High school joins colleges with new geothermal system

In Ohio, a new $3.7 million student activity center at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, a geothermal system installed by Akron-based Middleton Corp. will provide heating and cooling and will allow the building to be all-electric. The system cost about $100,000 more than a traditional HVAC system to install, but the school expects to recover the difference in seven years through savings in replacement costs and operating efficiency.