Northampton advances geothermal heating project at high school
The city expects to sign a contract with the energy services company by the end of August to manage the heating and cooling overhaul.
Northampton High School is moving forward with an $11.2 million geothermal project that would replace aging heating and cooling systems with ground source heat pumps. The city is finalizing an Energy Management Services Agreement with Brightcore Energy Services Inc., a company based in Armonk, New York, that specializes in clean energy projects for large institutions.
Ben Weil, director of Northampton's Department of Climate Action and Project Administration, said the contract remains under review by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, which has 15 days to approve it under state law. "We do not yet have an executed contract but expect to have it before the end of the month," Weil told the Reminder. The city held a meeting August 3 to announce its intention to work with Brightcore.
Brightcore will manage the design, construction, installation, and testing of the geothermal system at the high school. According to its website, the company has worked with higher education and healthcare institutions, governments, and schools on similar projects. It is currently working with Agawam on a geothermal project for that town's new high school.
The high school's current chillers are past their expected useful life and will need replacement within five years, Weil said. The boilers are also nearing the end of their expected life. By installing ground source heat pumps, which operate underground and protected from weather, the school can extend equipment lifespan to 25 to 30 years.
In May, the city received a $4 million grant through the Mass. Clean Energy Center Green School Works program, part of $19 million awarded statewide. Of that amount, $3.5 million is recoverable grant funding for short-term borrowing, saving the city between $200,000 and $300,000 in interest. The remaining $500,000 in direct funds will support envelope improvements at the high school.
Early projections show the geothermal system could reduce energy costs by 17 percent, maintenance costs by up to 50 percent, carbon emissions by 43 percent, and total building energy use by 68 percent, according to Weil. The city authorized financing for the project in December through Climate Stabilization funds and municipal bonds. Drilling was expected to begin in the summer as part of what Weil described as a "shovel-ready project" that could serve as a case study for similar efforts across Massachusetts.