U.S. Congresswoman Schakowsky Holds Renewable Energy and Jobs Mini-Summit with Indie Energy

EVANSTON, Ill., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on the Northwestern University campus -- U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky convened a meeting with representatives of Indie Energy, Garrett-Evangelical, Northwestern University, and the Evanston Chamber of Commerce to discuss the economic benefits of using renewable energy to create highly energy efficient buildings for campuses and communities.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100818/CG52054)

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100818/CG52054)

The meeting was preceded by Schakowsky's visit to the joint Garrett-Evangelical and Indie Energy Smart Geothermal™ project on the lakefront campus of Northwestern University. The project will provide renewable heating and cooling for two Garrett dormitories undergoing major remodeling.

"Congresswoman Schakowsky's initiative to promote this public-private dialog around jobs and renewable energy was extremely timely and beneficial," said Daniel Cheifetz, Indie Energy CEO. "It became clear to all the participants that by tapping the clean energy incentives now in place, it is feasible to accelerate adoption of technologies like smart geothermal so that our buildings can become engines of energy efficiency," Cheifetz added.

"With geothermal technology that heats and cools buildings more efficiently than our traditional systems, Indie Energy is a wonderful example of an innovative small business that can help grow our country's evolving clean energy economy," said U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. "I am very pleased to see a business, right here in my district, that is creating energy efficient technology – a critical new sector of the global economy," Schakowsky added.  

"Northwestern University's commitment to clean energy is significant and growing.  It's great to see Indie Energy's project moving forward so successfully," stated Jay Walsh, Vice President for Research, Northwestern University.

"Including geothermal energy in our facility remodeling will save money on energy costs.  It also demonstrates a commitment to the responsible care of God's creation.  We are demonstrating to our students, the church, and the broader community a commitment to environmental stewardship," said Garrett president, Philip Amerson.

Why Smart Geothermal™ for Buildings?  

Although advances have been made to generate grid electricity with renewable energy like wind, solar, and hot rock geothermal, we still heat and cool buildings by burning expensive and dirty fossil fuels, and this consumes 45% of all the energy used in buildings, and creates 35% of all greenhouse gas emissions. That's hundreds of billions of dollars burned annually, and gigatons of carbon dioxide emitted every year.

Indie Energy has developed a Smart Geothermal technology system to radically cut buildings' heating and cooling costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Smart Geothermal is based on connecting the building to the invisible energy asset of a site: its sub-surface thermal mass – whether under the building, garage, parking lot, or greenspace – and developing that connection into a renewable source of heating and cooling.

The Missing Link Technology  

But that connection alone usually isn't enough for a commercial building to "go geo". More technologies are needed to optimize and control the interaction of the building with the ground and to lower build costs and guarantee performance. Those technologies have been missing, which is why geothermal is used in less than a tenth of a percent of buildings in the U.S.

The Indie Energy Smart Geothermal System™ is the missing link. It is budget-friendly, plugs seamlessly into architectural and engineering designs, and has monitoring and controls to prove and improve performance. Smart Geothermal technologies enable buildings to be engines of energy efficiency .

About Indie Energy Systems Company   Indie Energy is a global leader in smart geothermal technology for heating and cooling buildings that turns energy into an asset for building owners and investors. Indie Energy engineers, builds, monitors, and manages its systems in such a way that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  (ARRA) incentives can be tapped to make geothermal systems affordable for most buildings. Indie Energy is headquartered in Evanston, Illinois.   www.indieenergy.com

About Garrett   Garrett-Evangelical is a graduate school of theology of The United Methodist Church founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 500 students from many denominations and various cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.   www.garrett.edu

Indie Energy Smart Geothermal is a trademark of Indie Energy Systems Company

SOURCE Indie Energy Systems Company