In March 2025, members and guests of the Philadelphia ASHRAE chapter participated in a guided tour of Swarthmore College鈥檚 state-of-the-art central geoexchange facility, a core component of the college鈥檚 ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.
The tour highlighted the college鈥檚 commitment to sustainability through its initiative, a long-term energy and utility strategy focused on eliminating fossil fuel use for campus heating and cooling. A key milestone in this transformation was the replacement of an aging steam combustion system with a high-efficiency geothermal exchange system.
Featuring Smardt Chillers
Coward Environmental Systems, Inc. (CESI) was proud to provide Smardt heat recovery chillers for this project. These chillers were installed in the new mechanical room which houses the chillers, pumps, and heat exchangers at the heart of the system.
鈥淭he Smardt chillers allowed the college to move away from carbon-emitting steam systems and toward a cleaner, more efficient geothermal solution,鈥� said John Daher, Sales Engineer at CESI. 鈥淪mardt is a leader in green energy solutions, and this system reflects that.鈥�
The geoexchange system leverages geothermal wells to store and reuse thermal energy鈥攃apturing excess heat in the summer and storing it underground for use in the winter, and vice versa. The Smardt chillers operate year-round, producing chilled water and low-temperature heating water on demand without relying on water-intensive cooling towers.
Flexibility and Redundancy
鈥淲hat鈥檚 exciting about this system is how well it鈥檚 designed for flexibility,鈥� Daher added. 鈥淓ach chiller uses eight smaller compressors instead of one large one. That gives the system incredible redundancy and efficiency鈥攅specially when the demand for heating or cooling fluctuates.鈥�
In addition to increased operational flexibility, the chillers also comply with updated refrigerant regulations, further supporting Swarthmore鈥檚 sustainability goals.
鈥淭his is the kind of project that sets a new benchmark,鈥� Daher noted. 鈥淭he combination of advanced equipment, thoughtful system design, and long-term environmental goals makes it a true model for other campuses.鈥�
The initial installation included two 750-ton Smardt chillers, with provisions for future expansion as more buildings are connected to the centralized geoexchange system.
Want to Learn More
Coward Environmental Systems, Inc. was honored to support this major leap forward in sustainable infrastructure and to join ASHRAE in celebrating Swarthmore鈥檚 leadership in zero-carbon campus design. To find out more about Smardt Chillers, contact us today.
