Egg Geo to evaluate geothermal network heating for community in Manhattan, NY

The Penn South Cooperative Housing Community in Manhattan, New York City (source: Project website)

Egg Geo, LLC is performing a Thermal Energy Network (TEN) feasibility study to determine the technical and economic potential of geothermal and waste heat recovery for a cluster of buildings within the Penn South Cooperative Housing Community in New York City. The project is being done with support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Thermal energy networks are large-scale infrastructure projects that connect multiple buildings using a shared piping network that distributes thermal energy from sources such as geothermal boreholes, surface water, waste heat, and wastewater. 

The project site, located in a disadvantaged community, includes a mix of commercial and residential buildings, including buildings that serve low- to moderate-income residents. The buildings are located across five city blocks from 29th St to 23rd St between 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan. The community currently uses natural gas for heating and to produce electricity in its Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant.

Penn South first engaged Egg Geo to explore strategies for building decarbonization in an urban environment that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help achieve compliance with Local Law 97. Egg Geo will study the potential to retire and replace the onsite combustion equipment with a thermal energy network that uses centralized ground source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps, and low- and no-drill alternatives, such as wastewater, for heating and cooling.

A thermal energy network would allow Penn South to save around 350,000 MMBtu (102 million kWh) of thermal energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions around 18,400 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, and retire onsite cooling towers, saving up to 280,000 gallons of freshwater per day.  

Presently, there are several building owners in and around Penn South that have shown interest and support for the feasibility study by submitting letters of support and providing energy data to facilitate the study.

More information on the Community Heat Pumps System and other thermal energy projects awarded under this program is available on the NYSERDA’s page.

Source: Email correspondence