AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A historic area on South Congress unveiled a geothermal HVAC system on Wednesday morning.
Penn Field hosts businesses like Google Fiber and Pandora alongside a former World War 2 airfield. Now, the property is revamping its energy sources by using Earth’s internal heat to power heating and cooling systems in commercial buildings.
“Geothermal is unique because it’s clean, it’s abundant, essentially, limitless, and available everywhere,” Silviu Livescu, cofounder of Bedrock Energy, who installed the system.
Geothermal heat pumps use water and the constant temperature below ground to absorb or release heat from the air, depending on the season.
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Pumps can reduce energy consumption and emissions up to 72% compared to standard air-conditioning equipment, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Geothermal systems could potentially be the green energy compromise Texas is looking for, according to legislators and businesses alike.