The federal government is the nation’s largest energy consumer, consuming nearly 1% of all end-use energy in the United States. Approximately 450 federal sites comprise more than 75% of the federal government’s energy use.
Converting even a few of those sites to geothermal can significantly improve efficiency at federal facilities, while providing secure, reliable energy solutions.
In collaboration with the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), the Federal Geothermal Partnerships (FedGeo) initiative enables the federal government to demonstrate the benefits of geothermal technology and lead by example in implementing energy efficient solutions.
Under the initiative, GTO selected a team of national laboratories, universities, a state agency, and industry partners to provide technical assistance and help expand deployment of geothermal heating and cooling technology at federal sites.
Through this team, selected federal facilities now have ready access to technical experts and new capabilities, enabling the gathering of actual site data and the creation of more accurate and durable geothermal system designs. This team is filling a void for federal facilities who are either looking for new technologies to deploy or re-evaluating and optimizing existing systems. Using data and information gathered at these sites, the technical assistance team provides unbiased analysis and recommendations on how low-temperature technologies can help meet federal partners’ needs and lead to more energy-efficient federal sites. Installations developed through FedGeo-facilitated partnerships will help reduce or replace electricity demand, offset peak loads to the grid, and add resilience and security to local energy systems.
GTO collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to select the first two projects for this initiative.
At the U.S. Army’s Detroit Arsenal project, the FedGeo team completed drilling, downhole geophysics, fiber-optic-based thermal response testing, and other early project steps, resulting in the collection of valuable new field data. Integrating these new field data with building load requirements and regional geology will inform a more accurate geothermal system design and optimize long-term system performance. Technical lessons learned through the Detroit Arsenal project will be used at subsequent federal sites to continue to inform better system designs.
The FedGeo project at the U.S. Army’s Military Academy at West Point marks the first foray into deploying geothermal on the campus. In alignment with orders to improve the energy resilience of the historic buildings and grounds, the West Point leadership and project team are leaning on the FedGeo technical assistance team to expand their understanding of geothermal’s potential for the campus. The extensive subsurface data and other technical support provided through this project will inform each step of this project and give West Point the knowledge base needed for incorporating additional geothermal technology in new construction, including barracks, garrisons, and supporting cadet facilities.
Learn more about GTO’s Low Temperature & Coproduced Resources program, and read the announcements of the initiative launch and project selections.