  you have access to artists, manufacturers, researchers, and information  providers who have within their reach the latest material intelligence,  specifiers themselves can become part of the creation process and be in a  position to design new and proprietary products. This session will  showcase some of the newest green materials released, suggest strategies  for ferreting the most innovative R&D and finding leading-edge  sustainable material manufacturers, and provide tips for how to work  with these companies to develop materials as of yet unimagined.

Jenica Egan, Editor in Chief of Green Building Journal talks with Lisa Gelfand author of the book Sustainable School Architecture about green schools.

Lisa talked about some of the key factors that captured her interest in green schools and what characteristics make green schools different from other green building types?  Lisa mentions that with green schools unlike other building types is that you look at the land use not just the building itself. In green school design you look at the overall campus and how the buildings and land interact inside and out.

Next Lisa and Jenica turn to the green features and measures that make the most difference in education? What’s different in a class room that students respond to. Kids are also more sensitive to toxic substances so they look closely at the materials used in the project.  Good airflow, lighting and acoustics are all key factors to allow students to learn easily. One of the biggest elements to explore is daylighting since electrical lighting makes up 40-60% of the electrical load of a school building.

When discussing which rating systems specific to schools exist to help focus green design efforts, Lisa points out that the USGBC LEED for Schools helps you organize the design process. LEED for Schools provides the checklists to help designers make the right choices. Lisa also mentions that the Collaborative for High Performance Schools or  CHPS is backed up by a great website with best practice manuals so you can get on the  site chps.net and ask “How do I do daylighting.”

How much does green design add to costs of school construction? According to Lisa Gelfand, in the projects that she has been involved with, there is no net extra cost to design a green school when you consider the cost savings of more efficient or smaller mechanical systems.

To start off, one of the things existing schools can implement without costly modernization is to look at lighting. If you consider that 40-60% of the energy use in a school building is for lighting then the first thing you can do is change the lights bulbs or lighting fixtures. Beyond that look at the heating systems. Many older schools are using older boiler heating systems that run 365 days a year 24 hours a day. So putting new controls on older systems to make sure they are only heating when a space is occupied can be a major advantage.

You’ll be able to hear more information like this from Lisa Gelfand when she speaks at the Green Building Expo online event, Green and Sustainable Schools on August 25th. The Event goes live at http://gbExpo.com on at 9 AM Pacific time on August 25, 2010.

For videos like this one you can also visit the Green Tube Pro media center at http://GreenBuildingPro.com

In part two of this interview, Jack Canfield, originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, talks about perseverance and avoiding negativity.  Jack gives his insight on how green building experts who are tying to innovate and create new products can avoid the "nay sayers" and push through to reach their goals.  He tells us there must be a "commitment to vision rather than accepting the current reality" to make this possible.

For a more in-depth discussion of applying Jack Canfield's success principals towards green building you'll want to join us for his Keynote presentation at Green Building Expo 2010 - http://www.gbexpo.com

As part of Cisco’s overall plan to address the growing need for sustainable energy and Smart+Connected Communities, a key component to their mission is the Cisco’s Network Building Mediator. The Mediator is the star of their Smart+Connected Buildings solution that provides the intelligence to interconnect and enable building systems such as heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC), lighting, electrical, security, and renewables, over the IP network to build smart and energy-efficient buildings of the future. Providing operators and owners of these buildings with new ways of managing how energy is used based on policies that make sense for occupants. In this video Edmund Richards from Cisco’s Emerging Technology Group educates us on the history and the future of Cisco’s vision for green building.

In one hour of sunlight, we could power the whole world for a year. Michael Lind of REC Solar in Ventura CA, talks about the advantages of going solar and advances in the technology.

In part one of this interview, Jack Canfield, originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series. talks about how to achieve success in Green Building. During the discussion Jack points out that his formula for success can be applied to achieve a desired outcome in a green building projects as easily as it can be in other aspects of life and business.  Part 2 of this interview will focus on how to achieve greater success by avoiding negativity.

For a more in-depth discussion of applying Jack Canfield's success principals towards green building you'll want to join us for his Keynote presentation at Green Building Expo 2010 http://www.gbexpo.com

Most of the lighting controls we use today have been around since the late 19th century. Now we're starting to see a change with LED lighting, and in particular the work of Redwood Systems. Redwood is developing a new lighting control and power platform to network the electrical system. Jeremy Stieglitz tells us how this can lead not only to better occupancy controls, but also higher rates of energy efficiency.

In this video Jenica Egan chats with Stowe Hartridge-Beam, program manager at Scientific Certification Systems.  Stowe educates us in the certification process for indoor air quality, as well as informing us of new legislation expanding California 01350.

Global Building Systems, Inc. shows their STEP-Tech system in action. Using panels created in their factory from recycled galvanized steel studs and EPS foam, they can put up a 2,000 SF building in one day!

Concrete has been, and will continue to be, an important building material. The trouble is how to make that construction adhere to a greener standard. This is where Hycrete's cradle to cradle solution steps in, providing waterproofing and corrosion resistance within the concrete itself. In this video David Rosenberg also explains the need to incentivize innovation and move products from early adoption to mainstream use.

Barry Reid, of Georgia Pacific Gypsum, explains fiberglass mat gypsum panels and their use in high performance building. Paper panels are a thing of the past as these days builders need energy efficient materials that can tackle mold and remain durable. Learn about the benefits of switching to fiberglass and where the company stands in the fight against global climate change.

Owens Corning is one of the leading providers of building materials systems and composite solutions. By initiating sustainable practices they have improved their operations, increased the recycled content in their products and accelerated energy efficiency adoption in the built environment. Watch as Gale Tedhams covers Owens' updated fiberglass offering, the need for green jobs, and the current rise in green product coverage.

Jay Bolus, of Mcdonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), explains the importance of Cradle to Cradle certification and eco-effective design principles. By creating products and materials that can be reused and upcycled, we not only reduce our footprint but also protect the environment. These green options can be cost neutral compared to traditional choices and perform just as well. This year MBDC will focus on the consumer market to expand Cradle to Cradle offerings on products we use every day.

In this month's featured episode of Green Talk, we talk with author and architect Eric Corey Freed about green retrofits. Eric offers us solutions from the simple and affordable to the more costly options available for retrofitting commercial and residential properties. Eric freely shares his expertise in architecture and green building with viewers and gives us the tools needed to save energy and money.

The City of Santa Barbara, CA has a strategic plan to increase the diversion of waste from the landfill. This composting program includes a new rate structure that reduces trash pick ups, saves schools and businesses thousands of dollars annually, and maintains the franchised hauler salary rates. This is a win-win program that is economically and environmentally sound.

Video Transcript

We've got a really comprehensive recycling plan that's being implemented in Santa Barbara.  

The city council approved a strategic plan several years ago that said environmental services needs to go out and really work aggressively with the business community and the schools to increase diversion, diversions recycling.  

And when we took a look at what was going on we realized that great opportunities with the new food scraps program that's taking all the leftovers, that's taking the bones, taking the cheese, a lot of things that people have traditionally considered compostable and putting those into a new container, a yellow container.  

And then we take those food scraps up to Santa Maria and we turn them into healthy compost that then gets turned right back into our fields, and then that gets put back right out on our farms and parks right here in Santa Barbara.

So it's really full circle and it's doing it right inside of the county and that's something we're rolling out across the business sector.

We've got 56 businesses doing it now.  We've probably got about 350 left.  We've got four schools, all elementary schools, and we're going after the next 23 in the next year or two.

One of the things that people love about our program is, if you are going to recycle and you're going to compost, people say I'm interested but things are tight right now, times are tight.

One of those things that we spent so much time building was what we call a new raid structure, and what that effectively means is if you want to do the right thing, you're going to pay a lot less.

So businesses in Santa Barbara, if they get to 50% recycling, 50% diversion, their bill is going to go down.  And one of the things we've offered now is this food scraps program.

Food scraps recycling costs 85% less than trash.  Most businesses in the problem are going to save a thousand to three thousand dollars a year if they really go whole hog with the new composting program.  It's incredible.

We have businesses right now, they're at ninety percent recycling.   It's incredible.  And that's not just one business.  We probably have a dozen plus restaurants right now that are at ninety, ninety five percent recycling.  These businesses are seeing thousands of dollars in savings.

So this is really, just an economic message.  You're going to do the right thing of course, everyone wants to do the right thing.  Everyone wants clean air, healthy water, healthy food.   But really if they can save money, that just makes it a win-win, it's very easy to do.  And at the same time, trash companies in the city of Santa Barbara are what we call franchised haulers.  

Meaning they work on contract with the city.   The city pays them to collect waste over the course of the year.   They don't pay them to collect trash.   And so, one of the things we do is, if they're not collecting trash and they're collecting another material.   We're paying them a commensurate amount for that material so there's no economic loss for them.  

In fact, their revenues are neutral from that standpoint and we make sure every year that they're kept whole.

So that's one of the reasons reasons we've had such strong support from our trash companies is they see it as a win-win because they're still making the revenue that they put on their projections, and at the same time, they're getting to do the right thing, so everyone is really in a good space right now about that.

I think the key for getting people to recycle more is for them to see the benefit to them economically and to see the benefit to our community.

Because really everybody wants Santa Barbara to stay as beautiful as it is, so as we start to make those connections between doing the right thing and saving money and it benefiting our community we'll see more businesses take that leap into high recycling.

One-third of a building's electrical consumption may go to lighting, which presents a very attractive area for cost-effective retrofits. Cooper Lighting, one of North America's premier lighting manufacturers, has a range of products that will satisfy your needs. Jason Hong explains that whatever type of lighting solution you choose, in the end you can save money, reduce your environmental impact, and provide a higher quality workspace.

Water conservation is a key objective at Kohler, and this focus has allowed them to once again be Partner of the Year with the EPA's WaterSense Program!  Ed Del Grande, a master plumber and Kohler's company’s spokesperson, demonstrates the flushing power of their class 6 Cimarron toilet which could save up to 16,500 gallons of water each year.

Buildings are big wasters of energy!  They use 40% of the energy resources in this country.  Unprotected windows on existing buildings contribute to this effect, due to the amount of cooling energy required to offset the sun.  With controllable solar shading from Construction Specialties, you can save energy, offset carbon credits, control lighting, and improve the productivity of the staff inside.

Funny commercial for Epuron wind power. Though its comedic in nature, it makes a great point about the potential for this renewable energy source.

Picture a bathroom in a commercial setting containing a hand-washing basin manufactured from 80 percent recycled stainless steel, discreetly fitted with a tankless water heater and featuring the most efficient water-saving engineering possible. Add in low-flow toilets, in addition to waterless or pint-flow urinals. If the entire building employs vacuum plumbing, each fixture instead uses only 0.5 gallons per flush, and if the entire building's water use is regulated on a computer network, conservation can be specified right down to each point of use. All of these integrated, eco-friendly fixtures and systems are possible from Acorn Engineering. Whatever the vision for design, function, or environmental impact, Acorn Engineering can specify a project from start to finish.

Steelcase is a company focused on environmental responsibility and sustainability in all aspects of their business. They believe that, big or small, every action that safeguards and restores the environment is significant. David Renard, Director of Global & Environmental Performance, tells us that by designing their products with an end of use strategy in mind, they are not only committed to the future, but to driving business effectiveness as well.

Want a deep understanding of the energy a building will use over its lifetime?  Bentley Systems is helping engineers and architects assess and analyze building performance through their software tools.  These quantitative measurement tools will help turn your 'green concept' into a truely high performance building.

Building and homeowners need to make choices about the energy they put into their buildings and how they consume it.  Alex Kelley of Sanyo North America, explains that making intelligent decisions about solar, HVAC, and LED lighting will really 'green up' your energy solutions.  Sanyo is helping to simplify this process by shifting their focus to the environment.

Lutron Electronics, inventor of the incandescant dimmer, is devoted to saving energy through lighting controls.  Russell McAdam, Director of Commercial Product Development, tells us about the new exciting ideas Lutron has to make your building green.  Whether you are a homeowner seeking to enhance the appearance or atmosphere of a single room, or a facilities manager looking to enhance employee productivity and comfort while reducing energy-related costs throughout an entire corporate campus, Lutron can offer you the best value lighting control solutions that will meet or exceed your expectations while staying within your budget.