Beverly Public Library Going Green In Major City Climate Initiative

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly is making good on one of its major climate initiatives in securing and dedicating nearly $4 million to retrofit the heating and cooling system in the Beverly Public Library to eliminate fossil fuels and install geothermal heat pumps.

The city will replace the current HVAC equipment, which it said has reached the end of its useful life, with the green energy system in a project that is expected to be completed in 2024 using phased construction.

"We are excited to move forward with our second geothermal HVAC project, having installed one for the new police station," Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill said. "The ability to heat and cool these buildings in significant part by using the earth's natural below-ground temperature, via an electric ground-source heat pump system, means that as our electricity is increasingly delivered from clean, renewable sources, these buildings will eventually create little to no harmful greenhouse gas emissions."

The city appropriated $2 million in free cash to launch the project, was awarded a $500,000 state Green Communities Decarbonization Grant, and $300,00 in funding in the state operating budget.

The city also received $1 million in funding for the project from the federal government funding bill signed in December.

Additional incentive funding from National Grid for the upgrades and weatherization are expected, while the city said it will continue to pursue grants to support the project.

The library is slated to stay at least partially open throughout the construction, though parts of the building and parking areas could be unavailable at times. In addition to the metered spots that will remain available on Essex Street and public parking lots on Pond Street, other parking options are currently being explored.

The Beverly Public Library loans more than 367,000 items annually, hosts community programs, and acts as a cooling center for seniors and others in need during summer heat waves, which the city said are expected to increase in frequency because of climate change.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)