The new Jorgensen YMCA in Fort Wayne, Indiana, boasts some high impact-and highly desired-sports and community amenities: a four-lane swimming pool, a double gymnasium, indoor running track, fitness center, dance, yoga and aerobics studios, steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, youth activity center, childcare center, and offices and meeting rooms. Partially funded by a community gifts campaign, this high-use facility required an HVAC system that could meet the air conditioning requirements of many different spaces and have a low impact on the budget, maintenance time and the environment.

The natural choice was a geoexchange water source heat pump system, including Enfinity^® water source heat pumps from Daikin. "In terms of providing individually-zoned air conditioning, a geoexchange system is simply the best that money can buy because of its high efficiency, reduced maintenance and reduced effect on the environment," said Bob Koschka, senior applications engineer, Daikin. "Geothermal systems can reduce energy consumption-and corresponding emissions-by over 40 percent compared to electric resistance heating and standard air conditioning equipment. That's a huge budget savings for Jorgenson YMCA and other community facilities."

Plus, the simplicity of a geothermal system further reduces costs. "These systems do not require chillers, cooling towers, or boilers, and the circulating water loop system requires very little maintenance," said Koschka. "For Jorgenson, it was the most prudent and practical way to provide healthy, conditioned air to so many different spaces."

Named for Ove W. Jorgenson, a generous donor, the Jorgensen YMCA is a new 78,000-square-foot, eight million dollar facility that opened in September 2004. With more than 3,000 members, it is the third-largest YMCA branch in greater Fort Wayne, and already a gathering place and social hub for the southwest Indiana community.