October 07, 2009

Governor Markell Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony for Elizabeth W. Murphey School’s Geothermal Project

DOVER –Governor Jack Markell along with Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara and Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families Secretary Vivian Rapposelli, joined school officials and students in celebration of the groundbreaking for Elizabeth W. Murphey School’s geothermal project.  The Murphey School is one of the first schools in the state to embrace the technology.

“The project is a step in the right direction towards achieving the state’s renewable energy goals,” said Governor Markell.  "It's important for the kids, it's important for the environment, and it's important for the finances of Murphey School, and that's the bottom line.” 

During the past legislative season, Governor Jack Markell proposed and then signed into law mandatory consumption reduction targets of 15% by 2015, aggressive new building codes and other bold actions promoting energy efficiency. This project will be the school’s initial investment in meeting the state’s new renewable energy goals.  

The project will convert heating and cooling for the Ehinger Administration Building from boiler-generated steam to geothermal energy. Once the estimated $100,000 geothermal project has been completed, the school can expect to save 30 percent to 70 percent annually in energy costs.

The conversion, funded in part from grants from the Crystal Trust, Marmot Foundation, Delaware Community Foundation and Delaware’s Green Energy Fund, will be undertaken by Lewes, Delaware-based Atlantic Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc.

The Elizabeth W. Murphey School, a nonprofit organization founded in 1922, provides residential care for dependent/neglected children, ages 8 to 18, health care for residents, mental health care through referral, education and counseling.