Mole Hill Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Client: Hotson Bakker Architects Owner: B.C. Housing Society Capital Cost: $25 million Mole Hill This is a ninety-six suite geothermal heating project. There are two hundred & fifty to three hundred feet of in-ground geothermal well pipe (double pipes, since there are supply and return pipes) in each well and several houses are manifolded together. There are sixteen houses total and approximately 72 wells. Piping The well pipes are one inch diameter high density polyethylene. The distribution piping from the heat pumps and buffer tanks to each polyethylene distribution manifold is copper. From each suite distribution manifold the pipes are all “PEX”. The terminal fan coil units in each room have a variable speed control for adjusting the fan. There is a thermostat in each suite to control temperature. Cheap heat Even though the system cost is about $900,000 for all of the 96 suites, the cost of heating is about one fourth or about 1.75 cents per kW/Hr. Calculations To see some of the actual geothermal calcualtions and the report, see the mole hill report page in the Energy Studies and Reports Section.      © 2015 Alexander Boome Consulting Engineering, Ltd. All rights reserved.