A study is underway in Massachusetts to investigate the feasibility of replacing natural gas heating with neighborhood scale district heating systems that use ground-source heat pump technology. BuroHappold Engineering will perform the GeoMicroDistrict Feasibility Study for local nonprofit Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET). The project will evaluate technical and economic issues for installing new ground-source heat pump systems in typical street conditions, ranging from residential neighborhoods to denser commercial districts.
Streets with shared ground-source heat pump systems could eventually link up into larger “geo-microdistricts” for greater efficiencies and performance. The project will develop guidelines for selecting and sizing system components based on site and building characteristics, and associated costs. Case studies will be developed to identify best practices and lessons learned from other communities and jurisdictions.
The potential to replace natural gas infrastructure with a network of neighborhood-scale district heating systems is timely. More than one-quarter of Massachusetts’s aging natural gas infrastructure is undergoing a $9 billion replacement project paid by utility customer rate increases.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Codes + Standards
Public Comment Period Opens for 2024 National Green Building Standard Update
The 45-day public comment period opened Aug. 18, and comments must be submitted by Oct. 2, 2023
Codes + Standards
The Inefficiencies of the Latest Energy Code
The 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) hampers the return on investment for builders and homebuyers
Energy Efficiency
New RESNET Label Provides Home Energy-Efficiency Ratings and Certifications Info
A one-page, consumer-friendly label is now available for all homes in the RESNET Registry