LYNN — The City Council voted to allocate $7.8 million for the installation of a geothermal system in the new Pickering Middle School.

The middle school will be the city’s first municipal building to use the system, which uses the earth, rather than fossil fuels, as a heating source for the building’s temperature and water.

“Constructing a fossil-fuel-free, all-electric school with a geothermal system is sustainable, energy efficient, and in line with the state decarbonization goals,” Leftfield Senior Project Manager Craig DiCarlo said.

According to DiCarlo, the $7 million invested in the project is expected to be returned to the city through state rebates offered by the Mass Save program and federal incentives offered through the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act.

“The selection of all-electric building systems with a geothermal system was the most energy-efficient and sustainable option given the geothermal system’s 50-year life span,” DiCarlo said.

Project Manager Laura Stockfisch, who works for the city’s Inspectional Services Department, said while there is a cost associated with running the electrical pumps, the operational costs to heat the building over the course of its expected 50-year lifespan will ultimately be much lower than a traditional system run on fossil fuels.

Mayor Jared Nicholson said powering Pickering Middle School with geothermal energy is an innovative approach.

“By embracing clean and renewable energy sources, we are taking a significant step toward a greener future for our community,” he said. “This project exemplifies our dedication to both educational excellence and environmental stewardship, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.”

DiCarlo said the project team, along with National Grid’s energy consultant, performed extensive energy modeling on the design and provided an energy analysis that resulted in a fossil-fuel-free design, including a geothermal well field for the ground-source heat-pump component.

“The benefits to the City of Lynn and its residents include energy conservation, environmental equity, infrastructure resilience, and reduced operating costs,” DiCarlo said.

Stockfisch noted that in order for the city to receive the federal tax incentives, there must be an apprenticeship component.

“This is an opportunity for the next generation of tradespeople to learn,” Stockfisch said.

“We are consumers of energy and we are trying to embrace its resiliency and use its resources responsibly,” she added. “It is the way of the future.”