Pittsburg State University has started a $4.5 million geo-thermal heating and cooling system calculated to pay for itself in fuel savings within 14 years.
While the news report didn’t go into technical detail, geo-thermal in southeast Kansas means heat pumps to exploit the constant temperature of the earth a few feet down.
Heat pumps will pay for themselves over time in Iola, too. But the upfront cost is high and the monthly saving low, so not many are in use.
That said, PSU is making a good move. Geothermal there not only will save the state money, the technology also will be a teaching tool.
Kansas and the rest of the U.S. should move away from imported oil and all carbon-based fuel at a steady pace until our country is energy independent. Geothermal is part of the answer.
— Emerson Lynn, jr.
