Tapping The Earth: St. Paul Public Schools going to geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings

The St. Paul Public School District is tapping into the Earth as it looks to update it's buildings, some of which date back to the 1890s.

Johnson High School has already gone geothermal, and two other schools are in the process. Geothermal heating and cooling taps into the constant temperature of the ground. It's sustainable, can save money over the long run, and it is a perfect solution for cold climates according to the experts.

"So, in the summer, we are pulling all that cold out of the ground and in the winter we are putting it back in," says Tom Parent, Executive Director of Operations and Administration for St. Paul Public Schools. "So, it's a pretty balanced system."

Parent says with 73 different school buildings to consider, so far geothermal has turned out to be more financially viable than other options. It is allowing the district to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in the short term, and as much as $7 million over the next 30 years at Johnson High School.

"Geothermal is a great opportunity for us to really reduce the amount of energy we consume in heating and cooling buildings," explains Parent. "So, it's an enormous effort for us to be as sustainable as possible."

The school district is also receiving the help of local rebate programs and federal funding.

You can also tap into those rebates. The Minnesota Residential Heat Pump Rebate Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that purchase and install a heat pump for space heating and cooling in the applicants’ Minnesota residence. Rebates can be up to $4,000. There are also federal residential programs to assist homeowners.