Washington-Kosciusko Elementary (or W-K for short) has an incredible history in the Southeastern area of MN. Named after George Washington and Tadeusz Kościuszko, a general and engineer close to the former President during the war, the school emanates the personality and past of the area.
Community members in Winona care about the past, present, and future of education. They are progressive in their stance on technology and wanted to consider different approaches for choosing their retrofit of this facility and nearby Jefferson Elementary. They considered geothermal for the impact on economics and payback, electrification of school heating and cooling, and long term system performance and maintenance.
By utilizing Darcy’s groundwater enabled geothermal design, the project team was able to maximize heating and cooling capacity in a small land footprint, unobtrusive to students and faculty. Wells are placed in a slim but accessible parcel of land adjacent to the front entrance of the building, between the playgrounds int the back of the facility. This placement will make O&M simple and straightforward in the future.
The local community in Winona values economic efficiency and investing in the future. When they considered new HVAC designs for Jefferson and the nearby Washington Kosciusko, they were willing to look at new technologies that add value for the community, educators, and most importantly students over the long haul.
This building has been in use for educational purposes since the late 1870’s. The building was replaced due to age in the 1930’s and placed on the National Registry of Historic Places given it’s significance in the education in the area.
The choice of a Darcy system was driven by the need for a high-capacity thermal solution that could be installed effectively on the available site. There are five 12″ water wells installed in an open area between the sporting fields and the school which are laterally centralized in the school mechanical room, retrofitted to accommodate central heat pumps which distribute thermal energy to classrooms and otherwise throughout the school.
Facilities managers have adapted to the new systems and operations through multiple seasons. Learn more about customer feedback in the case study included here.
