Connecticut Community Geothermal Case Study: Design and Feasibility

From October 2023 to October 2024, the Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy at Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) led a team to design and assess the feasibility of a community geothermal heating and cooling system in Wallingford, Connecticut. This project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of its competitive Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment Initiative, involved design of a geothermal system for the Ulbrich Heights multifamily affordable housing community. The proposed community geothermal design would retrofit the entire community’s heating and air conditioning systems to provide clean and efficient climate control for residents while saving tenants money, improving community air quality, and reducing the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions. Other communities across the state, region, and country seeking to implement geothermal systems at similar facilities can learn about the successes and challenges through this case study, which describes the team’s efforts to build a coalition, design the system, consider deployment options as well as costs and emission reductions, assess workforce development needs, and determine economic and environmental outcomes.