Tapping the Thermal Energy Opportunity with Geothermal Networks

Tapping the Thermal Energy Opportunity with Geothermal Networks As we move to decarbonize heating and cooling our homes and businesses, one of the biggest challenges is replacing gas-based heating in legacy and new construction. Tapping into geothermal energy using ground-source heat pump technology offers an extremely efficient option for both heating and cooling. But the high up-front capital costs make it unattainable for many individual home and building owners. Deploying this technology at scale as a Geothermal Network with a single loop serving many homes is demonstrating that it can replace gas-based heating while maintaining affordability. To tell us more about the gas-to-geothermal opportunity, we’ll be joined by Zeyneb Magavi of HEET, a non-profit that is helping utilities transition from gas to low-carbon thermal energy providers. Zeyneb will show us how the ambient-temperature single-pipe thermal energy network (aka geothermal network) works and how it can replace gas in providing heating and cooling that is economic, more efficient, scalable, and healthier and safer for occupants. She will discuss how these systems' new construction, as well as retrofits for existing communities, are served by gas. She’ll also provide examples from international and domestic projects, such as the Framingham loop, a retrofit project in Massachusetts. Watch this program to learn more about the advantages of geothermal network energy: safe, efficient, affordable, renewable, local, and always available. ABOUT OUR SPEAKER: Zeyneb Magavi joined HEET in 2016 to collaboratively lead the Large Volume Leak Study which rapidly changed state policy and reduced methane emissions. Zeyneb then pioneered the concept of gas utilities delivering decarbonization through networked geothermal heat pumps, launching Gas to Geo and transforming HEET into a national thought leader for the thermal energy transition. Zeyneb also serves as guest faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health, guest lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and as a Senior Policy Advisor to the World Bank. Before entering the sustainability world, Zeyneb led the development of several technological solutions to health challenges in the developing world and helped launch two start-ups. Zeyneb studied physics at Brown University and later studied global health and sustainability at Harvard University. She is committed to creating and driving forward compassionate, multi-disciplinary, and innovative solutions to the urgent challenge of climate change. The program was hosted by Peter Eberle, CRES Chair and NCRES Program Manager. A question and answer session followed the presentation. TIMELINE: 0:00 Welcome and announcements - Peter Eberle 3:35 Presentation - Zeyneb Magavi 31:56 Q&A This program was organized by the Northern Colorado chapter of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society and was recorded on July 24, 2025. Contact us at [email protected] or visit us online at https://www.cres-energy.org/. CREDITS: Video production by Brian Beinlich, https://brianbeinlich.com. Intro/outro video by Michael via Pexels. Source: https://www.pexels.com/video/aerial-f.... Intro/outro music: “Future Glider” by Brian Bolger via the YouTube Audio Library. ABOUT CRES: For more than 25 years, the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) and its local chapters have provided education, policy advocacy, and community engagement to accelerate Colorado toward a 100% renewable energy future. CRES is a statewide, non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)3 membership organization that drives environmental, social, and economic benefits for our communities by promoting all forms of renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage, high-performance buildings, and other low- or zero-carbon solutions. CRES features several local monthly speaker series throughout the state, provides speakers, experts, and workshops, and weighs in on state energy policy. Learn more about CRES, membership, and how you can sign up to become a speaker or volunteer by visiting our website at https://cres-energy.org.