Sustainability Climate Action Plan FAQ

What is Amherst’s Climate Action Plan?

Amherst aims to decarbonize its campus energy system by 2030 and will do this by:

1. Transitioning the campus’s heating and cooling systems from separate inefficient systems that rely on fossil fuels to an efficient integrated system that is powered by renewable electricity. This new highly efficient system utilizes low-temperature hot water instead of steam, includes geo-exchange wells AKA “geothermal”, and the latest large-scale heat pump technologies.    
2. Securing zero-emission renewable electricity to meet our heating, cooling and electrical needs through the Farmington solar project and similar power purchase agreements.
3. Reducing our energy load through dramatically improved system efficiency and through building energy efficiency improvements.

What is happening on campus this spring and summer?

In 2023, the College will begin to transition the campus’s heating and cooling systems from steam to a modern low-temperature hot water system. This is a critical infrastructure project that will happen in stages over the next eight years and require many campus buildings to be retrofitted for this technology change.

Pipes for the new system will be installed to connect buildings on the east side of campus. This work will require trenches to be dug and a new connection created under the railroad tracks. The good news: after the work of each phase is completed, the campus landscape will return to normal and you should not be able to tell that construction has taken place.

What is the project timeline?

Work will happen in stages over the next seven years, from 2023-2030. The majority of that work will happen over the summer months, though there will be times when work happens during the school year.  

What are the project’s phases?

• Beginning in 2023: Working in stages, the College will retrofit campus buildings with a new piping infrastructure to produce heat from low-temperature hot water rather than steam. The system will eventually be powered by renewable electricity rather than fossil fuels. 
• Beginning in 2025: also working in stages, the College will dig geothermal wells (for a vertical ground loop closed system). 
• Beginning in 2025: the low-temperature hot water system will be connected to heat pumps powered by renewable electricity. 
• In 2030: fossil fuel-powered steam boilers will be shut off, and the central campus will be heated solely by the new low-temperature hot water system.
• Visit the CAP website to learn more about the plan and how the new low-temperature hot water system will work. 

What are the benefits of the project?

By transitioning to a low-temperature hot water geothermal system, Amherst will be able to heat and cool the campus with minimal fossil fuel combustion. This project is critical to reaching our goal of decarbonizing the campus. In addition, the system will improve building comfort (by distributing heat more evenly than steam) and lower heating and cooling costs for the College.

Why will this project take so long?

This project requires a major overhaul of campus infrastructure and involves almost every building on campus. In order to minimize disruptions to campus life as much as possible, the most intensive work will be scheduled for the summer months. The complexity of this project—combined with our desire to minimize disruptions during the academic year—extends the timeline and means that the project won’t be completed until 2030. 

How does this project help Amherst decarbonize campus?

Amherst’s main source of emissions is fossil fuel combustion that produces electricity and heats buildings. To address our electricity needs, in 2018, Amherst and four other New England Colleges invested in—and now purchases—electricity from the Farmington solar project. The next step of our commitment is transitioning to a low-temperature hot water geothermal system for heating and cooling campus buildings. By transitioning to renewable energy sources, we will minimize our reliance on fossil fuels—which are still required for emergency backup (power failure) and peak loads on the coldest days. We will use meaningful carbon offsets (compensation for emissions) to meet our goal of decarbonizing campus by 2030.

What is low-temperature hot water?

Simply put, a low-temperature hot water heating system uses hot water to heat buildings. The water is heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and is then transported through underground pipes to provide heat to a building. The advantages of this system over steam heat are that low-temperature hot water requires less energy to produce, loses less energy in transit, is safer to transport than steam, requires less maintenance, and the water can be heated with renewable energy sources such as electricity from wind and solar. 

Amherst currently uses steam heating powered by fossil fuels. Converting to low-temperature hot water will require conversion of the heating system in buildings and the laying of new pipes underground to connect campus buildings to the low-temperature hot water system. To complete the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, Amherst will also drill geothermal wells and install electric heat pumps (see next question for more information).

How does a geothermal system work with low-temperature hot water?

Geothermal, technically geo-exchange, harnesses the earth’s natural heat. A few feet below the surface, the earth maintains a near-constant temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. In a geothermal system, water flows through a closed-loop network of underground pipes into deep wells that draw upon the heat stored in the earth. In winter, the result is 55 degree water that is then heated an additional 75 degrees to reach the system temperature of 130. In summer, heat is effectively extracted from buildings and transferred to the earth to cool the buildings and actually store the excess heat in the earth for use the following winter. The earth acts as a huge heat storage battery for the campus.  

Over the course of the project, Amherst will drill geothermal wells and construct a new Energy Center next to the Boiler Plant. This Energy Center will house electric heat pumps that will be powered with renewable electricity from solar. 

What is a heat pump and how will it be powered?

Heat pumps are an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners that move thermal energy from one space to another. The purpose of the heat pump is to heat water an additional 75 degrees Fahrenheit after it has been heated to 55 degrees in the geothermal wells. The heat pump will be powered with renewable electricity from solar. 

Will this project affect the look of campus?

No. The low-temperature hot water geothermal system will be underground. After work is completed, there should be no visible signs that any work was done. However, while work is happening, campus will look a little different and there will be inconveniences with moving through some parts of campus. Fencing will be used around construction areas as our contractors dig trenches and install new pipes. You’ll also see more construction vehicles on campus, and some pathways will be rerouted on a temporary basis.

How can I stay up to date on the project?

Visit the Construction Website for maps and regular updates about construction, road and pathway closures and other information.