The Swedish home furnishing company IKEA is once again bringing innovation and creative thinking to a new level, and they’re doing it in Colorado. The newest IKEA will in Centennial, CO, just outside of Denver. What sets this project apart from the over 300 other locations is the installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system.The 415,000-square-foot, two-level store will keep shoppers happy and comfortable with an effective and energy efficient geothermal heat pump system. The company will drill 130 500-foot holes on the premises that will be filled with piping and an anti-freeze type solution that will take advantage of the consistent underground temperature.While this is one of the larger geothermal heat pump installations in the United States, IKEA is no stranger to these large applications; they have already installed geothermal systems in a number of their Swedish locations. In an attempt to set a precedent for geothermal heat pump installations IKEA, along with the NREL, has agreed to make the project information available to the public. Other corporations, companies and even home owners will be able to look at IKEA’s installation to see just what goes into a project like this and what the benefits will be.IKEA’s installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system will not only benefit the environment and keep customers cool, it will also save IKEA thousands of dollars on their heating and cooling costs.IKEA’s concern with their global impact extends beyond geothermal heat pumps as the Swedish corporation already uses renewables for much of its electric consumption and has invested $77 million in green technology research.
