A Swiss startup will soon be bringing its innovative geothermal panel technology to the United States for the first time.
According to Think Geoenergy, Enerdrape will be installing the panels in downtown Chicago's Millennium Parking Garages, which contain over 9,000 parking spaces. The panels harness the Earth's natural geothermal energy and use it to heat and cool buildings.
Geothermal energy generally involves drilling holes deep into the Earth's crust, pumping water into the holes, and allowing the Earth's natural heat to boil the water. That water is pumped up to the surface where the steam spins a turbine and generates energy. The water is then pumped back below the surface to start the process again.
It's a clean form of energy that doesn't create the same planet-overheating pollution as oil, gas, and coal. Besides being clean, geothermal energy is renewable, and it can significantly lower energy bills.
Enerdrape's geothermal panels work a little differently from the average geothermal energy project: there's no drilling involved.
It's a closed-loop system where piping within the panels contains heat transfer fluid that the Earth's warmer underground temperature heats up. That absorbed heat is then transferred to a heat pump that's used to heat or cool a building. It's then sent back to the panels to get heated again.
Geothermal panels like the ones that will be installed in Chicago are already being used in parking garages in France and Switzerland. According to Enerdrape, the company has installed 864 panels so far. They produce 275 megawatt hours of electricity a year and prevent 46 tons of carbon pollution from entering our atmosphere every year.
Besides Chicago, the company is also looking into projects in New York. They mainly involve hotels, housing complexes, and residences.
"At this stage, everything is preliminary, but the situation is promising," said Enerdrape co-founder and CTO Alessandro Rotta.
Enerdrape is looking to expand its reach into things like installing panels in underground tunnels for large-scale energy generation. The panels could also be used to power electric charging stations. The company is preparing for Series A fundraising in 2026 to help further the expansion.
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