Westchester GeoPossibilities Gives County Property Owners the Ability to Assess All-Electric Geothermal Heating and Cooling

Sustainable Westchester and the Westchester County Association Team Up to Raise Awareness of This New Green Energy Opportunity at a July 22 Virtual Event

Westchester County, NY –  A new online resource enables Westchester County property owners to easily assess the feasibility of geothermal heating and cooling for any building or property in the County. The free, user-friendly tool – “Westchester GeoPossibilities” – provides information for this gas-constrained area by providing information and assistance on energy efficiency and clean heating solutions that reduce carbon emissions.

Sustainable Westchester and the Westchester County Association, supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will host a virtual event on Thursday, July 22, at noon. The event will provide an opportunity for property owners to see a demonstration of the Westchester GeoPossibilities resource, learn about the many benefits of geothermal heating and cooling, and explore the financial and environmental savings potential for their building(s).

Geothermal heating and cooling can replace all existing HVAC systems in all buildings. Larger buildings and properties, including office complexes, medical facilities, academic campuses and housing developments are particularly well suited to benefit. A geothermal system draws on the thermal energy naturally stored below ground to provide highly efficient heating and cooling. The thermal energy is exchanged with a fluid circulating through a series of underground pipes and then passes through a heat pump to provide heated or cooled air to the building. In winter, the heat pump extracts heat from the subsurface to warm the building, while in summer the heat pump cools the building by moving heat from the building into the ground.

Westchester County Executive, George Latimer said, “In order to protect our planet for generations to come, it will take innovative solutions across a broad spectrum of industries. With the launch of the GeoPossibilities Tool, building developers and homeowners will have easier access to the information they need to create clean heating and cooling systems without detrimentally impacting this economic driver. These cleaner systems will generate greener communities with an energy cost savings, benefitting all both now and in the future.”

“We are pleased to partner with NYSERDA and the WCA to bring this important tool to our municipalities, businesses, building owners and real estate developers in Westchester. The ability to quickly assess a site for geothermal feasibility is essential to adoption of this clean heating and cooling solution and to the transition to clean energy for our buildings,” said Nina Orville, Executive Director of Sustainable Westchester.

“New York State now has one of the strongest climate change laws in the world. In order to meet this ambitious challenge, stakeholders will need to be proactive, and our businesses and building owners will need the tools and incentives to help them adapt. GeoPossibilities is just the latest of many programs offered by NYSERDA to help move us towards a stronger and more sustainable future. Thank you to Sustainable Westchester and NYSERDA for partnering with the WCA to get out the message,” said Michael Romita, President and CEO of the Westchester County Association.

Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA, said, “We are proud to partner with Sustainable Westchester, the Westchester County Association, and our other partners to bring Westchester GeoPossibilties to fruition in support of accelerating the adoption of clean heating and cooling technology across the region. This important resource is easy to use, designed to help building owners make informed decisions, and encourages the installation of geothermal heating and cooling systems to help Westchester, and New York State as a whole, reduce harmful emissions and foster cleaner places to live and work.”

Westchester GeoPossibilities has been supported by NYSERDA and helps advance New York State’s nation-leading climate and clean energy goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act). The consulting engineering firm Goldman Copeland, which created a Geothermal Screening Tool for New York City, has collaborated with Stone Environmental, Over Morgen, and Flux Tailor in developing this resource.