Local McDonald’s digging deep to go green

PENSACOLA - The McDonald’s restaurant on the corner of Cervantes and Ninth Avenue in Pensacola really digs energy efficiency. In fact, it’s digging 55 holes, 350 feet deep to take advantage of the Earth’s constant temperature for heating and cooling the new restaurant.

The geothermal heat pump is touted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy as a superior energy efficient, environmentally friendly heating and cooling system. And now a local McDonald’s is evaluating this “green” system as a corporate model.

Geothermal technology is proven to cut heating and cooling costs by as much as 50 percent by using the earth’s constant, mild temperature to heat or cool water through underground loops. The loops simply use the water to move heat from the earth to the building in the winter and from the building to earth in the summer. In comparison, traditional commercial air conditioning systems are often installed on the roof top where temperatures may soar on a hot summer day. The significant energy savings of the geothermal system - as well as the projected life of the loops of more than 50 years - offsets the higher initial cost of the loop system.

Owned by John and Susan O’Connor, this will be the first McDonald’s restaurant in Florida with geothermal heating and cooling when it opens later this year. Gulf Power Company and McDonald’s Corporation will monitor the system the first year of operation to determine specifications for the most energy efficient system to meet McDonald’s needs as well as energy savings.

Once the perfect energy efficiency “recipe” has been determined, geothermal could become just as popular for the Golden Arches as their famous burgers: “Billions of hamburgers served; Billions of kilowatts saved”.

Gulf Power currently offers a $400-per-unit-ton incentive for geothermal installation. For details go online to http://www.gulfpower.com. For more information on the “green” geothermal system, go to http://www.geoexchange.org/press/consumers.htm.

Gulf Power, a national pioneer of energy conservation programs and a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company, provides reliable, affordable electricity to more than 410,000 customers in 71 towns throughout Northwest Florida.

McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 local restaurants serving 52 million people in more than 100 countries each day. More than 70 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women.

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