In a geothermal system, loops of flexible pipe are installed ten to hundreds of feet deep into the ground. At these depths, the earth is a fairly stable 45 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, funneling a ready source of heat in cold weather to a building’s electrically powered geothermal heat pump. In the summer, the appliances provide air conditioning by dumping a building’s extra warmth underground.
Geothermal heat pumps are extremely efficient. They can deliver the same amount of heating as a fossil-fueled or electric-resistance system using just a fourth or even a sixth of the energy.
“In northwest Colorado, you can pay $700 a month for propane to heat your house, or $400 for natural gas,” said Cooper. “That’s a chunk of change, because our winter up here lasts about five to six months — about half a year where you’re going to be heating your home.” And the cold cuts like a knife: Cooper recalls winters in the area with lows in the minus 50s and 60s Fahrenheit.
Plus, a geothermal heat pump actually “helps the grid out,” Cooper said. The appliances are not only superefficient but also provide warmth steadily, rather than in bursts. That reduces peaks in power demand, keeping electricity more affordable for everyone.
An economic opportunity
Geothermal systems aren’t yet widespread. Most people don’t know the tech exists, and the up-front cost to install them is typically two to three times the price tag of an air-source heat pump or gas furnace plus a central air conditioner.
But the higher costs in northwest Colorado are partly due to far-flung geothermal drillers having to haul their equipment across the Rocky Mountains, said Cooper, who’s been spinning up the startup in his off-time. “I think I can keep my costs of mobilization down, and so that makes the product more affordable.”
His geothermal drilling business will be the first in Moffat County and neighboring Routt and Rio Blanco counties — a region home to more than three-quarters of the roughly 1,700 workers that make up Colorado’s coal industry and its supply chain. The state is backing High Altitude Geothermal, providing four years of tax relief and a $40,000 grant for operations through the economic development program Rural Jump-Start.
For now, the startup consists of Cooper and his family members. His wife, Kristine, is helping with administrative work. His daughter, Anna, handles operations. His sons, Matthew and Nathan, are drilling alongside him. Anna is also certified to do that work, so she can step in when the need arises. But as business picks up, Cooper aims to expand to a second crew and hire more people — especially other miners in the area.
“Hiring displaced coal workers was part of Matt’s ‘why’ for starting this business,” Kristine said. “He wanted to be part of the solution for the employment of these individuals.”
Going into geothermal energy “felt so right,” Anna said. “It’s a wonderful resource that everyone has access to. It’s there all the time.” And it’s a boost to the local economy. “It’s really exciting … when you have something that’s so powerful.”
High Altitude Geothermal has already secured its first contracts: retrofits of two homes in Moffat County. The Coopers are also bidding on two large-scale commercial projects in the municipalities of Steamboat Springs and Gunnison. They’re building a future with geothermal energy, regardless of the federal push for coal.
“There’s some people that are holding out that somehow Trump will be able to make coal viable again and make the power plants stay open,” Cooper said. “Maybe they’ll be right. … I have no idea. But my intuition is that this ball is rolling, and I don’t see it stopping.”
“So you better just try to figure out what’s next for you.”
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Great Job Alison F. Takemura & the Team @ Canary Media Source link for sharing this story.
