Decades After the U.S. Government Conducted Research Beneath This City, a Promising Clean Energy Technology Returns to Its Roots – Inside Climate News

Report on Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage Implementation in St. Paul, Minnesota

Introduction: Project Overview

A large-scale Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system is under construction in St. Paul, Minnesota, at a mixed-use development known as The Heights. This project represents a significant advancement in sustainable urban infrastructure in the United States, reviving a technology first tested by the U.S. Department of Energy nearly 45 years ago in the same region. The initiative is led by the Saint Paul Port Authority and has been designated a LEED Platinum community, reflecting its high standards of sustainability.

• Location: The Heights, a 112-acre development on a former golf course in St. Paul.
• Technology: The system utilizes groundwater from an aquifer 350-500 feet deep, which maintains a stable temperature of approximately 50°F. This thermal energy is harnessed by high-efficiency electric heat pumps, partially powered by solar panels.
• Scope: The project will provide low-emission heating and cooling for 850 homes and several light-industrial buildings.
• Design Firm: Ever-Green Energy.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Heights project directly contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its innovative design and community-focused objectives.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

The project is a prime example of advancing access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services.

1. Clean Energy Source: The ATES system is a form of geothermal energy that, when combined with solar power, provides heating and cooling with minimal to no greenhouse gas emissions. This directly supports the goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix (Target 7.2).
2. Energy Efficiency: Compared to conventional heating and cooling, ATES can reduce emissions by up to 74%. Its efficiency is superior to standard air-source heat pumps, particularly in climates with extreme temperature variations like Minnesota’s.
3. Affordability: The system is projected to dramatically reduce household energy costs. St. Paul City Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson noted that monthly bills could decrease from a typical $200-$300 to under $100, directly addressing energy poverty and ensuring affordable energy access (Target 7.1).

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The development serves as a model for creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban environments.

• Sustainable Infrastructure: By integrating a district-wide renewable energy system, The Heights builds resilient infrastructure that reduces the community’s carbon footprint and dependence on fossil fuels (Target 11.6).
• Integrated Planning: The project is a core component of a comprehensively planned community, demonstrating a holistic approach to sustainable urban development (Target 11.3).
• Resource Efficiency: The ATES system requires significantly less drilling than conventional geothermal systems (6 water wells versus an estimated 500 boreholes), making efficient use of land and resources.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The core function of the ATES system is to mitigate climate change by decarbonizing the heating and cooling of buildings.

• Greenhouse Gas Reduction: The system’s ability to cut emissions by up to 74% is a direct and substantial action to combat climate change and its impacts (Target 13.2).
• Promotion of Low-Carbon Technology: The project’s success can encourage wider adoption of ATES technology in the U.S., where it is currently underutilized compared to over 3,000 systems operating globally, primarily in the Netherlands.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The project showcases the deployment of innovative and sustainable technology to upgrade infrastructure.

1. Technological Innovation: The Heights is one of the first large-scale ATES projects in the U.S. since the initial federal tests in the 1980s, demonstrating renewed innovation in the sector.
2. Resilient Infrastructure: The system provides a stable and reliable energy source independent of volatile air temperatures, contributing to resilient infrastructure development (Target 9.1).
3. Local Expertise: The involvement of local firms like Ever-Green Energy and Darcy Solutions, a startup from the University of Minnesota, highlights the development of regional expertise in clean technology.

Implementation and Viability

Economic Framework

• Total Cost: The ATES infrastructure, including wells and pipes, is estimated to cost approximately $12 million.
• Financial Incentives: Federal tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act are expected to cover around 50% of the total system cost, enhancing its economic feasibility.

Environmental and Regulatory Oversight

The project’s implementation requires careful management of natural resources, aligning with SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

• Regulatory Approval: The Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Natural Resources must approve the project, ensuring the aquifer is managed sustainably.
• Mitigation Strategies: Key concerns include managing temperature changes in the aquifer and preventing groundwater oxygenation. Innovators like Darcy Solutions have developed solutions, such as placing heat exchangers directly into the wells, to ensure all water remains in the ground and its geochemistry is unaltered.

Conclusion

The Heights development in St. Paul is a landmark project that effectively integrates advanced renewable energy technology with sustainable urban planning. By providing affordable, low-emission energy, it serves as a powerful model for future developments and makes significant contributions to achieving key Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to clean energy (SDG 7), sustainable cities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13), and innovation (SDG 9). Its success could catalyze the broader adoption of aquifer thermal energy storage across the United States.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article’s central theme is the implementation of an aquifer thermal energy system, a technology that provides low-cost, highly efficient, and low-emission heating and cooling. This directly aligns with ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The project uses geothermal energy, supplemented by solar panels, which are clean and renewable sources.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The project is part of “The Heights,” a mixed-use development designed to be a sustainable community. The article highlights that the U.S. Green Building Council designated it a “LEED Platinum community,” its highest sustainability certification. By providing sustainable infrastructure and affordable energy for 850 homes, it contributes to making a city more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: A primary benefit of the aquifer thermal energy system discussed is its significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The article states it provides heating and cooling with “little to no greenhouse gas emissions” and “can cut emissions by up to 74 percent” compared to conventional methods. This represents a direct measure to mitigate climate change at the local level.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article describes the construction of a large-scale, innovative energy system that is one of the first of its kind in the United States. This project represents the development of quality, reliable, and sustainable infrastructure. It showcases the adoption of a clean and environmentally sound technology, reviving and advancing an experiment from 45 years ago.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The technology relies on the sustainable management of water resources, specifically an underground aquifer. The article addresses the need to protect water quality, mentioning concerns that temperature changes could cause minerals to dissolve into the groundwater or that exposure to air could alter the aquifer’s geochemistry. This connects the project to the goal of protecting water-related ecosystems.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. The article explicitly addresses energy affordability, noting the project could reduce monthly bills from “$200 to $300” to “less than $100,” helping residents who were previously unable to pay their bills.
• Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The system is based on geothermal energy from the aquifer and is “powered in part by solar panels,” both of which are renewable energy sources.
• Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. The article describes the system as “highly efficient,” comparing its efficiency increase to switching from incandescent lighting to LEDs, and notes it can reduce emissions by up to 74%, which is a direct result of its high efficiency.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums. The project provides affordable basic services (low-cost heating and cooling) to 850 homes within the development, a key component of this target.
• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. The system’s “little to no greenhouse gas emissions” directly reduces the development’s environmental footprint, contributing to this target. The “LEED Platinum” certification further supports this.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. This project is a tangible, local-level implementation of a climate change mitigation strategy by decarbonizing heating and cooling for a new community development.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities, through increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. The aquifer thermal energy system is a clean, environmentally sound technology being used to build sustainable infrastructure for a new community.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate. The article mentions that the project requires approval from the “Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Natural Resources,” demonstrating a process of integrated management and regulation to ensure the sustainable use of the aquifer.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Target 7.1 (Affordable Energy)

• Cost of energy services: The article provides a direct quantitative indicator by comparing projected monthly bills of “less than $100” with the current typical cost of “$200 to $300 per month.”
• Number of households with access: The article states the system will serve “850 homes,” which is a clear metric for measuring access.

Target 7.3 (Energy Efficiency)

• Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions: The article cites a study indicating the technology “can cut emissions by up to 74 percent,” which serves as a key performance indicator for efficiency.

Target 11.6 (Reduce Environmental Impact)

• Level of sustainability certification: The project’s achievement of “LEED Platinum” status is a qualitative but standardized indicator of its reduced environmental impact.

Target 6.5 (Water Resource Management)

• Aquifer water temperature: The article implies that water temperature is a critical indicator to be monitored, referencing regulations in the Netherlands that limit the temperature range to between 5 and 25 degrees Celsius.
• Groundwater geochemistry: The article mentions concerns about minerals dissolving into the groundwater and oxygenation changing the aquifer’s geochemistry, implying that the chemical composition of the water is an indicator of the system’s environmental impact.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: insideclimatenews.org