Grand Meadow ISD Superintendent tells Minnesota Legislature of energy-cost savings with Monolithic Domes

by Freda Parker

On January 31, 2007, the Meadow Area News, circulated to 3100 homes in and near Grand Meadow, Minnesota, published two articles about the money-saving operation of Grand Meadow ISD's five Monolithic Domes.

In "Ka-ching! Geothermal system saves money for GM," writer Marceil Skifter relates what Superintendent Joseph Brown Sr. had to say to the Minnesota Legislature. Here is an excerpt from that article.

Supt. Brown said the heating bill from February, 2001 -- the last winter in the old building -- was $28,000. Fast forward five years and the heating bills have doubled; therefore, a current utility bill would be around $56,000!

These days, the bill is about $11,000 a month. The Superintendent said when energy costs went up awhile back there was a "spike" in the bill, to approximately $12,000 - $12,500; but it came back down to around $11,000, where it remains year-around.

It helps that "we're insulated so well...and there are not a lot of windows," said Brown, adding, "also, the water comes in at a certain temperature all the time."

So, as Supt. Brown explained to those he talked to in the Legislature, having a heating bill of less than half what it was a few years ago, or about one-fourth what it would be without the geothermal system, allows Grand Meadow to use the funds elsewhere in the budget and to "hire an additional teacher here for the five winter months."

In "Heating, cooling a 'breeze' with geothermal energy system," Skifter has Karl Hoefs, who monitors and programs Grand Meadow's computerized geothermal energy system, explain how this heating/cooling system works and why it saves money.

Grand Meadow ISD Superintendent tells Minnesota Legislature of energy-cost savings with Monolithic Domes

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