In the Energy Commons in the basement of Building 10, a small but dedicated group of students takes their seats around the TV. Soon after, Megan Lim ’24 steps up to the front of the room and outlines plans to collaborate with the Vermont Community Thermal Network (VCTN), which hopes to introduce thermal energy networks across Vermont communities. However, the VCTN needs a strong technical model to demonstrate why these systems are a superior alternative to the state’s current energy sources — a problem the students will tackle. Almost immediately after Lim finishes, they split into smaller teams, eager to begin the work ahead.
But this isn’t a consulting firm: it’s Geo@MIT. Founded in Fall 2024 by Lim, Jason Chen ’25, and Olivia Chen ’26, Geo@MIT is a student organization dedicated to achieving full campus decarbonization by 2035, 15 years ahead of the MIT Office of Sustainability’s 2050 target. It’s an ambitious goal, but Geo@MIT has consistently pushed the boundaries of sustainability, both on MIT’s campus and in communities across the U.S.
A golden beginning
Geo@MIT was initially formed to compete in the 2024 EnergyTech University Prize for Geothermal Technologies competition, a challenge suggested by MIT D-Lab Senior Lecturer Susan Murcott ’92. Although the competition was outside her area of expertise, Lim couldn’t pass up the opportunity to collaborate with Murcott, who had done impactful work in the field.
However, the team quickly encountered major challenges. With no prior experience in geothermal energy or systems, they faced the steep task of mastering a new technical field while integrating insights from their own disciplines. Support from industry experts and MIT alumni helped ease the process, but Jason Chen, a mechanical engineering (Course 2) student, recalled that the learning curve remained daunting. “Geothermal energy is very complex, and [the alumni] were all experts in this field,” he explained. “When you’re an expert in a field, you forget how to explain something simply to another person.”
Despite these challenges, the team persevered. Their hard work culminated in a presentation of their Advanced Generation District Heating and Cooling (GDHC) and Thermal Storage Systems business plan for college campuses across the United States, which earned them the EnergyTech UP National Geothermal Technologies Bonus Prize, along with $22,000 in award funding.
A pipeline towards a cleaner MIT
Following their success, the MIT Department of Facilities and the MIT Office of Sustainability contacted the team to write a memorandum on the feasibility of implementing a geothermal energy network on the MIT campus. The students accepted the proposal, and began working under the guidance of Murcott as well as an advising team of industry leaders.
A geothermal energy network replaces current heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Current HVAC systems are too reliant on fossil fuels; the International Energy Agency reports that in North America alone, around 73% of HVAC systems are powered through either natural gas or oil, with only a combined 5.8% of systems powered by district heating or renewable sources of energy. A geothermal energy network would use a system of interconnected pipes with water to exchange heat between buildings instead, allowing for a building that needs heating and a building that needs cooling to transfer thermal energies between one another. Heat is extracted from the latter building and absorbed by water, which is then pumped to heat the first building. In a similar vein, cooled water is pumped to buildings that need cooling, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels for temperature control.
“It would be an extremely efficient undertaking that would pay for itself very quickly in energy savings,” Murcott said. Rick Clemenzi ’81, a senior engineer and advisor for the team, further explained that a geothermal energy network would also be much easier to expand once the central node is established; the operation and implementation costs would be drastically lower compared to initial costs.
In their pilot study, Geo@MIT proposed an initial geothermal energy system that included the Stratton Student Center, Johnson Athletic Center, as well as buildings W31–35. According to Murcott, their tests indicated that the necessary hardware needed for a geothermal energy system, such as the pipes and a central thermal battery located below ground, could be implemented at a cost of around $20 million. This study would go on to win second place at the US Department of Energy Geothermal Collegiate Competition Policy Track.
Unfortunately, the proposal was rejected because of current general budget cuts in the MIT administration. The Institute cited a report stating that the proposal would cost approximately $150 million. Geo@MIT responded by proposing a much smaller pilot program, focusing only on implementing the system in the Zesiger Center Pool (Building W34) and the Johnson Ice Rink (Building W35). In the revised proposal, the student organization outlined how current HVAC pipes could be adapted into an ambient loop that transfers heat from the swimming pool to the ice rink, making it much more efficient than the original proposal. However, progress on that project has also been stalled, with Geo@MIT still waiting on a reply.
An exchange outside of MIT
Facing setbacks with their proposal on the MIT campus, Geo@MIT has pivoted its efforts toward expanding geothermal networks to surrounding communities. Anoushka Tamhane ’28, current co-president of Geo@MIT, outlined the organization’s ongoing partnerships with the VCTN and the Cambridge Water Department (CWD). Despite the slow progress with their on-campus proposal, Tamhane emphasized that the club remains firmly focused on its ultimate mission: decarbonization. “Timelines are complex,” she said. “Everyone has different ways to envision when and how things will get done, but we want to make sure that we’re still focusing on decarbonization. We’re focusing on the problems that need to be addressed — and right now, I think one of those problems is outreach and connection.”
Geo@MIT’s current partnership with the CWD centers on developing a new heat exchanger and heat pump-based system for future implementation. “The [CWD] is an area of interest for us because their system uses piped water from a municipal facility as a thermal battery, allowing them to achieve even greater cost savings,” Jason Chen explained. Geo@MIT’s role is to develop a methodology and a preliminary report showing how such a system would work in the CWD, as well as prove that such a project would meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for drinking water in Massachusetts. Additionally, Geo@MIT plans to partner with VCTN to potentially implement thermal network systems in Vermont communities.
Geo@MIT has also contacted other universities for research collaborations. Oxford University, Cambridge University, and other London-based institutions have expressed interest in a joint event around geothermal technology. “We’re Geo@MIT, but I hope it doesn’t stay at MIT,” Tamhane said.
The future of Geo@MIT
The continuation of Geo@MIT has been surprising to the original team leads that participated in the EnergyTech UP competition; a project initially thought to last only a semester has grown into a student organization leading MIT’s decarbonization efforts.
“We didn’t anticipate that it would be anything more than [the competition],” Jason Chen said. “But I guess through that experience of doing the competition, you realize why we do it and see where it goes.” He also talked about the future of Geo@MIT, expressing his hope that the club eventually takes on the role of a student consulting group focused on decarbonization. For now, Geo@MIT is focused on achieving enough success to attract interest and collaborations from people outside Massachusetts, giving its members valuable experience.
For Tamhane, clubs like Geo@MIT offer a chance to inspire students of all disciplines to get involved with The Climate Project at MIT. “The climate system is one of those things that is applicable to every single major,” she said.
Regardless of what the future holds, Geo@MIT’s story stands as a testament to the power of student-driven innovation and collaboration. What began as a one-semester competition project has evolved into a lasting movement — one that not only pushes MIT closer to its decarbonization goals but also empowers students to think critically about the role they can play in shaping a sustainable future.
More information
MIT D-Lab classes:
- Thermal Energy Networks for Decarbonization of Campuses, Neighborhoods, and Cities
- D-Lab: Climate Change and Planetary Health
Contact
Susan Murcott, MIT D-Lab Senior Lecturer