Dandelion Energy and Vermont Gas (VGS) have announced a collaboration to bring renewable geothermal heating and cooling to a new housing development in Hinesburg, Vermont.
“This partnership with utilities like VGS helps us expand geothermal access and continues to help us make this a standard, mainstream solution for developers and builders,” said Dan Yates, CEO of Dandelion Energy.
The model for the Riggs Meadow housing development affordable is believed to be the first of its kind in the USA for a natural gas utility — introducing an innovative approach to clean energy deployment where gas utility investment unlocks geothermal systems for residential customers.
“Utility-owned ground loops are a practical, immediate solution to decarbonise housing,” added Yates.
“We are proud to support and validate this model that aligns utility infrastructure investment with equitable, clean energy access.”
Riggs Meadow will feature 44 townhomes and apartments designed for low- and moderate-income renters and owners.
Affordable housing developers Champlain Housing Trust and Evernorth worked with VGS to explore geothermal heating and cooling options, and a partnership with Dandelion Energy was formed.
VGS is investing in the upfront cost of installing geothermal ground loops, reducing the barrier to deploying the technology for the developer and for future residents.
Dandelion will serve as the end-to-end geothermal partner, including system design and drilling.Neale Lunderville, President & CEO of VGS, called geothermal “one of the best solutions we have” to make cost-effective, renewable heating and cooling options accessible to more residents in the US state.
“We are thrilled to partner with Dandelion Energy to demonstrate ways geothermal can be scaled to meet community needs,” he said.
“As Vermont looks to rapidly build housing to meet demand, our teams are eager to incorporate geothermal into our product portfolio to give more choices to homebuilders and customers.”
Community-scale geothermal model
As policymakers, developers and utilities seek cost-effective heating and cooling options, investment in individual geothermal ground loops offers a pathway for gas utilities to innovate and expand their portfolio as thermal services providers, according to Dandelion Energy.
This latest partnership shows what that looks like in practice, it added, helping to deliver Vermont’s first community-scale geothermal project.
Dandelion’s geothermal heating and cooling system captures stable, year-round underground temperatures to provide efficient, all-electric comfort, from a renewable source.
“This new model overcomes historic cost barriers, bringing all the benefits of geothermal to low- and moderate-income Vermont residents,” it noted in a statement.
The collaboration with VGS also serves as a national blueprint, it added — with utility investment in individual ground loops, affordable housing developers can bring the benefits of geothermal to their projects.
The drilling of geothermal boreholes will commence early next year, with residents occupying homes at Riggs Meadow in late 2027.