A US energy company has broken ground on a pilot programme described by one of the project partners as “the birth of a new thermal utility”. It will study whether a utility-scale networked geothermal system can be a viable and affordable way to heat and cool homes and businesses.
Eversource transmits and delivers electricity, gas and water to 1.47 million electric customers, 639,000 gas customers and 8,800 water customers in Massachusetts. The first-of-its-kind utility-scale networked geothermal system is in Framingham, Massachusetts and is a collaboration between the utility, state and local government, environmental advocate partners like HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team, a nonprofit climate solutions incubator) and other stakeholders.
“We all know that our state and our region face significant climate challenges and our geothermal project in Framingham is a great example of how we’ll build that clean energy future in addition to our investments in technologies like solar, battery storage, electric vehicle charging stations and more,” said Eversource President, CEO and Chairman Joe Nolan.
“We are really celebrating the birth of a new thermal utility,” said HEET co-executive director Zeyneb Magavi.
Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky said the city was “thrilled” to be the site for the project. Around 40 single-family homes, apartment buildings, businesses and a fire station will be connected to the ‘loop’ through a new network of pipes that Eversource and its local contractor, R.H. White Construction, are building underground.
Approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) in 2020, the pilot programme will explore whether the networked system can be used instead of or in combination with traditional energy sources like natural gas, air source heat pumps or delivered fuels like heating oil and propane, and if the utility-scale system could be expanded and/or replicated in other Massachusetts communities.
Following successful testing last year, drilling for the system’s wells will begin at three designated bore fields in the area. Eversource will evaluate the pilot programme through two full heating and cooling seasons.