Energy

British Columbia Lottery Corporation Geoexchange Feasibility Study

Location

Kamloops, British Columbia

Expertise

Energy

District Energy

Omicron engaged Associated Engineering to undertake a geoexchange feasibility study for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) building in Kamloops.

The project’s initial phase was to complete a desktop study, identifying the potential for either an open- or closed-loop geoexchange system to provide heating and cooling to the BCLC building, identifying site constraints, and developing a preliminary design concept based on anticipated building energy loads. A large area of the BCLC site has known ground and groundwater contamination from former land uses. This area had to be considered as part of the ground heat exchanger (GHX) field design layout, in coordination with the environmental consultant.

The desktop study indicated good potential for a closed-loop GHX system and recommended drilling test boreholes to better define the geology and groundwater conditions; determine recommended drill depths for closed-loop boreholes; and identify the most suitable drilling method for a GHX field.

Client

Omicron

Project Highlights

175.6m

borehole depth

A single test borehole was drilled to a depth of 175.6 metres below ground level and installed with a HDPE u-bend loop to a depth of 160 metres below ground level and grouted up. A 48-hour formation thermal conductivity (FTC) test was conducted on the borehole to determine the thermal properties of the ground.

Following the site investigation and FTC test, the estimated size of the closed-loop GHX field was calculated using updated building energy loads provided by Omicron and the thermal properties of the ground. The updated field sizing was significantly smaller than originally anticipated and as a result, there is sufficient space on site to locate a GHX field, avoiding the area of contamination.