GEOptimize’s principal led the geothermal and integrated energy system design for the 400,000 ft² IKEA retail store in Centennial, Colorado, working with Geothermal Systems of Colorado through an early-stage integrated design process. A detailed 8,760-hour energy model was developed and used continuously to guide architectural, mechanical, and electrical design decisions, reducing cooling loads, electrical demand, and the required size of the vertical ground heat exchanger installed beneath the building and parking areas. The resulting system is a central water-to-water heat pump plant capable of simultaneous heating, cooling, and domestic hot water production, optimized for long-term thermal balance and lifecycle performance.
To address the strongly cooling-dominant load profile, the design integrated nine ice storage tanks to shift peak electrical demand by approximately 225 kW and reduce installed heat pump capacity by roughly 250 tons, while enabling off-peak cooling production and increased heat recovery opportunities. A 37,500 ft² radiant snow-melt and heat-rejection system was incorporated into the loading dock and parking areas to dissipate excess heat to the atmosphere during winter, eliminating the need for an evaporative fluid cooler and associated water use. The project also included high-efficiency lighting strategies that reduced both building energy consumption and GHX sizing requirements. The system was commissioned with full functional performance testing and ongoing monitoring and optimization to ensure long-term reliability and economic performance, achieving a modeled simple payback of less than eight years.
