SC tech college offers geothermal system courses

BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) — The Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort is offering courses on the installation of alternative energy geothermal heating and cooling systems.

School spokesman Leigh Copeland told The Island Packet of Hilton Head (http://bit.ly/rlPlDq ) the college begins training next month for accredited installers, designers, architects and building contractors.

Geothermal systems use the earth’s relatively constant temperature to provide heating, cooling and hot water for homes and commercial buildings. The systems can generate substantial savings in energy use and cost.

They circulate water or antifreeze solutions through pipes buried underground, carrying heat to a building in the winter and away from it in the summer.

A $25,000 grant from the South Carolina Energy Office and contributions from local businesses paid for training an instructor and purchasing equipment.

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Information from: The Island Packet, http://www.islandpacket.com