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CASE STUDY: GEOTHERMAL - NORTHEAST REGION

Building Community around Clean Energy:Finland Community Center Geothermal ProjectBy Kathleen McCarthy • August 2011

Finland, a small town in Northeastern Minnesota,wanted a new space for community members togather, teach, learn, and hold meetings for their community. The previous recreation center, whichdoubled as a community building, was becomingrun down and not worth repairing. The idea for anew green, energy efficient building was brought upand widely supported by the community.

Honor Schauland, a leader of this project, maintained motivation in organizing the communitysupport and participation in the planning of thisbuilding. “A few forward-thinking members of thelocal government and community spearheaded theproject,” Schauland shared.

“These folks began a community planning processthat involved almost the entire community in planning for the new building and the future of thetown. After that, the entire project has been community driven. Citizens are constantly givinginput and approval to the project.”

She said there has been broad community supportfor a geothermal system in the building, with thehopes of adding other renewable energy technologies in the coming years.

“Currently, Finland’s closest example of a geothermal system is the one at the Co-op Light andPower facility which is not set up as an educationaltool,” said Schauland.

“Because a wide range of visitors will be using thenew community building, we see this as an opportunity to educate people in the region about arange of alternative energy systems by includingsystems in the new community center and providingeducational and informational signage throughoutthe building to inform people who enter and use thebuilding about its approaches to energy reduction,”she explained.

To make this a truly green building, the constructioncrew was able to salvage and recycle 1/5 of thebuilding materials from the old recreation center.The architects for the project were able to incorporate the recycled materials into the design ofthe new building. “Wagner-Zaun, [the design architect], was both sustainable and affordable,”Schauland noted.

Project Snapshot

Purpose: Geothermal community recreation center

Benefits: Public demonstration of an energy efficient andclean energy building

Location:Finland, MN along the North Shore of LakeSuperior

Funding:Generous donations from businesses, organizations, families, and individuals in thecommunity; $3,200 from Northeast CERT

The small town of Finland, MN up Highway 1 on the NorthShore of Lake Superior

CERTs PARTNERS

University of MinnesotaExtension and RegionalSustainableDevelopmentPartnerships

Eureka Recycling

Southwest RegionalDevelopmentCommission

The Minnesota Project

Minnesota Departmentof Commerce, Division of Energy Resources

Other partners in this project include Foster, Jacobs and Johnson, a mechanical and electricalengineering firm; Coop Light & Power; Lake County Highway Department; and other localexperts who have helped with preliminary soil tests. The community center was able to bebuilt because of generous donations from businesses, organizations, families, and individuals in the community.

While the installation of the geothermal system has yet to be started, folks at the FinlandCommunity Center are so excited to have a new space where people can meet and shareideas. When asked if any other projects were started because of this, Schauland reported,“Yes, we will be developing programs to be held at the new center, hopefully some educational classes on the alternative energy components of the building. We are also talking about a green building plan for the township, as well as some other projects.”

Probably the most exciting part about the new building is its estimated heating and coolingcosts compared to those of the old recreation center. The energy efficiency calculations fromWagner-Zaun estimate the heating cost for the new building to be around $2,000 per year.This is in marked contrast to the old recreation building, which cost as much as $900 amonth in the winter time and was less than half the size of the new facility!

“We really appreciate the encouragement and advice as well as the funding, and we hope tohost a CERTs tour of our new community center at some point in the not-so-distant-any-more future!”

For more information regarding Finland’s Geothermal project, please email HonorSchauland at homeralice@yahoo.com, or call 218-323-7738.

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The Finland Recreation Center, under construction.

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