All the Geothermal You Cannot See

Smith College is in the midst of a major energy transformation.

After nearly two years of digging, installation of piping, and construction, buildings on the north side of campus are now being heated with lower-carbon energy. Currently, about 19 percent of the square footage of the campus is being heated with geothermal energy, which harnesses the stable temperature of the ground and transfers it, using piped water, to where it is needed. One immediate benefit to students on the north side of campus is, “You now have controllable heat in your room,” says Charlie Conant, interim assistant vice president of capital projects. Other buildings in the new energy district, including Mwangi Cultural Center and the Campus School of Smith College, are also now heated by geothermal energy.

The geothermal project—the largest capital undertaking in Smith’s history—is replacing the college’s aging fossil-fuel-fired steam heating system with an electrically-powered geothermal one. The new system—which will also provide cooling to many campus buildings in summer—will lower Smith’s carbon emissions by 80%, helping the college to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

Construction of the $210 million project, which began in May 2022, is rolling out in phases and involves digging trenches, drilling boreholes, and installing pipes to transfer heated or cooled water to three energy hubs: the North District (just completed), the Quad District (work runs through summer 2025) and the Central District (summer 2025 to summer 2028).

Tapping Energy Underground

Because the system relies on boreholes dug far underground—deep enough to tap the stable temperature of the earth—the infrastructure is invisible, notes Gary Hartwell, project manager in Facilities Management.

A case in point is Davis Meadow, the site of the underground system for the North District. “The top of the geo-exchange pipe is four feet below grade and includes 72 boreholes, 800 feet deep,” Hartwell says. “So it looks like there’s nothing there.”

What is visible on Davis Meadow is a landscape restoration project completed over the summer–a collaboration involving the Center for the Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability (CEEDS) and the Botanic Garden of Smith College—that includes native plantings and outdoor social spaces.

“These landscapes, which follow the strategic initiatives of the college’s Landscape Master Plan, are designed to increase biodiversity through a mixture of local plant species which supply food for songbirds and wildlife, and sequester carbon in deep roots,” says Beth Hooker, director of sustainability and administrative director of CEEDS.

Construction Across Campus

With the completion of the North District, digging has now begun on the athletic fields for boreholes for the Central Energy District. The central hub will serve the largest campus buildings with the most energy demand, Hartwell says, including science buildings, Ford Hall, Neilson Library, and the Smith College Museum of Art, among others. Construction of the Central Energy District will involve drilling pipe under a portion of the Mill River located just upstream of the dam on Paradise Pond.

The work will not interrupt team practices or games, although it does require moving the soccer pitch and placing a hold on hosting outdoor tournaments.

“We’re making it work,” says Director of Athletics Kristin Hughes. “Our coaches have been fantastic in terms of managing the change. Thinking big-picture, in a couple of years, this system is going to make things much better for our campus.”

Smith Is a Model

As the first college in the region and one of the first nationwide to launch a move to geothermal energy, Smith is viewed as a model by other colleges, K-12 schools, and municipalities. Representatives of the Hadley School District were the latest to tour the geothermal project in October.

“Our work was highlighted by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change as innovators in the Race to Zero Emissions, alongside campuses from around the globe,” says Hooker. “And closer to home, we’ve been able to share our knowledge with our neighbors in Hadley, as well as with MIT and Vassar College, where they are considering a switch to geothermal energy.”

“Smith is further ahead than a lot of colleges and municipalities that are starting their journey,” she adds, “so it’s important for us to be able to share with others and talk about the challenges and lessons learned.”

Conant points out that the last time the college underwent such a significant energy transformation was in 1946, when Smith installed a central steam plant to eliminate coal-fired boilers in most major buildings on campus. “It’s a generational change, this kind of conversion,” he says. Campus and Northampton community members can stay informed about the progress of the geothermal project via regular online updates, including road and trail closures, and parking availability.