Kerry Klingler

Old Houses Can Also Go Green

February / March 2008 By: Keith Arterburn Volume 6 Number 1

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Researcher Kerry Klingler extended the reach of Idaho National Laboratory energy innovations to include consulting with both the new owners of a Civil War-era mansion in downtown Salt Lake City and the city's mayor. Attorneys Jon and Phil Lear bought the historic home for their law office. As they were renovating the 1893 mansion, Jon Lear mused with Klingler about how they might convert the mansion into an "energy green" building.

Klingler offered that employing heat-pump technology is environmentally friendly and would work well. Soon the idea grew to include an innovative approach—€”using the city's sewer system as a heat exchanger. Buried several feet below the ground, the sewer system piping remains at a constant temperature, which is near 50 degrees. Lear approached Mayor Rocky Anderson with the idea of using the piping as a heat exchanger. Anderson endorsed the innovative test project, provided some city workers to assist, and is considering further applications in city-owned buildings and projects.

"Well, the Idaho National Laboratory was crucial to this project," Anderson said. "It was the ideas, the information that Jon Lear received that made this happen." Mayor Anderson said. "It's that kind of collaboration that has such wonderful possibilities."

The pumps use heat absorbed by liquids moving through the heat exchange lines wrapped around the outside of the sewer lines to warm cool areas during winter. When ambient temperatures rise, the process is reversed by delivering cooler air from the same exchange lines. In fact, the building uses three heat exchange systems—€”two in the ground and a 1,500-gallon pool in the basement—€”to adequately heat and cool the structure.

Lear said their project is probably a first in using sewer system piping as a heat exchange source for a home or office. The technology may be considered for use in the new City Creek Center development in downtown Salt Lake.

—€”Keith Arterburn, INL