(Credit: Studio V)A new development being constructed in Coney Island is said to include the largest geothermal project in New York City’s history and comes at a time the city is looking to significantly reduce building emissions.
The geothermal project for the development in Brooklyn avoids the emissions-intensive need for fossil-fuel-powered heating and cooling equipment and will reduce emissions by up to 60%, its developers say. The site has more than 150 geothermal wells, dug 500 feet deep.
The development, called 1515 Surf and designed by Studio V Architecture, is a 26-story, 470,000-square-foot mixed-use residential complex with 11,000 square feet of retail space. It is being developed by LCOR and the geothermal project is being done through a partnership with EcoSave and MG Engineering.
The developers say it is the largest geothermal project in New York City’s history by a factor of two. The development also fits into the city’s plans to reduce building emissions, which includes the forthcoming Local Law 97 that requires buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to eventually lower emissions by 80% through 2050. That law goes into effect in 2024.
The US Department of Energy is also looking to vastly increase the use of geothermal energy. It has kickstarted a program to lower the costs of enhanced geothermal systems by 90% by 2035.
To help heat and cool and provide energy for buildings, geothermal wells use the earth’s ambient temperature to warm or cool liquids. That energy then can be transferred throughout the structure using heat pumps, which can also redirect waste heat for an additional energy source, such as for heating water. The subsurface temperatures of the wells typically maintain around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has registered 128 geothermal projects with wells at least 500 feet deep, including 81 in New York City. According to a report in ENR New York, those sites include the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Bronx Zoo’s Lion House, but most sites use geothermal on a smaller scale.
Geothermal systems are becoming an energy source for larger-scale developments. Boston University is using one to provide 90% of the heating and cooling needs for its new Center for Computing and Data Sciences. Google’s Bay View Campus was built with a geothermal pile integrated into its design.
The New York Energy Research and Development Authority says the geothermal systems are especially practical for commercial buildings and schools, which have varying heating and cooling needs and fluctuating capacities that are difficult to meet with traditional systems. According to the ENR New York report, received a $4 million grant from the Energy Research and Development Authority to develop heat pump systems that can spread across multiple sites, showing the potential for large-scale implementation of the platforms.
The 1515 Surf developers say constructing geothermal systems in New York City can be a challenge because of a lack of open space. The Coney Island site is a waterfront design, which aided in implementing the geothermal system.
Developers say waterfront locations include rock strata that are lower underground, so it requires less drilling. The soil also contains more sand and clay. Additionally, water saturates up to the level of the ocean, often leaving water right below the surface to help with cooling.
The building’s location did require features to ensure flood mitigation and the structure’s resiliency over time. Construction on the site began last year and is expected to be completed in 2024.
