Infrastructure Minister Fred Hutton says the geothermal system is approximately 600 feet below the hospital’s parking lot, and provides 100 per cent of the ground source geothermal heating for the hospital. He says a 12 percent cost savings in electricity equals about $350,000 which is enough to heat 500 homes.
Infrastructure Minister Fred Hutton says while it’s not the first of its kind, a new geothermal system at Western Memorial Regional Hospital is the largest of its kind in Canada. Yesterday, the hospital was recognized with silver certification by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® or LEED. Hutton says it is approximately 600 feet below the hospital’s parking lot, and provides 100 per cent of the ground source geothermal heating for the hospital. He says a 12 percent cost savings in electricity equals about $350,000 which is enough to heat 500 homes. Meanwhile, Hutton says there are so many different aspects to how this LEED silver certification is achieved. The new system was also key in eliminating cooling towers, saving up to two million gallons of water per year.