Groundbreaking of our geothermal system.

With a tradition of innovation, Ball State is revolutionary and responsible. In our next bold step, we will create the nation’s largest closed geothermal energy system, benefiting both the economy and the environment.

Going geothermal will have an immediate impact. Spanning five years, it will create construction jobs, and manufacturers of supplies will see a boost in production. Once fully implemented, this pioneering project will save the university $2 million a year in operating costs and replace four aging coal-fired boilers. Cutting our carbon footprint roughly in half, this full-scale university-wide system will heat and cool more than 45 buildings and span the entire 660-acre campus.

View a graphic illustration of how our geothermal heat pump system will work.

To create the system, Ball State will have approximately 4,100 boreholes drilled in borehole fields around campus, but you won’t notice them after construction is complete. Each well will be covered and the area restored to its previous use, retaining campus beauty. Learn more about how geothermal energy works.

Geothermal technology is only one example of our longtime commitment to the environment. Our Council on the Environment, the longest-standing green committee in Indiana higher education, won U.S. Senator Richard Lugar’s August 2007 Energy Patriot Award. And we welcomed Lugar back to campus on May 9. After speaking at Commencement, he participated in the groundbreaking ceremony by controlling a drilling machine that created the first well. View our photo gallery of this historic day on campus.