Lendlease Secures Grants for New York’s Largest Geothermal Residential Building
Lendlease and joint venture partner Aware Super announced the acquisition of $4 million in support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to build a geoexchange system in Brooklyn, New York. Once completed, the all-electric residential property will be the largest residential project in New York State to use a geothermal heat exchange system, according to NYSERDA.
Situated on a 2.6-acre site, 1 Java Street will be comprised of five interconnected buildings, including a 37-story and a 20-story tower. Based on square footage, building height, the 834 residential units and number of boreholes, the geothermal system will be the largest multifamily project in New York State. It is believed to be the largest high-rise residential geoexchange system in the country.
Once completed, the geothermal system at 1 Java Street will reduce annual carbon emissions from heating and cooling by 53% compared with typical residential systems. As an all-electric building, it will also avoid carbon emissions related to the use of natural gas.
The geothermal system in the building is a vertical closed loop system with underground pipes that circulate a water solution to be heated or cooled by the earth; a heat pump will utilize that temperature differential to help heat or cool the building, reducing the need for utility power. In the winter, when the underground temperature exceeds the surface air temperature, the water solution is used to transfer heat from the ground to building interiors. The process is reversed in the summer, when heat from the building is released underground using the same system.
1 Java Street benefits from its 2.6-acre, full-block location, allowing for the drilling of 320 boreholes. As a closed loop system requires no future access or maintenance, 1 Java Street’s borefield is located beneath the building. The site’s underground geology, which is largely composed of bedrock, provides an ideal medium for efficient thermal exchange.
