Pagosa Daily Post
Summary
In a town best known for snow and its mountain backdrops, Joe Waneka has what might seem an odd problem to solve. As director of operations for the Aspen School District, he is tasked, in part, with keeping the 1,600 students enrolled in the district’s elementary, middle and high schools cool enough so that heat does not preclude learning.
Burning natural gas at the three schools and two associated buildings and the use of snowmelt systems produce 235,000 therms of energy heat annually, according to a report by The GreyEdge Group, a Utah-based consultant that specializes in geothermal energy networks. Greenhouse gas emissions produced are comparable to burning almost seven railcars of coal, according to an Environmental Protection Agency calculator.
Two grants have assisted the school district in exploring the feasibility of creating a well field and retrofitting the buildings. In June, the Colorado Energy Office announced a grant of $78,400, one of five dozen geothermal grants distributed across Colorado in a $12 million program approved by state legislators in 2023. More recently, the Community Office for Resource Efficiency awarded the district a $50,000 grant.
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