Need a cool fact? Colorado鈥檚 state capitol is now the first in the country to use a geothermal system to cool the building.
Crews just recently tapped into an underground aquifer to regulate the building鈥檚 temperature. The new geothermal system will air-condition the Senate and House chambers in the summer and help heat the building in the winter.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an energy source that will last for generations,鈥� said project manager Lance Shepard with the Department of Personnel and Administration. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a constant source from the 65 percent water. And it doesn鈥檛 provide all of our heating and cooling but it reduces our base load.鈥�
Shepard says the system will save the state about $100,000 each year on utility bills, at the same time most of the building鈥檚 public spaces won鈥檛 be air-conditioned.
Why?
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 due to the historic nature, getting duct work into those areas would destroy the historic fabric of the building,鈥� said Shepard. 鈥淪o in the long term we may be able to get there but it鈥檚 going to be very difficult and very expensive.鈥�
A federal grant paid for the majority of the $6.6 million project. A small portion of funding also came from guaranteed utility savings. The geothermal system joins the as work projects that are being done at the capitol.
