Nome Schoolhouse & Dakota Fiber Mill

The existing schoolhouse in Nome was constructed in 1916. In 2021 the schoolhouse was converted to an events center, store and boutique hotel. The renovated facility was expanded to approximately 28,000 ft2.

GEOptimize was retained by the Otter Tail Power Company to provide design assistance for the engineering and architectural firms contracted by the client.

GEOptimize worked with the client and design team to create a realistic daily and seasonal operating schedule that was used to develop an accurate hourly energy model for the facility. The preferred drilling contractor was interviewed to determine the most cost-effective drilling depth for the anticipated geology of the site and create vertical borehole ground heat exchanger design for the project. Hydraulic modeling of the ground heat exchanger was completed to optimize the circulation pump selection for the system.

The final design consists of 38 boreholes drilled to a depth of 200’.