Alternative energy in store for Kellogg School of Management

By winter 2017, Kellogg School of Management’s new building will be up and running with the potential of half of its heating and cooling needs provided by a geothermal energy field. Facilities Management Project Manager Tom Arey, Director of Sustainability Rob Whittier, Kellogg School of Management, Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI), Transsolar, and Burns & McDonnell have been evaluating the feasibility of geothermal energy for the new Kellogg building to be located at 2211 Campus Drive, Evanston since April 2012.

The plan is to locate the geothermal energy field below the lakefront field, south of the soccer/lacrosse field. The upfront cost of the project will be paid back in energy savings within a decade. “Kellogg is thrilled to have assisted with the geothermal energy field return on investment study and excited to have one of the first NU buildings with geothermal energy,” stated Kellogg School of Management Associate Director of Facilities Administration Daniel McCrudden.

Geothermal energy fields use the earth’s core temperature to heat and cool buildings. AEI Project Engineer Kwongyee Yeong, states that Kellogg’s geothermal energy field is expected to have 48 bore holes, each 430 feet below the earth’s surface and will yield approximately 400 kilowatts of heating or cooling energy, depending on the season and actual soil conditions. Geothermal energy is a successful technology that is utilized on Loyola University Chicago’s Lake Shore Campus.

“This is only one sustainable aspect of the building, there are many other key initiatives that will contribute to Northwestern’s commitment to sustainability; such as water efficiency, high performance energy systems, and healthy indoor air quality,” stated Tom Arey. Kellogg’s new building will be applying for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation.