Star Tribune
Summary
Macalester’s new front door also will aid in the college’s effort to decarbonize its campus by 2050. It will be the first building on campus that will use geothermal heating and cooling.
After Macalester finishes construction of the residence hall, the next step will be to expand the geothermal energy system to serve all Macalester buildings north of Grand Avenue, Schwichtenberg said. A geothermal system that serves multiple buildings, known as a thermal energy network, can transfer heat between buildings. One building’s waste heat, which would ordinarily be released into the environment, can be sent to another building in the network.
Carleton was the first college campus in Minnesota to switch to geothermal heating and cooling. Since 2020, 75% of the campus has been connected to a geothermal district energy grid. The campus still burns natural gas when temperatures dip below about 20 degrees, but their natural gas use has decreased by about 70%, according to Hanson.
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