WASHINGTON — PEPCO Services, Inc., began construction of a GeoExchange™ hvac system in four residence halls at North Carolina’s Catawba College. The college is one of the first southern institutions to install this type of system.

Instead of burning fossil fuel for heating and air conditioning, GeoExchange systems utilize ground temperature and electric technology for its “two-for-one” system.

“This highly efficient technology makes sense for educational institutions for a number of reasons,” said Ed Mayberry, president of PEPCO, an energy services subsidiary of Potomac Electric Power Co.

“The system provides a high comfort level and is the most efficient way to heat and cool buildings with a single system. Maintenance is easy and low-cost due to fewer moving parts, and the underground portion of the system has a life expectancy of more than 50 years.”

Citing the need to look for alternative energy sources, Catawba College is considering adding the system to other campus buildings.