Geothermal Well Installation
“SAK Environmental quickly demonstrated their expertise and professionalism and, as a result, became a trusted party within our project. I came to rely on SAK for their insight and advice for not only their scope of work, but for that of others on the project.”
- J. Maass, Project Manager,
Paratus Group (ISGM project)
Case Study: Geothermal well installation at renowned art museum, Boston MA
Project background: The historic Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts completed months of extensive planning to preserve the Museum’s historic galleries while planning a new building adjacent to the Palace to better accommodate the approximately 200,000 guests who visit the Museum annually.
Supporting the progress and preservation goals of this effort was a geothermal well system that would complement the Gardner Museum’s existing heating and cooling systems. Installation of the geothermal well system was designed to provide up to 170 tons of cooling, allowing the Gardner Museum to become more energy independent and reduce its carbon footprint.
The challenge: Eight, 1,500 foot deep Standing Column Wells were constructed as the ground-couple, the heart of the geothermal well system. The geothermal wells delivered groundwater to heat exchangers located in the mechanical room of the building, and then returned to the aquifer. Proper construction was crucial to ensure the geothermal wells would achieve their maximum performance. Additionally, wastewater from construction of the geothermal wells required pretreatment prior to discharge into the nearby Muddy River. Water quality sampling and laboratory testing was needed to comply with regulatory agency environmental permits.
Services provided: SAK Environmental’s hydrogeologists and field engineers worked with the Museum and their Project Management Team, the Paratus Group of New York City, to provide expertise in well construction monitoring and inspection, aquifer and water quality testing, and geothermal well system troubleshooting. SAK Environmental provided on-site inspection of the geothermal well construction, performed sampling and regulatory reporting for wastewater, and provided geologic consulting and troubleshooting. SAK Environmental’s construction monitoring and geologic expertise were instrumental in producing a design modification to address a zone of soft, flaking bedrock that threatened to obstruct well water.
The result: SAK’s expertise in hydrogeology, water quality, and geothermal well construction methods contributed to achieving a high performing geothermal well field for this important project. Geothermal well construction was completed in December 2009 and the geothermal heating and cooling system is scheduled to go online late 2010.