In Canada, burning fossil fuels for electricity amounts to about 45 per cent of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A complete overhaul of fossil fuel energy systems is already underway, with Canada aiming to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Nevertheless, as climate disasters become increasingly volatile, finding new heat generation methods remains critical. One of these solutions is a geoexchange system (GES), which uses stable underground temperatures to provide year-round heating and cooling efficiently. 

The temperature 100-200 metres underground rests at around 10 degrees Celsius all year, and the GES uses heat pumps to harness this steady underground temperature to manage heating and cooling for several buildings on campus. U of T’s late Professor Frank Hooper was among the first to demonstrate GES’s feasibility in the Toronto climate. 

More than just parking spaces

Beneath King’s College Circle lies Canada’s largest urban GES. During a tour of the system, we learned that, as part of the larger Project LEAP, GES is not only eco-friendly, but also economically viable.

The overall cost of Project LEAP was $138 million, which includes upgrading current equipment and building optimization in addition to the geoexchange integration. However, after its integration, this savvy investment won’t cost the university extra in utility bills. Over the next few decades, it is projected that the system will ultimately generate more money than it costs.

The secret of the GES’s economic viability lies in its incredible efficiency. Heat pumps can produce between two to three times more heating than their consumption of electrical energy. GESs are also less visibly invasive than other energy projects. These systems stay hidden underground compared to the large spaces required by other renewable energy systems like wind farms or solar arrays.

Once installed, the surface can be restored, minimizing long-term impacts on above-ground biodiversity. However, although the risk of the pipes leaching into groundwater reserves is minimal, it exists, as with any energy-generating system.

Toward regenerative sustainability: Project LEAP

Project LEAP is U of T’s ambitious initiative to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by over 50 per cent by 2027 for the St. George campus, advancing its climate-positive strategy by a decade — well ahead of the 2050 estimate. 

Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gases from sources owned or controlled by the university — like heating buildings or operating university vehicles. Scope 2 emissions are the indirect greenhouse gases from the electricity purchased and used by the university. 

Project LEAP features the GES, district energy modernization — which includes the addition of electric boilers and heat pumps — energy-efficient building retrofits optimization, embodying the university’s ambitious strategy toward regenerative sustainability. This approach goes beyond merely reducing environmental harm — it aims to actively restore the environment. 

U of T is trying to establish a model that addresses current environmental challenges and paves the way for financial viability. Project LEAP helps reduce energy use intensity by over 40 per cent and eliminates more than 400,000 tons of carbon emissions incrementally, equivalent to removing 122,000 gas-powered cars from the road. Project LEAP is expected to save nine million dollars during the first year all its components are operational — an amount sure to increase in the future.

It’s clear that sustainable initiatives can indeed be economically viable, and you can even implement them in your home. Advocate for similar sustainable projects within your sphere of influence, and see what a heat pump can do in your household.