Geothermal heating systems contribute to the environmental improvement of urban structures
CREtech
Thanks for keeping up with the CREtech Community in the News! For more news about members of the CREtech Community, follow us on Linkedin.
In late 2023, Bedrock Energy, a geothermal startup based in Austin, Texas, debuted its innovative drilling technology in a sunbaked parking lot near South Congress Avenue. Over two months, they drilled 11 holes reaching 800 feet deep, laying the groundwork for a geothermal heating and cooling system beneath an adjacent office space. Their unconventional approach, using subsurface modeling software and sensor-equipped drilling tools, allowed them to design a system tailored to the constraints of the urban environment. The system, which recently went online, serves as a prototype demonstrating the potential for geothermal solutions to be more space-efficient, low-risk, and faster to install. Geothermal energy is gaining traction across the United States as startups and government agencies strive to replace fossil fuels with cleaner alternatives. Bedrock Energy's team, many of whom have backgrounds in oil and gas, leverages their expertise to innovate in the clean energy sector. Meanwhile, utilities like Con Edison in New York are offering incentives to promote geothermal adoption, addressing barriers such as high upfront costs and complexities in drilling. By reducing costs and increasing efficiency, companies like Bedrock Energy aim to make geothermal technology more accessible and appealing for widespread adoption.
Original article posted on April 29, 2024