Geothermal Exchange

Martin is powered by Swarthmore’s new carbon-free geoexchange system through To Zero by Thirty-Five, and supports the College’s bold and ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Its connection to Swarthmore’s geo-exchange system allows Martin to be heated and cooled by a system of underground wells which, along with solar panels on the roof result in reductions in the building’s energy and carbon use. 

The building’s highly insulated and air-tight envelope helps maintain temperature and reduce the use of air conditioning and heating, and Martin Hall’s operations are estimated to use about 85% less energy than a comparable building. 

Construction emphasized the use of a number of recycled materials, chosen for their low embodied-carbon, as well as existing materials from the original building that were salvaged for reuse. Martin’s construction used 30% less embodied carbon than an equivalent baseline building.