Six South Street Hotel has installed a new heating system that will use "geothermal" energy to heat and cool the hotel. Sean Riley, chief operating officer of parent company Maine Course Hospitality Group said "We have become environmental leaders at many of our hotels throughout New England. This will be the biggest step we have taken thus far."
Geothermal is a method of using the heat stored in groundwater. Four 1,500 foot deep wells surround the hotel, all of which are connected to a series of pumps and an elaborate control system. The groundwater is routed through heat exchangers, which capture energy from the groundwater, and transfer that energy to an internal heating/cooling water supply loop. The internal water loop delivers energy to high efficiency heat pumps, which heat and cool the spaces within the building. By avoiding fossil fuels as a heating source, geothermal energy provides an energy source that is both cost effective and environmentally friendly.
"Engineers estimate significant savings in the range of 40% in electric versus our typical hotel electric heat and air conditioning units. The system is more expensive, but we believe the cost savings and environmental savings will be well worth it," Riley said. In addition to these savings, the hotel will use energy efficient equipment, compact florescent lighting and an Ozone laundry system. The Ozone equipment uses only cold water and reduces the number of cycles, while saving electricity and water.