HEET in the News

HEET received a national sustainability award! Together with Buro Happold Engineering, we won the American Planning Association (APA) Sustainable Communities Division award for the networked geothermal feasibility study.

The study explores whether replacing segments of the aging natural gas infrastructure in Massachusetts with ground source heat pump technology can meet heating and cooling needs at various building densities. Existing gas companies would install, operate, and maintain networked geothermal systems, ensuring equitable access to renewable thermal energy. HEET’s work caught the attention of Eversource, the largest energy delivery company in New England, leading them to request permission to pilot three installations in 2021.

The award from APA honors projects and organizations whose work is dedicated to supporting sustainable communities. The goal is to help planners in the United States engage with and collaborate on innovative approaches to emerging projects like ours. It’s the seventh award HEET has received, so give yourself a pat on the back. Your support makes this work and these awards possible—Thank you!

Also in the news, networked geothermal received extensive coverage in Retrofit Magazine, and, in Rhode Island, Governor Raimondo requested a study outlining transformative clean, affordable, and reliable heating technologies. The Brattle Group was hired to produce this report, and you’ll be proud to know that networked geothermal systems were included as the least expensive way to meet the state goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.