The Economic & Environmental Case for Standing Column Wells

HeatSpring instructor, Dr. Al Koenig, discusses the promise of standing column well geothermal systems in this three minute video. This short video was taken from Dr. Koenig’s ‘Standing Column Wells for Geothermal Professionals‘ course.

As the video starts, Al is talking about the market potential for standing column wells.  An audience question raises concern about ‘bleeding’, which involves redirecting water when the borehole gets too hot or too cold.  Dr. Koenig’s response, that he advocates designing ‘zero bleed’ systems, is a critical answer to a common environmental critique of SCW systems.

The benefits of SCW system? A huge reduction in drilling costs, because the system is utilizing an existing well that has already been created paid for. If designed correctly, SCW systems can be a no-brainer for a property owner, both cheaper to install and operate. However, they are different and slightly more difficult to design then the standard closed loop system.

SCW systems are common in the northeast and data on these systems has been hard to find over the years.  Hospitals, schools, and other potential owners of SCW systems have voiced their support for research and education on these systems for the design community, and even construction firms.  We love making this kind of information more available.