College of Lake County Geothermal Field

As the civil engineer, Eriksson Engineering Associates, Ltd. (EEA) assisted the MEP in the design of a geothermal field/heat exchange system or “geofield” for the College of Lake County (CLC) in Grayslake, IL.

EEA assisted in the layout of the geofield, taking into consideration site constraints such as wetlands, floodplains, and existing public utility mains. To avoid existing underground utilities, EEA assisted in the routing of the main supply/return pipes and created plan and profile drawings. After construction of the geofield, EEA completed remaining site features which included the design of a nature trail extension as well as restoration of disturbed areas with the incorporation of native plantings.

As the top-ranked community college for sustainability in Illinois, CLC serves as a center of innovation and excellence in sustainability. Students in the HVAC, Engineering Technology, and Geology programs now have an edge when competing for jobs such as professional engineers and system programmers because they have the opportunity view this geofield in real time through CLC’s Living Lab.