Hosted by the Westwood Public Schools at the new Pine Hill Elementary School on Friday, November 15, 2024, the MSBA welcomed representatives from 17 Massachusetts school districts to learn about the use of geothermal heating and cooling in MSBA school projects. The program was anchored by a panel of project team members from five recently completed MSBA school projects, including Westwood’s Pine Hill Elementary School (2024), Acton Boxborough’s Douglas and Gates Elementary School (2022), Belmont’s Middle High School (2023), Lexington’s Maria Hastings Elementary School (2020), and Watertown’s ongoing High School project (expected to be completed in 2026).

MSBA Chief Executive Officer and First Deputy Treasurer, Jim MacDonald, welcomed the attendees and encouraged this “freshman class” of MSBA districts to get to know and call upon one another to discuss solutions to building consensus throughout the school building process.  The Superintendent of Westwood Public Schools, Tim Piwowar, then shared the district’s pride in the beautiful school and the advancements offered by the design for teaching and learning.  Acting as program moderator, Mary Pichetti, MSBA’s Executive Director, outlined the learning objectives and scheduled program for the morning.  She then introduced a brief video focused on partnering with your utility to implement a geothermal energy system.   The video focused on Acton Boxborough’s new Boardwalk Campus (Douglas and Gates Elementary Schools) and was produced by Eversource in collaboration with the district.  

Joel Mooney, a member of the Town of Belmont’s Permanent Building and Belmont Middle High School Building Committees, presented the first session of the morning called, “Geothermal 101” – an overview of what geothermal is (and is not). The short Power Point presentation introduced the science of how a ground source heating and cooling system works and included a few points to consider when deciding on this type of system.  

The second session featured six panelists who provided their unique perspectives based on their own experience in siting and constructing well fields for geothermal systems.  Energy managers and facilities personnel from Acton Boxborough, Belmont and Lexington, shared their thoughts and anecdotes from the school side, while industry professionals from Dore + Whittier and The Vertex Companies spoke to their experiences providing services to school districts installing geothermal systems. Unanimously, both groups articulated the importance of rigorous upfront assessments of the site and estimated size of the wellfield to determine site geology, depth of bedrock, utility locations and other factors to make an informed determination of whether a ground source system is viable for your site and your project.  We encourage you to listen to the audio recording of Joel Mooney’s Powerpoint presentation and subsequent panel discussion which holds much helpful information about decision making flection points pertaining to siting and installing underground wells. 

After a brief break, Mary Pichetti welcomed new panelists to discuss the operation of school buildings powered by geothermal systems. All panelists highlighted the instrumental role of outside consultants to coordinate details during design which would assist with system operation later. Operator skillsets were also a topic discussed. Each speaker shared challenges and strategies around hiring and retaining qualified energy managers and facilities staff to oversee and operate sustainable systems.  They indicated the system’s operation is different than a conventional heating and cooling system and starting early to build the right team (be they staff or consultants) would pay dividends for success with building operations.  Panelists shared that operation with the services of consultants (at least temporarily) was a solution some were using.  Mary Pichetti also added that smaller districts have the option to regionalize and consolidate certain positions to share expertise, such as systems operators and energy managers. 

Transitioning to the fourth session, panelists shared their experiences regarding the challenge of modifying occupant behavior in new schools operating with geothermal systems. System calibration and predictive energy use are linked.  Plug loads and random window opening now make a significant difference in the amounts of energy used and system integrity.  User education – new guidelines on dos and don’ts – are important to a properly functioning system. The audio recording contains practical information from district experiences.  

The last panel session before the building tour focused on system maintenance.  When a system is underground and out of sight, accurate as-built drawings provided as soon as construction is completed are important.  Accurate well locations and the creation of a proactive maintenance plan to address a problem within a well unit are recommendations from the panel.

Breaking for a tour of the new Pine Hill Elementary School, groups were divided and led by key personnel from the project team. Attendees saw classrooms, administrative areas, the mechanical room, and other aspects of the school while is session. District attendees specifically appreciated the chance to see the infrastructure and building systems that allow the new school building to function using geothermal energy.

Lastly, Westwood’s Director of Finance and Operations, Lemma Jn-baptiste, was joined by Eversource’s Manager of New Construction Energy Efficiency, Kim Cullinane, to address budget planning, financial considerations, and Mass Save cost incentives currently available for districts constructing new geothermal buildings. Lemma emphasized the importance of assembling a strong school building committee and maintaining a collaborative atmosphere to promote clear and open communication. She articulated the need for long-term budget planning beginning early in the building process and the financial benefits Westwood expects to receive from federal funding sources. Highlighting Westwood’s success, Lemma revealed the district is expecting to recoup more than $1.5 million from the Inflation Reduction Act at the end of this calendar year.

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