In the brave new world of renewable energy, Braxis Energy, Inc., shines a light

DURANGO, Colo. – Don’t look up to find the largest solar energy array in Durango. Look down.

Indeed, the Earth absorbs 50 percent of the sun’s energy, making the ground the largest – and likely the most sustainable – battery available for mankind’s use in heating and cooling homes and commercial buildings.

In an era where conserving and finding ways to tap into renewable energy resources is becoming increasingly important, Braxis Energy and its founder Gordon Heinrich have stepped into the spotlight, now helping folks navigate this brave new world – including the aforementioned source: geothermal, that heat from beneath the earth.

“Braxis Energy focuses on high performance building consulting,” said Heinrich, a mechanical engineer by education, who has spent the better part of 25 years in the high tech industry. “We start with a comprehensive energy analysis, and once we understand the energy requirements of the building, we can start exploring alternatives.”

Finding the “best” solution for heating and cooling a structure, as well as heating water  (the three largest energy consumers in a home) varies, as does the budget, but one of the most cost effective, clean, safe and reliable and environmentally friendly is geothermal. Heinrich is pleased to be able to bring this technology to Durango, and Colorado in general.

“Geothermal is the real premium energy saver out there,” said Heinrich, who assisted Charles Shaw with the design of the new geothermal system at The Smiley Building, the historic structure that has emerged as a shining example of energy efficiency. “The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) claims that geothermal is the most cost effective way to heat a home.”

Statistics from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., support industry claims that geothermal offers homeowners up to a 70 percent savings over a propane furnace and is up to 50 percent less expensive to operate than a natural gas furnace. Those homes equipped with water heating capability can save up to 50 percent on those costs as well.   

Many people associate geothermal with large electricity generation facilities, which use the hot water or steam from beneath the earth to power a turbine and produce alternating current. Geothermal activity also fills the hot mineral pools at resorts such as Trimble Hot Springs. The geothermal gaining in popularity for homes has little, however to do with heated water. It capitalizes on the solar energy stored in the earth.

“If you go down seven feet, there’s a constant 50 degrees,” said Heinrich, reiterating that the earth holds the sun’s energy. “We use a heat pump basically to take the heat out of the ground and to your house. The efficiency is between 300 and 500 percent… And even though a lot of people say you never need to cool your home in Durango, you can also use the ‘battery’ to cool your house as well.”

High-density polyurethane pipes – the same product used for transport of natural gas – are buried beneath the ground creating what is called a “loop field.” The pipe comes with a 50 year warranty, but according to the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA), the loop fields will last for 200 years or more.

Water, which includes a non-toxic type of antifreeze solution, is circulated through the pipes. During the winter, the fluid absorbs heat from the earth and carries it through the system and into the building. During the summer, the system reverses itself, pulling heat from the building, carrying it through the system and into the ground, returning with the cool solution.

Once the excavation for the pipes is complete, no visible sign of the system remains on the exterior of a home or commercial building – which is one advantage over solar panels, the sight of which in some applications has drawn complaints from neighbors. According to Heinrich, retrofits are extremely viable (and he reduced his energy consumption by 40 percent retrofitting his own home), but laying the pipes along with the initial construction is ideal.

“There is a case of a building in Oklahoma equipped with geothermal,” said Heinrich. “When they took down that original building and put up a new one, they used the existing geothermal facilities. It’s really part of the infrastructure.””

The pipes feed into a ground source heat pump, which is essentially the same size as a traditional furnace, though considerably quieter, and no need exists for an external air conditioning cooling unit. Within the heat pump, a compressor (similar to those found in a refrigerator) enhances the heat, which is then distributed through a standard ductwork system. It also can be attached to an in-floor radiant system, which Heinrich has installed in his home.

“I make 120 degree water so I can put it through my in-floor radiant heating,” he explained. “But in the summer I make it 45 degrees to cool the slab as air conditioning. It’s very efficient to cool a slab, and it’s the latest thing. They’ve just done it in the new Bangkok Airport, and WalMarts are starting to do it.”

The heat pump can also connect to the domestic hot water system, essentially using the “left over” heat to pre-heat the water. Because a heat pump is not reliant on the sun, and the earth maintains its temperature 24 hours a day, a 100 gallon water heater, for example, can be heated to 130 degrees from the heat not used to warm or cool the house.

If geothermal alone is the Cadillac of home heating, combining it with a photovoltaic (PV) an array is the Ferrari. The heat pump does require some electricity, so installing a small array of PV panels could not only generate enough electricity for the remaining energy usage in the home, opting for the net metering program offered through La Plata Electric could allow for any excess generation to be fed back on to the proverbial grid and, in essence, “banked” for a cloudy day. It’s a way to achieve net zero energy usage.

Heinrich also notes that solar thermal systems can be nicely integrated with geothermal. He sites examples in Europe where a loop field is installed beneath entire subdivisions and the solar thermal is fed into the ground.

“In Munich, there’s a subdivision of 30 homes with the common loop field,” he said. “Each home has a heat pump and they extract the heat stored from the solar thermal panels. It’s a great way to store solar thermal, because that’s one of the issues with solar thermal: storage.”

Ostensibly, subdivision geothermal systems can go far to increase sustainability of a project and help keep individual energy bills down, which can be highly desirable in affordable housing complexes. According to Heinrich, Habitat for Humanity in other areas of the country has indeed begun integrating geothermal as part of larger projects.

Geothermal systems typically pay back between five and ten years, less than the expected 25 years for PV. The up-front cost, however, is considerable. Depending on the system, they run $40,000 to $70,000, with the bulk of the cost involved in excavation and drilling for the pipes. The “above ground” equipment is essentially comparable to traditional HVAC systems.

“What is really nice, though… you can currently get 30 percent of the installation paid for with tax credits,” said Heinrich, noting that the Stimulus Bill removed the funding cap. Rebates are also offered through La Plata Electric for the ground source heat pumps.

Heinrich doesn’t install any type of system, but once a client decides on the type of system, he will prepare the drawings, assist with competitive bids and work with a builder’s sub-contractors (such as electricians and plumbers) on the installation. He also will certify the system once complete. Heinrich is accredited by IGSHPA and encourages any consumer investing in renewable energy systems to employ certified consultants and contractors.

“Braxis Energy is really here to help the building community, and help homeowners, purchase these sophisticated systems,” said Heinrich. “Having somebody knowledgeable, somebody who knows what they’re doing – you’ll get an implementation that really works. We deliver results.”

Learn more about Braxis Energy, Inc. and the services available at www.braxisenergy.com.