Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />32 <br />their heating and cooling energy demands. While in-ground heat exchangers could be considered as <br />an alternative, developer feedback indicated a preference for geothermal wellfields. District energy <br />uses land more efficiently and would not have this issue. <br />• Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) rebates defray capital costs more for a decentralized system (Scenario <br />3) than with district energy (Scenarios 1 and 2). The project team is researching whether there are <br />other ways to structure a system to mitigate this issue. <br />12. Next Steps <br />The findings in this report demonstrate that an all-electric, carbon-free development is both technically and <br />financially feasible at Rice Creek Commons. This is possible by implementing a combination of strategies: <br />reducing energy use through high-performance building standards and providing clean energy from sources <br />such as geothermal ground source and onsite solar. <br />Implementation of the strategies described in this document will involve deep collaboration between the <br />JDA, developers, and other project partners. As a first step, the JDA could adopt a policy that the Rice Creek <br />Commons development be all-electric and carbon-free. This would mean that the development would be <br />served be renewable energy sources, and no natural gas infrastructure would be built onsite. This policy <br />would provide guidance for the project team and developers while still allowing flexibility to determine <br />specific technologies and strategies to meet this requirement. <br />The project team will: <br />• Work with project partners to finalize Sustainability Design Guidelines for JDA approval and <br />implementation. <br />• Begin LEED for Communities certification process. <br />• Engage developers to continue to understand cost implications of green energy and sustainability <br />measures and incentives to offset costs. <br />• Engage developers to compare district energy and decentralized geothermal energy systems. <br />o If a district energy system is determined to be the best path forward, the project team will work <br />with the JDA to determine the preferred organizational structure and financing strategy. <br /> <br />