Town seeks grant to study community thermal system

WOODSTOCK, N.Y. » Town Board members have endorsed the hiring of CHA Consulting by Woodstock Transitions to file a grant application that would pay for a feasibility study to determine if a thermal system could be developed as a community heating and cooling source.

The support was provided during a Town Board meeting Tuesday, with officials agreeing to seek funding through the state Energy Research and Development Authority.

“It’s not costing us anything,” Supervisor Bill McKenna said. “If we get the grant that’s what we would use to pay (CHA Consulting) to do a design.”

Civic organization Woodstock Transitions is spearheading the grant but requires it be filed through the municipality.

Under the proposal, a review would be conducted of areas such as the hamlet business district where buildings are close together.

“The idea is…how could you tie properties together,” Councilwoman Laura Ricci said.

State officials report that there is a June 13 deadline for the program, which has $22.5 million available for scoping studies, designs, and construction of community thermal heating projects.

“A community-style heat pump system will use a network of pipes to share heating water among a cluster of buildings,” officials wrote. “The cluster of buildings will use that heating water to produce comfort space heating of occupied spaces.”

The water would be centrally heated or chilled and sent through lines that would have heat in buildings via radiators and pipes as the source for cooling.

“The heating water could also be used for production of domestic hot water,” officials wrote.

Town officials have been using geothermal heating at the Town Hall on Tinker Street for about a decade. In a letter to state officials, they said they hope to use that project as an example of the municipality’s dedication to reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

“There has been success of individual geothermal systems within the township and we are interested