Dayton’s CityWide Development Corporation, a private economic development group, will hold an event Tuesday to raise awareness about geothermal energy. Leaders say Dayton’s underground water could be a boon to development.
In a nutshell, geothermal heating uses groundwater to heat buildings. Shallow underground aquifers store heat at a steady temperature (around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit), which makes it fairly efficient to heat the water up just a little further in winter and run it through pipes for heat. The water is then either returned to the ground or goes into stormwater drains.
Once a geothermal heating system is installed, David Williams of Citywide says it can yield a lower heating bill than gas and electricity.
And Williams says the Miami Valley’s massive aquifer, full of clean, warm water is an economic resource not to be overlooked, especially in times of growing water scarcity in other parts of the country and world.
“That’s one of the things that I think in time will put Dayton back on the map in a lot of different ways,” he said.
The free GeoSummit is from 2pm-5pm Tuesday at Tech Town Building 3; it is the first event in a series called “Bringing Momentum Back to Main Street.” Williams hopes it will raise awareness about geothermal energy and encourage developers to seek out the technology for new buildings or rehab projects.