Geothermal Heating Is the Next Big Thing in New York City Real Estate

Around 2016, when the Internet was still innocent, a frequently shared image on social media encapsulated what makes New York City feel like home.  A portly gray rat held a half-eaten slice of pizza in its jaws as it carefully maneuvered its haul down the stairs of a subway station.  That rat knew that the best things in New York City are underground, whether physically or metaphorically.  Increasingly, landlords in New York City are looking underground for a source of heating and cooling that will make for affordable energy bills and, by extension, affordable rent.  Environmentally friendly initiatives are hard to find these days, so New Yorkers should rejoice that real estate developers are turning to an affordable form of renewable energy to keep the residents of the Big Apple cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  To find out more about how geothermal energy can make your real estate properties more affordable for you and for your tenants, contact a Bronx real estate attorney.

Real Estate Developments in All Five Boroughs Derive Renewable Heating From the Earth’s Natural Warmth

People who move to New York City from elsewhere would not choose warmth as the first characteristic with which to describe their new neighbors, but no matter where you go, the temperature a certain distance below the earth’s surface consistently remains between 50 and 60 degrees throughout the year.  Geothermal heating systems run pipes from this sweet spot underground throughout a building and then back again, in a continuous circuit.  Liquid circulates through the pipes.  In the winter, it brings the warmer temperatures from the earth to the apartment units and brings the cool temperatures down to be re-warmed.  In the summer, it does the opposite, transferring heat from the building to the earth and bringing the cool temperatures upward.  Geothermal heating systems, which work with the building’s electrical system, are costly to install, but once they are present, they result in lower energy bills than what tenants pay with conventional HVAC systems.

In residential buildings in all five boroughs, geothermal heating systems are making residents’ energy bills more affordable.  Two developments in the Bronx that have installed geothermal heating systems are Jackson Houses and NYCHA’s Eastchester Gardens.

With the price of almost everything increasing, landlords need all the help they can get to make their properties affordable to maintain so that they can charge reasonable rates to tenants.  Energy efficient systems like geothermal heating are not only good for landlords’ and tenants’ budgets, they are also good for the planet, and real estate developers who can see the big picture know that there is no economic sustainability without environmental sustainability.

Schedule a Confidential Consultation With a Bronx Real Estate Attorney

A real estate lawyer can help you navigate the process for installing a geothermal heating system in your real estate property.  Contact Cavallo & Cavallo in the Bronx, New York to set up a consultation.

Source:

thecity.nyc/2025/03/21/geothermal-brooklyn-apartment-buildings-heating/