The City of Vandalia is moving forward with the second phase of its community geothermal initiative, continuing engineering work and community outreach to bring this innovative local energy project closer to reality. City leaders and project partners are working with residents and business owners to explore how a shared geothermal heating and cooling system could provide reliable, energy-efficient comfort while strengthening Vandalia's local energy infrastructure. The project aims to help keep energy dollars in the community, improve energy resilience, and provide a dependable and comfortable heating and cooling solution for homes and businesses.
Community geothermal, also known as a Thermal Energy Network, is a shared geothermal heating and cooling system that uses the Earth's naturally stable underground temperatures to provide reliable, energy-efficient comfort for homes, schools, businesses, and public buildings. Instead of each property installing its own underground loop, participating buildings connect to a shared geothermal network that distributes renewable thermal energy throughout the community.
Much like water, natural gas, or electricity, the system relies on shared underground infrastructure. A network of buried pipes circulates fluid through the community, while each participating home or business has its own geothermal heat pump that transfers heat between the building and the shared loop. This approach makes geothermal heating and cooling more practical and affordable for entire neighborhoods rather than individual properties.
Because the underground infrastructure is shared, community geothermal helps keep energy investments local while creating a more reliable, efficient, and resilient energy system for Vandalia.
Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth's naturally consistent underground temperature to provide heating and cooling year-round.
During the winter, fluid circulating through the shared underground loop absorbs heat from the ground and transfers it into buildings. During the summer, the process reverses, removing heat from indoor spaces and returning it to the ground. Because underground temperatures remain much more stable than outdoor air temperatures, geothermal systems can operate efficiently in every season.
In a community geothermal system, multiple homes, businesses, and institutions share the underground piping, wells, and pumping infrastructure while maintaining their own individual geothermal heat pumps. Sharing this infrastructure reduces the need for separate ground loops, lowers installation costs, and makes geothermal heating and cooling more accessible to residents and business owners across the community.
Community Geothermal offers benefits that extend far beyond individual buildings. By creating a locally managed energy network, Vandalia can strengthen long-term energy reliability while reducing dependence on outside energy sources.
Instead of sending more energy dollars elsewhere, more of that investment stays right here in the community—supporting local jobs, strengthening Vandalia's economy, and improving local energy infrastructure. At the same time, the shared geothermal system makes one of the most efficient heating and cooling technologies available to more residents and businesses than would be possible through individual geothermal installations alone.
Geothermal heat pumps offer more than just energy savings—they provide reliable, year-round comfort for homes and businesses. By using the Earth's naturally stable underground temperatures, geothermal systems heat and cool buildings more efficiently than many conventional HVAC systems and air-source heat pumps. For many property owners, that added efficiency can mean lower monthly utility bills over the life of the system.
They're also known for providing one of the most comfortable heating and cooling experiences available. Because geothermal systems work with steady underground temperatures instead of constantly changing outdoor air, they deliver consistent indoor comfort with fewer hot and cold spots throughout the building.
Another benefit is how quiet they are. Since there isn't an outdoor unit running, geothermal systems operate with very little noise while keeping the equipment protected from the weather. Geothermal heat pumps are also built to last, often providing a longer service life than many traditional heating and cooling systems.
For homes and buildings that use natural gas, propane, or fuel oil for heating, geothermal also removes the need for on-site combustion. That means no combustion byproducts inside the building, helping create a cleaner indoor environment
A community geothermal network provides benefits that extend beyond individual homes and buildings—it creates an opportunity for the entire Vandalia community to invest in a more resilient future.
By sharing underground geothermal infrastructure across multiple properties, community geothermal makes arguably the best heating and cooling technology available more accessible to residents, businesses, and public buildings. Instead of each property needing to develop its own ground loop system, which is typically the pricier part of geothermal heating and cooling, participants can connect to a shared network while maintaining their own dedicated geothermal heat pump.
Geothermal systems also use significantly less energy to heat and cool buildings compared to many traditional heating and cooling technologies. By using the Earth's stable underground temperatures instead of relying on fossil fuels or dramatically changing outdoor air temperatures, geothermal can reduce overall energy demand. For Vandalia, this means less strain on the local energy grid—not only today, but for years to come as the community's energy needs continue to grow.
A shared geothermal network also helps keep more energy dollars local by investing in community infrastructure, supporting local jobs, and strengthening Vandalia's long-term energy resilience. Designed to grow with the community, community geothermal provides a scalable approach to heating and cooling that can benefit current residents while helping prepare Vandalia for the future.
The preliminary design for Vandalia’s Community Geothermal project demonstrates how a shared geothermal heating and cooling system could serve a variety of homes, businesses, and public facilities throughout the community. This geothermal network could provide up to 2,005 tons of peak heating capacity and support more than 1 million square feet of conditioned space. Potential participants include more than 100 homes, three schools serving approximately 1,460 students, SBL Fayette County Hospital, 15–20 commercial buildings, and the Vandalia Swimming Pool through potential waste heat recovery opportunities.
By connecting multiple building types to a shared geothermal loop, the project creates an opportunity to provide efficient, reliable heating and cooling while strengthening Vandalia’s local energy infrastructure.
To determine where community geothermal could provide the greatest benefit, the City of Vandalia and project partners have identified five evaluation zones. Each area is being reviewed based on factors such as building density, energy demand, available space, and community interest.
While Zone 1 is currently the primary area of focus, the City is continuing to gather input from residents, business owners, and property owners across all of Vandalia. Community interest will play an important role in determining the final location of the initial geothermal network. If another area demonstrates strong participation and support, the focus of the project could shift to better serve the needs and interests of the community.
Residents and businesses throughout Vandalia are encouraged to show their support by signing a non-binding Letter of Intent. This helps the City and project partners understand community interest, identify areas with the greatest potential participation, and make informed decisions as planning continues.
Whether you own a home, operate a business, or manage property in Vandalia, your input can help shape the future of this local energy initiative.
Zone 1, which includes the school complex and the historic district east of downtown, has emerged as a leading candidate for Vandalia’s first geothermal borefield. The area includes a mix of schools, healthcare facilities, homes, and businesses located close together—an ideal setting for a shared geothermal network.
By serving multiple buildings in one area, Zone 1 provides an opportunity to maximize the benefits of shared underground infrastructure while making efficient use of the geothermal system.
The borefield is the underground foundation that makes the Community Geothermal system possible. Located near the school complex, each well would contain a closed-loop pipe system filled with a water-based heat transfer fluid that transfers heat between the ground and connected buildings.
The proposed design would require nearly 76,000 linear feet of drilling across approximately 1.43 acres. Once construction is complete, the land above the borefield could continue to serve the community through uses such as athletic fields, parking, or other open-space purposes.
This shared underground infrastructure allows Vandalia to access the benefits of geothermal heating and cooling while preserving the land above for continued community use.
Community Geothermal is a collaborative effort led by the City of Vandalia and supported by a team of experienced project partners. Together, the team is providing engineering, geothermal design, energy planning, economic forecasting, and community outreach expertise to help evaluate whether community geothermal is the right fit for Vandalia.
Project partners include Gaiergy, RediCool, Thermal Energy Insights, and Supplied Energy, each contributing specialized knowledge to help the City explore this innovative approach to local heating and cooling.
As planning continues, community participation will play an important role in shaping the project's future. Residents, business owners, and property owners are encouraged to learn more and consider signing a non-binding Letter of Intent to help demonstrate community interest.
Join the conversation about Vandalia’s energy future. Visit vandaliageothermal.com to learn more, or complete the form below to share your interest and support the project.