In 2001, Cape Jourimain Nature Centre, at the foot of the Confederation Bridge, installed a geothermal system to heat the buildings in the winter, and help cool them in summer.
- The temperature of the buildings is maintained year-round using the geothermal system, eliminating the need for separate heating and cooling appliances.
- The system includes: closed loops of tubing sunk in wells 45 m (148′) deep and filled with glycol (antifreeze), a pump to circulate the glycol through the wells and back to the building, a heat pump similar to one found in a refrigerator, and a forced-air system to distribute the warmed or cooled air.
- In winter, glycol moves heat from the earth to the buildings. The temperature of the glycol coming into the building is only 8–10 °C (46–50 °F), but the heat can be boosted to the desired temperature by the heat pump and distributed throughout the buildings using a conventional forced-air system.
- In summer the heat pump is used to move heat from the building to the glycol which is then cooled in the wells and returned to the building — ready to absorb more heat.
- Some electricity is required to run the components of the system, but with the main source of energy being free, geothermal heat pumps are a cost-effective and a green alternative.
Cape Jourimain also has a net-metered 10 kW turbine, an extensive system of composting toilets, uses rainwater for hand-washing, a photovoltaic panel to run a small pump for a water fountain, and has a solar hot water panel that preheats the water for the kitchen.
Related links
- Photovoltaic Panel, Cape Jourimain
- Solar Hot Water, Cape Jourimain
- Wind Turbine: 10 kW, Cape Jourimain
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