Greentech Lead
America: Asbury Place will utilize geothermal energy in its new apartment
complex.
The cottage duplex will deploy an environmentally friendly
heating and cooling system which will supply energy to one side of a new
residential option on the retirement community campus in Blount County.
The system uses a network of underwater pipes installed in
the campus lake that capitalize on the water temperature to provide heating in
the winter and uses the water as a heat sink to cool in the summer.
“We are using the geothermal system for one half of the
duplex, with the other half using a conventional heating and cooling system.
This will provide very accurate comparisons of the utility savings,” said
Bernie Bowman, vice president of Business Development, Asbury.
By avoiding fossil fuels to generate heat, geothermal
energy leads to a cost savings for the consumer and a reduction in
carbon footprint for the environment. Asbury will benefit in lower utility
costs and in lower upkeep costs over time.
This cottage duplex is being constructed along with the St.
Clair Apartment homes complex, a 36-unit, $12 million project to be
completed by August 2012. Along with these new residential living options,
the Asbury Place Maryville campus has already completed a new clubhouse with a
wellness center and bistro.
Asbury has renovation and expansion projects underway at all
of its campuses, positioning it to provide for the rapid growth of the aging
population expected over the next several years.
editor@greentechead.com