Clean Energy

Trulson Dental Is Geothermally Heated

In the early 1990's Dr. Bruce Trulson mentioned to a patient that he had outgrown his downtown Stewartville office and was planning to build a new office on the edge of town. That patient happened to work for the local utility company and asked "Have you ever thought about geothermal heating?"

Dr. Trulson had never heard of geothermal heating before, but he liked the idea of clean energy and so he investigated it further. As the building design took shape, he compared costs of a conventional forced air gas system to a geothermal system and calculated that it would take 5 years to pay for itself.

In 1995, the new office was completed with a geothermal system, the first geothermal system in the Tri-State Power service area to be built in Minnesota. Trulson's calculations were right on--his system paid for itself in 4.5 years, including an incentive from the utility company.

The geothermal system was installed by Tri-County Plumbing and Heating. Two units were installed to serve the 5,400 square foot building. There are 10 vertical wells, pushing the constant heat from below ground through the system. The system heats the building in winter, cools it in summer, and is tied into the hot water system. In the twelve years since it was installed, the system has worked dependably without a single problem. The heat is even and comfortable. The only maintenance required is changing the filter.

Dr. Trulson was a geothermal pioneer in our region, but he says it is now a proven success. Trulson and his wife are now thinking about building a new energy-efficient home, and it will definitely include a geothermal heating system.

Dr. Bruce Trulson

Trulson Dental Clinic

1901 1st Ave NE

Stewartville, MN 55976

(507) 533-471