UMass Dartmouth receives $1.1M state grant to expand geothermal energy system

Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources funding will expand geothermal system to additional campus buildings

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has received a $1.1 million grant from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to expand the geothermal energy system installed as part of the restoration of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Building (LARTS).

"Every dollar we invest in upgrading our public buildings is a dollar that improves public health and helps lower long-term costs for taxpayers," said Governor Maura Healey in a released statement. "These projects will replace aging fossil fuel systems with cleaner, more efficient technologies that reduce pollution, protect against rising energy costs and ensure our colleges and state facilities are built for the future."

The funding will allow the University to implement a planned connection between the LARTS ground-source heat pump system and the University Auditorium, extending the system's heating and cooling benefits to an additional campus facility.

“Some of the largest public buildings in the state are taking major steps towards cleaner heating and cooling technologies. Our colleges and universities are leading the way, and the geothermal system underway at UMass Dartmouth is a great example of this,” said Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “The project will create healthier, more comfortable learning spaces. UMass Dartmouth is showing a historic building can be updated with modern technology to cut fossil fuel use and lower long-term energy costs.”

“We are proud to work with UMass Dartmouth and other partners across state government and higher education to help fund projects that upgrade our buildings to the latest, highly efficient clean energy technologies,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. “These innovative projects, like extending the LARTS geothermal system to the auditorium, or using waste heat from existing facilities, will reduce long-term energy use, slash utility costs and cut pollution in southeastern Massachusetts and across the state.”

The LARTS Building Restoration project is currently under construction and includes a ground-source heat pump system designed to heat and cool the renovated building. Expanding the system to the Auditorium represents another step in UMass Dartmouth's broader efforts to modernize campus infrastructure, improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and advance long-term campus decarbonization.

"I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for this important investment and to Chancellor Fuller for his leadership in continuing to improve the facilities and sustainability of the UMass Dartmouth campus for the benefit of students, faculty, and staff," said UMass President Marty Meehan. "This is another excellent example of the great strides that the UMass campuses are taking in our systemwide efforts to improve energy efficiency, modernize, and decarbonize, and of the significant support we receive from the Healey-Driscoll Administration."

"At UMass Dartmouth, we have an extraordinary campus with iconic architecture, and this important investment from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to expand the innovative geothermal system now being installed will benefit students for years to come," said Chancellor Mark A. Fuller, PhD. "This investment will allow the University to put its planning into action by reducing fossil fuel use, lowering carbon emissions, and strengthening campus energy resilience in alignment with the Commonwealth's sustainability goals."

The grant will support the piping, mechanical equipment, controls, and related building modifications required to connect the LARTS geothermal plant to the Auditorium. The project will use a connection route identified during the feasibility study that will avoid interference with the ongoing LARTS restoration.

Once completed, the expanded system is expected to reduce the Auditorium's reliance on fossil fuels significantly. Energy modeling determined that the LARTS geothermal plant could meet the Auditorium's full summer cooling demand. The existing steam absorption chiller would continue to provide approximately 11% of the building's annual cooling needs during the spring and fall shoulder seasons. The geothermal system is also expected to provide approximately 39% of the Auditorium's annual heating demand.