Brooklyn Net Zero Geothermal Apartment Complex Will Be First and Largest in the US

Geothermal heating and cooling isn't new, but it's more commonly used for single-family homes and small buildings than for large-scale multifamily residential developments. Now a residential apartment complex slated to be built by Australia-based developer Lendlease on the edge of the East River in Brooklyn, N.Y., will use geothermal, but on an unprecedented scale: When construction is completed in 2025, the site will house the largest residential apartment complex in the U.S. to be heated by geothermal energy, CNBC reports.

“We will be using it for everything from a swimming pool that will be heated through geothermal. We will be using it for all the domestic hot water in the building and also for heating and cooling, which will be heat pumps in every apartment,” explained Scott Walsh, director of development for Lendlease. ...

The project at 1 Java Street will have 834 rental units across 5 buildings, including a 37-story and a 20-story tower. Using geothermal will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 53%, but it will cost about 6% more to build. Over a 20-year span, Walsh said, Lendlease will more than make that back.

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