Enerdrape’s system installed in an underground parking garage.
Photo courtesy of EnerdrapeA Startup Is Tapping Underground Parking Garages for Clean Energy
As cities look to harness zero-carbon power and heating, Enerdrape is offering a novel no-drill solution for geothermal energy.
The heat held in New York's underground labyrinth of infrastructure, from hundreds of miles of subway tunnels to parking garages and malls, is a clean energy gold mine. Now, a Swiss startup wants to tap it to heat and cool buildings, all without drilling a single borehole.
Globally, heating accounts for nearly half of all energy consumption. That could make decarbonizing it a half-trillion-dollar market, according to a BloombergNEF analysis. Using the Earth’s heat offers one route to cut emissions, but traditional geothermal projects can be costly and require space to operate drilling equipment, making them a poor fit for cities.