2007-01-06_PR Comm Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Geothermal ice arenas provide sport for less 117F.7, F . F1771 Take a town in Iowa with more would-be hockey players than it has ice rinks. Add one hockey player and fan who just happens to be Interstate Power Company's chief booster for geothermal power and what do you have? A proposal to build an olympic- size ice arena using state-of-the-art geothermal technology The proposal to build the Dubuque Ice Arena at the Dubuque Fairgrounds did nor develop overnight. Jim Walters, manager of residential and commercial services for Interstate Power Company was the driving forcee in getting the project off the ground. He started looking at geothermal options in order to find a cost-effective way to get the project done. "My motivation for researching all technologies for ice rinks was to keep operating costs as low as possible, explained Walters. 'ice arenas are very energy intensive, so we The Selkirk Arena in Manitoba heals the air while chilling the ice After learning about the geothennal ice rink in Selkirk, Manitoba, Walters, working with the local youth hockey association, approached Paul Vassen, president of the Dubuque County Fair Association about locating a site for the project. The County Fairgrounds has three pennanent buildings already on the site: a ballroom (used throughout the year for social events), a forage building, and a creative arts building. The proposed site for the rink is adjacent to the ballroom, so that heat discarded by the rink could be used to heat the ballroorn when it isn't in use. Charles Marsden, vice president at Durrant Engineers, was contacted in September 1993 to discuss the potential of the project At first Marsden was reluctant to commit the conservative Dubuque engineering firm to a type of project had never before done. But after hearing more about geothennal, Durrant reconsidered its position in order to study what sounded tike promising technology. David Easter, a Durrant engineer, was assigned to the study. "You make assumptions, check data, and learn as you go along" said Easter. "The more you learn, the more you see the potential of geothermal technology." Goothermal techmelop at work The heat energy for a ground - coupled heat pump comes from solar energy stored beneath the surface of the earth. The earth provides its own insulation, allowing the temperature to remain fairly constant throughout the year. In a closed-loop system, plastic pipe is buried beneath the surface of the earth. Water or another fluid is circulated through the closed loop of pipe either transporting heat to the heat pump in the winter, or away from the pump in the slimmer (see diagram 1). The heat energy exchange between the circulating fluid in the ground hear exchanger and the heat pump is in the treat pump's water heat exchanger. L)Wgrana !; Heat Intrxp oper•atron When ice is being chilled and excess treat is not needed, the earth loop stores heat energy in the ground until the heat is needed again (see diagram 2). When the ice is cooling, the heat bypasses the ground loop altogether and feeds directly into the fluid circulating through the heat pump condenser and fan coil units located in the building (see diagram 3). When the ice temperature is satisfied, the beat is taken fi-om the ground for circulation (see diagram 4). This completes the geothennal aspect of the heating system.