After several phases of reopening in 2012 following its renonvation, Rancho Los Alamitos has become one of the only public structures in Southern California to use geothermal technology in order to heat and cool the facilities.
The Stephen J. Farneth-designed Rancho Center—an innovative blend of architecture that nods towards yesterday and today—was intent on creating a space which didn’t compromise the integrity of the building while also upholding today’s green standards.
“We searched for a system that would be in line with our conservationist ethos in terms of environmental considerations, building design and retrofitting requirements, and long-term lifecycle savings,” said Pamela Seager, Director of the Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation. “Geothermal pumps were the most fitting option for us, particularly since they have proven to be successful components in the restoration of historically significant structures and sites.”
Geothermal power is no stranger to California, which hosts the world’s largest complex of geothermal power plants—22 in total are hosted at The Geysers—which draws steam from some 350 wells north of San Francisco. Similar though on a much smaller scale, the Rancho’s system was designed by Guttman & Blaevoet Consulting Mechanical Engineers, using a vertical closed loop system consisting of two loops—a primary loop which exchanges heat with a loop buried underground—that connect with a series of thirty 350-feet deep bores. The bore field stabilizes the temperature of the water to a constant 68F requiring very little electricity to control the temperature inside the new buildings.
The financial benefit—outside of having a longer lifespan than traditional HV/AC systems—is astounding, saving the Rancho an estimated 20% to 50% cooling costs and 30% to 70% on heating costs.