Water Well Journal

D arcy Solutions Inc. is developing a new way to complete geothermal heating and cooling projects that could create even more demand for today's water well contractors. Based in Excelsior, Minnesota, Darcy Solutions alleviates two common hurdles that often sidetrack geothermal heating and cooling from being pursued: the upfront expense and amount of space the system requires. The company's technology mag- nifies what each borehole can do, with capacities of up to 40 to 80-plus tons per borehole, whereas the industry average is about one to two tons of heating and cooling capacity per borehole. Its closed-loop system uses a heat exchanger to transfer heat with groundwater rather than sediment and rock but without using any of that groundwater or risking its contamination in the process. Therefore, the system requires fewer holes drilled to meet heating or cooling demand, reducing the surface-level space required by as much as 95%. A smaller footprint allows existing buildings—not just new construction—to take advantage of the benefits of geothermal systems without extensive remodeling or disruption. "That's the biggest benefit that our approach provides: we get a much higher level of energy exchange per hole in the ground," says Brian Larson, co-founder and CEO of Darcy Solutions. "We end up seeing savings up front, and when it op- erates, we see additional savings in operating costs. As a result, our paybacks are under 10 years. "In addition to colleges and universities as the nonresiden- tial applications, it opens up all kinds of opportunities. That's what we're really excited about, and what we're seeing is just the conversation of geothermal—whether it's using this tech- nology or technology agnostic—is getting that much more visi- bility and so it's lifting all boats with that tide. We really expect the whole [geothermal] pie to be getting bigger." Though every building is different, Larson estimates that using the system to replace conventional heating and cooling cuts annual costs by 30% to 80%, with a greater portion of the savings currently coming from cooling than heating because of the relatively low price of natural gas. In addition, it offers an all-electric option that can help building owners meet carbon reduction goals and provide a viable and financially attractive heating solution when natural gas is no longer an available option. The startup company, founded in 2018 with support from the University of Minnesota Technology Commercialization, has been presenting its technology to various geothermal and energy organizations since 2019. It has also been working with Minnesota's legislature to have the closed-loop heat system definition added to the state's well code. While Darcy Solutions is working with a third-party en- ergy modeling firm to measure and validate the performance of its first systems, the company reports that its initial system is performing better than anticipated. "We're really excited about what we thought was going to take three wells we've been able to do it with a single well," Larson shares. National Ground Water Association Past President David Henrich, CWD/PI, CVCLD, president of Bergerson-Caswell Inc. in Maple Plain, Minnesota, began working with Darcy Solutions in 2018. His company drilled the initial Darcy well in early 2020, taking it from concept to the field. In September 2020, his company drilled the wells for Darcy's first commer- cial project with the Pipefitters & Steamfitters Union Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. "It's worth highlighting that these wells are all installed inside of code wells," says Henrich, whose company and others in the water well industry have partnered with Darcy Solutions. "Properly constructed. Properly grouted. It's a continuous cas- ing into one [aquifer] formation. "We're talking about some of the more robust well con- struction practices that we employ in the industry. Other added layers of protection are we're only using potable water as a circulating solution, so when you talk about loop leak potential, we're even down to the level of mitigating by having literally an inert solution in the systems. "The Darcy group's approach is to use the resource respon- sibly and protect groundwater so we can keep on rolling this technology out in other areas." Honoring the pioneering groundwater modeling work of French hydrologist Henry D'Arcy, the company chose its name that inspired its mission to solve the challenges of sustainable heating and cooling. The company is currently in various stages of projects in multiple states. WATER WELL JOURNAL Q&A BRIAN LARSON, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF DARCY SOLUTIONS INC. The Twin Cities, Minnesota-based company is pioneering geothermal heating and cooling in a more cost-effective, practical, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly way. By Mike Price Brian Larson, co-founder and CEO of Darcy Solutions Inc. WWJ July 2022 n 25 Twitter @WaterWellJournl WATER WELL JOURNAL Q&A continues on page 26

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