Decarbonizing Brownfields with Geothermal + Solar Analyzing the potential for innovative renewable energy technologies in Missoula, Montana Project Summary Community; Missoula, Montana Technical Assistance: Clean Energy Analysis Former Use: Industrial/Commercial Businesses Future Use: Mixed-Use Development with Renewable Energy The MRL Triangle site is a State Superfund site associated with steel culvert fabrication, rail car maintenance, and rail spurs. The City of Missoula is using an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant to complete a Voluntary Cleanup Plan Environmental Assessment (VCP-EA) towards delisting the site. The City expects to sell the property to a master developer to create a mixed-use development with residential (both market rate and affordable), retail, and commercial uses. With redevelopment in mind, the City would like to create a district energy system to provide non-fossil- fired energy at the property. This energy can take the form of a combination of geothermal energy utilizing Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs), as well as solar photovoltaics (PVs). EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Land Revitalization Program provided contractor technical assistance to support the City of Missoula in preparing a clean energy analysis for MRL Triangle. This analysis included energy modeling, ground heat exchanger (GHX) modeling, district GHX modeling, and solar PV modeling to quantify the energy consumption and to design the solar PV and the district GSHP system. The team applied this analysis to four development scenarios: 1. Utilizing conventional dual fuel, 2. Conventional all-electric, 3. High-performance all-electric using air source heat pump (ASHP), and 4. High-performance all-electric using GSHP. A GSHP is connected to pipe buried in the earth. Fluid is circulated through the pipe, and a heat pump inside the building extracts heat from the fluid. The analysis revealed that GSHPs are the most efficient way to heat and cool potential buildings at MRL Triangle. The clean energy report will serve as a resource for the City of Missoula to advance geothermal and solar technologies as they strive towards decarbonizing future developments. For more information, contact Tim Rehder, EPA Region 8 Brownfields Program, at Rehder.Timothv@epa.gov . A Sample Flat-Roof Mounted Solar PV System The Community's Challenge Before pitching geothermal and/or solar energy to potential developers at MRL Triangle, the City needed additional analysis to determine the optimal configuration of infrastructure, and to further refine cost estimates. Circulating warmed or cooled fluid through GHX transfers energy to / from the ground SEPA United States Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization Environmental Protection Agency 560-F-23-335 ------- |