Building decarbonization figures prominently in the effort to combat global warming, and buildings are increasingly adopting geothermal as a way to do that. Oklahoma uses geothermal energy to heat and cool its state capitol. Michigan’s state capitol is going the same way. So is St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and Ball State University in Indiana.
“Commercial building stakeholders are showing interest in geothermal for a variety of reasons, like the environmentally friendly aspect, lower electrical power requirements for energy and cost savings, low lifecycle costs, federal tax credit incentives for an accelerated return on investment … and from an aesthetic standpoint, geothermal doesn’t require an outdoor unit or rooftop equipment,” said Steve Smith, CEO of Enertech Global. “As LEED certification and net zero building continues to become more mainstream, geothermal stands out as the perfect fit because it checks all the boxes for that type of building.”