Decarbonization in Progress

As a climate change action leader, Dartmouth is committed to reaching carbon zero operations by 2050. To reach that goal, we must reshape how we heat, cool, and power our campus, including drastically reducing energy consumption, constructing highly efficient new buildings, and transitioning to low-carbon energy sources. The addition of an expanded geo-exchange system to our campus energy technology portfolio will help us meet our energy needs without generating operational carbon emissions. 

Dartmouth has already completed geo-exchange testing to gather data for designing the large geo-exchange borefields required for our decarbonized energy portfolio. In early spring 2024, we drilled three to six test boreholes in Chase Field to better understand the conditions in that area and test out different drilling methods, namely wet or mud drilling versus air or dry drilling. This was our most intensive test to date, with the largest number of wells. The data we gathered will help us develop a finalized plan for how to approach installing future geo-exchange wells, including how best to mitigate sound generated while drilling. 

Sustainability Team 

• Rosi Kerr, Director of Sustainability 

• Marcus Welker, Assistant Director of Sustainability 

Construction Team 

• Keith Martin, Skanska: Project Manager 

• Allied: Drill Operations 

Contact 

If you have questions or concerns about the project, please reach out to our outreach team led by: 

Rosi Kerr & Marcus Welker 
603-646-3487 
decarbonization@dartmouth.edu

• Sustainable Energy Program | Campus Services (dartmouth.edu) 

• Geoexchange Test Drilling Underway | Dartmouth 

• Drilling of Geothermal Test Wells to Begin Next Week | Dartmouth 

• To Slash Carbon Emissions, Colleges Are Digging Really Deep - The New York Times (nytimes.com)