In Framingham, Massachusetts, a pioneering partnership between a utility company and climate activists is paving the way for a greener future. This collaboration is transforming how a community heats and cools its buildings, utilizing a cleaner and more sustainable energy source.
Retired educator Carol Canova has been a resident of Framingham for three decades, living in a modest home that has witnessed an energy revolution. Her journey began with an oil furnace, transitioned to gas, and now relies on an electric heat pump connected to a geothermal well. “I was told it would be even heat. I was told it would be efficient and so forth. But seeing is believing,” Canova shares, expressing her satisfaction with the consistent indoor temperature.
This innovation is part of a groundbreaking pilot initiative by Eversource, a major utility company. The project involves a network of underground pipes stretching for a mile, linking 36 homes and municipal structures to a communal geothermal well. Known as networked geothermal, this system could serve as a nationwide model for energy utilities.
Initially skeptical about the cost, Canova was pleasantly surprised to find that the geothermal system was cheaper overall. “When Eversource offered it, I thought, you know what, this is like winning the lottery,” she remarks.
Heat pumps work by transferring heat; they cool homes in the summer by expelling heat and warm them in the winter by bringing heat in. The efficiency of these pumps depends on the temperature difference between the inside and outside. Geothermal wells exploit the consistent underground temperature of approximately 55 degrees Fahrenheit, reducing the energy required for heating and cooling.
Despite the high cost of drilling geothermal wells, participants in this pilot did not incur any expenses for installation. Nikki Bruno, Vice President at Eversource, explains, “Everything else is buried underground, except for the heat pumps.” The only visible component of this system is the pump house, which manages the entire geothermal network.
This $18.6 million project aligns with ambitious climate goals and regulatory shifts in Massachusetts and other states within Eversource’s reach. “How do we start offering something different?” asks Bruno. “How can we produce a decarbonized product for our customers, while keeping safe, reliable and I will say as affordable as possible service to customers?”
The initiative emerged from an unexpected alliance between utility leaders and climate advocates, including HEET’s Executive Director, Zeybeb Magavi. HEET, a grassroots organization focused on home energy efficiency, recognized the potential of geothermal energy to replace outdated gas systems. “The ground, the bedrock, the water all around us is thermal energy, which we can tap,” says Magavi.
Federal research supports the potential of geothermal systems. A study from Oak Ridge National Laboratory suggests that widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps could cut electricity demand by 13% over the next quarter-century.
Cornell University has been at the forefront of geothermal exploration as well. Professor Jeff Tester has been advocating for geothermal energy since the 1970s and continues to push for its adoption on campus. Cornell’s cooling system, which utilizes cold water from Cayuga Lake, demonstrates the university’s commitment to sustainable energy.
Despite challenges in funding, Cornell is pursuing deeper geothermal projects for heating. “I feel like I have been training all my life for the day when we actually would see this happen on a campus like Cornell,” Tester notes. He emphasizes the need for a revised value system that equates clean heating with clean electricity and fuels.
While the Trump administration prioritized geothermal energy, current plans are set to expand Framingham’s geothermal network. This collaboration highlights that common ground, both literal and metaphorical, can be found beneath the surface, fostering progress in sustainable energy solutions.
Original Story at www.pbs.org