Article submitted by DACC

DACC’s commitment to preparing students for careers in
environmentally friendly energy fields just took another leap forward.
Already a leading educator in wind technology and solar energy, the College will soon add
geothermal energy to its portfolio of “green technology” training programs. On Sept. 28, the
College received a $95,000 grant from the Illinois Green Economy Network to purchase
equipment to train students in repairs of geothermal units. IGEN is a consortium of State
community colleges with a mission of promoting a clean environment.
In the Danville Campus Tech Center, DACC has four geothermal units that work like air
conditioners but draw from underground water to operate. According to Jonathan Daugherty,
professor for heating and air-conditioning repair at the College, “DACC’s geothermal units are
extremely energy efficient because they retain the same water in a closed loop.”
According to Professor Daugherty, there is a high demand for employees who are able to repair
geothermal units. “I’m asked all the time to train students in this field. I know of an apartment
complex in Danville that has 50 geothermal units that are used to supply air conditioning
throughout the building. For students at DACC learning repairs in HVAC, geothermal
maintenance would be an additional credential they will have for their future careers.”
Even so, repairing geothermal units is tricky. As Professor Daugherty says, “The wiring and
circuitry are packed in really tight. What we need is a training board similar to what we use for
repairing traditional HVAC units.”
DACC’s liaison with IGEN, Brandy Marron, applied for geothermal training equipment and got
word on Sept. 27 that the geothermal project would be fully funded. Ms. Marron is also an
agriculture professor at DACC and personal experience in “green technology,” as evidenced by

the aquaponics demonstration farm she introduced for DACC students more than two years ago.
She says, “I appreciate Jonathan’s commitment to exploring geothermal energy as an
environmentally friendly HVAC. Evidently, too, the IGEN committee was also impressed with
Jonathan’s proposal.”
The grant is extremely competitive among Illinois community colleges. Business & Technology
Dean Terri Cummings says, “IGEN received more than 30 grant applications, and we were one
of a dozen to receive awards. We truly appreciate our partnership with IGEN.
The same vendor that supplies DACC with training equipment for its wind-energy program
(Amatrol) will fabricate a training board that displays all of the components within a geothermal
unit. The grant will also fund training software for diagnostic trouble-shooting. As Professor
Daugherty says, “The computer program will cause ‘faults’ in the units that students will have to
find and repair.”
For more information about DACC’s HVAC program, contact Dean Terri Cummings at (217)
443-8786 or DACC’s admissions office at (217) 443-3222.

HVAC Professor Jonathan Daugherty with a geothermal unit—which is an air
conditioner that runs on underground water.