JFK Elementary Geothermal Project
Mayor Wu has announced a groundbreaking initiative to advance Boston’s municipal buildings toward carbon neutrality by 2040. The JFK Elementary School geothermal project exemplifies this vision, by upgrading municipal buildings with cutting-edge energy technology.
Key Benefits for the Community
- Carbon Neutrality Leadership:
- This project is a flagship effort toward electrifying Boston’s municipal building stock and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
- It aligns with the City’s Climate Action Plan to mitigate climate change through sustainable infrastructure investments.
- Enhanced Learning Environment:
- Students and teachers will benefit from improved indoor air quality, modernized ventilation systems, and comfortable temperature control.
- Geothermal heating and cooling provide a quiet, efficient, and sustainable solution for temperature regulation year-round.
- Economic and Environmental Savings:
- The project’s Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) are designed to reduce utility costs while lowering the school’s carbon footprint.
- Energy-efficient upgrades to enhance long-term operational savings.
Project Highlights
- Geothermal Innovation:
A closed-loop geothermal heat pump system will replace traditional heating and cooling, marking JFK Elementary as a model for sustainable energy solutions in schools. - Comprehensive Energy Upgrades:
- Replacement of gas water heaters with electric heat pump systems.
- Advanced Building Management System (BMS) for efficient energy use.
Timeline
- Summer 2024: Test well drilling, initial vertical drilling, and geotechnical analysis.
- Summer 2025: Geothermal vertical well-drilling
- Summer 2026: Horizontal trenching, building controls upgrades, electrical upgrades, and indoor heat pump system integration.
DAILY BULLETIN
SUMMER 2025 Construction
The Project Team will compile key facts about construction and site monitoring that will be posted in Daily Bulletins below. Please use the Daily Bulletin Explainer document below to understand how to interpret the information provided in the Daily Bulletin. Daily Bulletins are grouped by construction week (i.e. a bulletin for July 10th can be found under the July 7th drop-down menu)
SENSOR DATA (in CSV format)
SUMMER 2025 CONSTRUCTION
The City has committed to publish raw sound, air quality, and vibration sensor data on a daily basis in both CSV and PDF formats. Please use the Sensor Data Explainer document below to understand how to interpret the information provided in the sensor data files. Sensor data files are grouped by constructed week (i.e. data collected for July 10th can be found under the July 7th drop-down menu).
