Test drilling began last Wednesday at the Ina and La Cholla site of what would be Tucson’s first geothermal and solar sustainable energy project, according to a release.
Farwest Well Drilling is drilling 400 feet below the surface to evaluate the prospects for geothermal heating and cooling at the Offices at Sierra Bravo.
“Geosource” technology extracts existing ground temperatures and transfers energy to building equipment through a system of underground piping and an exchange unit, the release said. Test drilling measures underground temperatures to help plan design of geothermal cooling and heating systems.
The Offices at Sierra Bravo sits on nearly seven acres with approximately 90,000 square feet of planned and existing office and medical space. Developers want to use sustainable resources to achieve “net-zero energy consumption,” the release continued. Geothermal ground source heat pumps would be used as the primary energy component for heating and cooling in an all-electric system. Rooftop solar panels would generate a portion of needed electricity. Sustainable green buildings will be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.
Farwest Development Company general manager Clark Vaught, project manager Tom Potter and Farwest managing partner Tom Friezen were onsite for test drilling, along with representatives from Stantec, PH Mechanical Engineering, Tucson Electric Power, Earth Energy Company and nearby neighborhood associations, the release said.
The Offices at Sierra Bravo are on the southwest corner of Ina and La Cholla, with an address of 2255 W. Ina Road. The project also includes energy efficient interior lighting, low-energy glass, ground water recharge and charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles.
