A new state office building in Bennington will utilize ground source geothermal to heat and cool the structure, the third building in the area to do so.
Bennington, it turns out, has the perfect conditions-a water supply less than two feet deep under the state building property – and a relatively constant year-round ground water temperature.
State Buildings Commissioner Gerry Myers says geothermal energy had been considered in two other state buildings, in Middlesex and St. Albans, but it wasn’t cost effective at those sites.
Paul Ormond is Senior Engineer with Haley & Aldrich, an engineering firm working with the state on the new Bennington building that is utilizing geothermal in its design. Claude Chevalier is President of Chevalier Drilling Company in Highgate Springs. Claude’s company drills wells for geothermal systems. He’s also President of the Vermont Groundwater Association.
They spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about how widespread the conditions for this energy source are in our region and how it can be incorporated into our long-term portfolio for residential and commercial use.