Berlin Central weighs state-funded geothermal conversion after Energy Catalyst presentation

The Berlin Central School District on July 2 heard from Matthew (Matt) Dearis, founder of Energy Catalyst Technologies, about a state grant opportunity that could pay “up to 100%” of the costs to convert school buildings to geothermal heating and cooling.

Dearis told the board his company targets K–12 retrofits that reuse existing hot-water infrastructure, install distributed heat pumps and connect a ground-loop field of vertical and/or horizontal wells. “If you get that grant, you can have up to 100% of the cost paid by New York State,” Dearis said.

Board members and staff heard an overview of the technology — drill strings of underground loops connected to heat pumps that extract or reject heat depending on season — and site-specific retrofit ideas for unit ventilators, gym and auditorium air handlers, and building-controls upgrades. Dearis estimated that, under current local prices, the geothermal system’s energy would be roughly equivalent to about $0.72–$0.85 per gallon of fuel-oil heating, versus the district’s present oil costs, and highlighted the redundancy benefits from many distributed heat pumps compared with relying on two boilers.

The presentation addressed construction implications and timing: Dearis said the ground-loop field might require roughly eight weeks of drilling work and that, with coordinated planning and adequate crews, a full retrofit could be completed in a single summer window. He also discussed site work impacts, stating that while drilling and trenches disturb soil during construction, the surface is generally indistinguishable months after completion.

Board members asked about safety and refrigerants. Dearis noted industry changes taking effect Jan. 1, 2025, requiring mildly flammable refrigerants and said the systems use diluted ethanol-type loop fluids; he described the refrigerants as low-toxicity and said spills would be minor compared with risks tied to the district’s buried fuel-oil storage. A board speaker told the board the district has about 20,000 gallons of on-site fuel oil in buried tanks and urged their removal because of potential environmental cleanup risk; Dearis said districts can operate without fossil-fuel backup and that some projects keep boilers only as optional redundancy.

Officials discussed electricity demand and emissions. Dearis acknowledged geothermal will increase on-site electrical consumption but argued heat pumps still deliver a multiple of thermal energy per unit of electricity, often resulting in lower net emissions compared with burning fuel oil on site; he also noted the district could combine projects with solar to offset peak demand.

The board and staff confirmed next steps: the district is conducting a “flex-tech” assessment to support the state application, with a grant submission target around Aug. 18 and award notices expected by December or January. The superintendent framed the grant as state funds that would not directly increase local taxes if awarded. “This does not impact the taxpayer,” the superintendent said during discussion, adding the district must demonstrate need and readiness as part of the competitive application.

No formal vote was taken on moving forward with procurement or selecting a vendor at the July 2 meeting; board members expressed interest in continuing study over the summer and into the fall. The district said architects and engineering partners are assisting with the assessment and grant-writing work, and that staff will return with further details as the flex-tech study and application progress.

What’s next: the district will complete the flex-tech study, finalize the grant application for submission in August if the study supports qualification, and report back to the board on application status and any recommended procurement steps after the state’s award decision.