A building's energy use is a primary consideration in its long-term environmental impact. In Longwood's Dorrill Dining Hall, the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) system employs the use of 150 geothermal wells. These wells run 300 feet deep, and are located behind the dining hall, underneath Iler Field. This system moves heat from and to the earth, as opposed to making heat using a fuel source. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of the almost constant temperature just a few feet underground -- usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer. The Dorrill Dining Hall's environmentally-friendly geothermal system has not only saved the university money, but has prevented CO² and other pollutants from entering the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.

Learn more: http://geothermal.marin.org/GEOpresentation/sld065.htm