SHARC, Egg Geo team up for first proposed combined WET and geothermal system

VANCOUVER — SHARC International Systems Inc., specializing in wastewater energy transfer (WET), is supporting Egg Geo, LLC, specializing in geothermal, in a one-of-a-kind project in the Bronx, N.Y.: the first proposed combined WET and geothermal system in the world. 

The system will utilize thermal energy transfer from the ground and wastewater to provide 100 per cent of the heating, hot water and cooling load for 316 affordable housing units in two, 20-storey multi-family towers, indicates a release.

Egg Geo is collaborating with the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative (AHC) and EnPower Group under the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Empire Building Challenge program, with the intent to reduce AHC Tower I and Tower II’s energy use from a site energy use index of 111.5 to 40, representing a decrease of 2,741 carbon tons to zero, adds the release.

In order to meet the “aggressive” goals, AHC is aiming to improve overall building energy efficiency through holistic measures which will be accomplished by eliminating dependence on steam by electrifying the heating, cooling and hot water systems, undergoing a phased disconnection of boiler and chiller plants, cooling tower and heat exchangers and to overhaul the entire distribution system. AHC is also exploring using a combined geothermal and WET system.

“Since 2019, Amalgamated Housing Cooperative and EnPower have invested time and resources together with Egg Geo in advance of the programs that are now helping to fund the critical road mapping and engineering to convert these residential towers to utilize geothermal coupled heating, cooling, and hot water,” said Jay Egg, president of Egg Geo, LLC, in a statement. “Wastewater energy transfer will handle a significant portion of the heating and cooling loads. Amalgamated has been ambitious in their decarbonization efforts. That, along with the vision and support from NYSERDA’s Empire Building Challenge to carryout technical feasibility, have brought together an incredible team that will guide this project through to a fully capable retrofit that will decarbonize and electrify the Amalgamated Towers in the Bronx.”