New York-based Brightcore Energy, a provider of renewable energy solutions, has started constructing a geothermal heating and cooling project at Bard College, a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, to replace the existing aging, fossil fuel-fired system operating in The Charles P. Stevenson Jr. Library.
Brightcore will deliver a full scope of services, from the feasibility and design, drilling and ground loop installation, mechanical connections, incentive procurement, and ongoing system performance monitoring on completion.
The initial scope features 50 boreholes, drilled to a depth of 500 ft, containing the 1-¼ in diameter geothermal loops and thermally enhanced grout.
“It is the default for all new construction projects, and nearly 38% of the campus building area utilizes geothermal technology,” said Dan Smith, Energy Manager & Special Projects Coordinator at Bard College. “The Library Project will be our first effort to transform an existing building, with an oil-fire boiler plant and conventional chiller system, to a ground-source heat exchanger and heat pump plant.”
The college aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 through its Office of Sustainability and is progressing towards that commitment.
The project highlights the nationwide growth in educational institutions seeking to lower their carbon footprint and environmental impact by optimizing their energy usage and replacing inefficient and aging infrastructure.
