RFB 15053.pdf

CITY OF MADISON

REQUEST FOR BIDS

RFB #: 15053-0-2026-TJ

Title: Monona Terrace Geothermal Test Bore-Well

City Agency: Engineering

Due Date: Monday, August 24, 2026

2:00 PM CST

REQUEST FOR BIDS RFB # 15053-0-2026-TJ

Page i

Table of Contents

1 NOTICE TO BIDDERS

1.1 Summary

1.2 Important Dates

1.3 Format

1.4 Labeling

1.5 Delivery of Bids

1.6 Appendix A: Standard Terms & Conditions

1.7 Appendix B: Sample Contract for Purchase of Services

1.8 Affirmative Action Notice

1.9 Multiple Bids

1.10 City of Madison Contact Information

1.11 Inquiries and Clarifications

1.12 Addenda

1.13 Bid Distribution Networks

1.14 Oral Presentations/Site Visits/Meetings

1.15 Acceptance/Rejection of Bids

1.16 Withdrawal or Revision of Bids

1.17 Non-Material and Material Variances

1.18 Public Records

1.19 Usage Reports

1.20 Partial Award

1.21 Tax Exempt

1.22 Cooperative Purchasing

1.23 Bidders Responsibility

2 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES/COMMODITIES

2.1 Project Overview and Background

2.2 Scope of Work

2.3 Completion Schedule

3 REQUIRED INFORMATION AND CONTENT OF BIDS

3.1 Forms

Form A: Signature Affidavit Form B: Receipt of Forms and Submittal Checklist Form C: Vendor Profile Form D: Cost Proposal Form E: References Exhibit A: Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study Exhibit B: TB and TC Test Specification Appendix A: Standard Terms & Conditions (For submission of bids/in the absence of signed contract) Appendix B: Sample Contract for Purchase of Services

1 NOTICE TO BIDDERS

1.1 Summary

The City of Madison Engineering (“City”) is soliciting Bids from qualified vendors for Monona Terrace Geothermal Test Bore-Well. Vendors submitting Bids (“Bidders”) are required to read this Request for Bids (“RFB”) in its entirety and follow the instructions contained herein.

1.2 Important Dates

Deliver Bids no later than the due time and date indicated below. The City will reject late Bids:

Issue Date: Monday July 27, 2026 Questions Due Date: Monday, August 03, 2026

Answers Posted Date: Monday, August 10, 2026 Due Date: Monday, August 24, 2026, 2:00 PM CST

1.3 Format

The City will not consider illegible Bids.

Elaborate Bids (i.e., expensive artwork) beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective Bid, are not necessary or desired.

The City is requesting bids in the following format: Electronic. Electronic versions less than 20MB should be emailed to the address in section 1.5.

Complete and return Forms A through E to City of Madison Purchasing Services by Monday, August 24, 2026, 2:00 PM CST.

1.4 Labeling

All Bids must be clearly labeled:

Bidder’s Name and Address

RFB #: 15053-0-2026-TJ

Title: Monona Terrace Geothermal Test Bore-Well Due: Monday, August 24, 2026, 2:00 PM CST

All email correspondence must include RFB #15053-0-2026-TJ in the subject line.

1.5 Delivery of Bids

Delivery of electronic copy to: via email to bids@cityofmadison.com

Bids must be delivered as instructed. Deliveries to other City departments and/or locations may result in disqualification.

Note: When mailing your response via a third party delivery service, the outside of the packaging MUST be clearly marked with the RFB name and number. This ensures that the bid can be delivered to the correct purchasing agent without having to open the bid.

1.6 Appendix A: Standard Terms & Conditions

Bidders are responsible for reviewing Appendix A, the Standard Terms and Conditions, prior to submission of their bids. Appendix A applies to the submission of bids and in the absence of a signed mailto:bids@cityofmadison.com contract becomes part of the contract terms. Part I of Appendix A provides legal terms relevant only to the submission of bids. Part II of Appendix A provides legal terms that would apply only in the absence of a signed contract.

1.7 Appendix B: Sample Contract for Purchase of Services

Bidders are responsible for reviewing Appendix B, Sample Contract, prior to submission of their bid. A contract in the form of Appendix B will serve as the basis of the contract resulting from this RFP. The resulting contract will control over any different legal terms in this RFP, Appendix A, the proposal, etc. By submitting a proposal, Bidders affirm their willingness to enter into a contract containing the terms found in Appendix B. While the City strives to provide the most appropriate sample contract for this RFP, the City reserves the right to modify the sample form for any resulting contract. The City does not negotiate legal terms prior to award.

1.8 Affirmative Action Notice

If Contractor employs 15 or more employees and does aggregate annual business with the City of $50,000 or more for the calendar year in which the PO and/or Contract is in effect, Contractor shall file, within thirty (30) days from the PO/Contract effective date and BEFORE RELEASE OF PAYMENT, an Affirmative Action Plan designed to ensure that the Contractor provides equal employment opportunity to all and takes affirmative action in its utilization of applicants and employees who are women, minorities and/or persons with disabilities. A sample affirmative action plan, Request for Exemption forms, and instructions are available at: www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/vendors-suppliers/forms or by contacting a Contract Compliance Specialist at the City of Madison Affirmative Action Division at (608) 266-4910. Vendors must register for an account to complete the required forms online, here: https://elam.cityofmadison.com/citizenaccess

Contractor shall also allow maximum feasible opportunity to small business enterprises to compete for any subcontracts entered into pursuant to this PO/Contract.

Job postings: All contractors who employ 15 or more employees (regardless of the dollar amount of this contract or their annual aggregate business with the City) must notify the City of all external job openings at locations in Dane County, Wisconsin, and agree to interview candidates referred by the City or its designated organization. Job posting information is available at: http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program. Instructions for contractors: http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/documents/RaISE_Job_Posting_Instructions.pdf

The complete set of Affirmative Action requirements for this purchase can be found in paragraph 20 of Appendix A – Standard Terms and Conditions and, in Section 13 of Appendix B – Sample Contract for Purchase of Services.

1.9 Multiple Bids

Multiple Bids from Bidders are permitted; however, each must fully conform to the requirements for submission. Bidders must sequentially label (e.g., Bid #1, Bid #2) and separately package each Bid.

Bidders may submit alternate pricing schemes without having to submit multiple Bids.

1.10 City of Madison Contact Information

The City of Madison Engineering is the procuring agency:

Jonathan Evans City of Madison Engineering

PH: (608) 243-5893

jevans@cityofmadison.com http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/vendors-suppliers/forms http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/vendors-suppliers/forms https://elam.cityofmadison.com/citizenaccess/ http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/documents/RaISE_Job_Posting_Instructions.pdf

The City of Madison Purchasing Services administers the procurement function:

Tammy Jones Purchasing Services City-County Bldg, Room 407 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Madison, WI 53703-3346 bids@cityofmadison.com

For questions regarding Affirmative Action Plans please contact:

Contract Compliance Department of Civil Rights City-County Bldg., Room 523 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Madison, WI 53703

PH: (608) 266-4910

dcr@cityofmadison.com

The City employs spam filtering that occasionally blocks legitimate emails, holding them in ‘quarantine” for four calendar days. The contacts listed in this RFB will acknowledge all emails received. Bidders not receiving acknowledgement within twenty-four hours shall follow-up via phone with specific information identifying the originating email address for message recovery.

1.11 Inquiries and Clarifications

Bidders are to raise any questions they have about the RFB document without delay. Direct all questions, in writing, to the Purchasing Services administrator listed in Section 1.10.

Bidders finding any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this RFB document shall immediately notify the Buyer and request clarification. In the event that it is necessary to provide additional clarification or revision to the RFB, the City will post addenda – see 1.12 below. Bidders are strongly encouraged to check for addenda regularly.

Bids should be as responsive as possible to the provisions stated herein. Exceptions are not permitted.

The City of Madison reserves the right to disqualify any and all bids that are non-responsive or that include exceptions.

1.12 Addenda

In the event that it is necessary to provide additional clarification or revision to the RFB, the City will post addenda to its Bids distribution websites – see 1.13 below. It is the Bidders responsibility to regularly monitor the websites for any such postings. Bidders must acknowledge the receipt of any addenda on Form B. Failure to retrieve addenda and include their provisions may result in disqualification.

1.13 Bid Distribution Networks

The City of Madison posts all Request for Bids, addenda, tabulations, awards and related announcements on two distribution networks – VendorNet and DemandStar. The aforementioned documents are available exclusively from these websites. It is the Bidders responsibility to regularly monitor the bid distribution network for any such postings. Bidders failure to retrieve such addenda and incorporate their appropriate provisions in their response may result in disqualification. Both sites offer free registration to City Bidders.

State of Wisconsin VendorNet System:

State of Wisconsin and local agencies bid network. Registration is free.

http://vendornet.state.wi.us/vendornet mailto:bids@cityofmadison.com mailto:dcr@cityofmadison.com http://vendornet.state.wi.us/vendornet

DemandStar by Onvia: National bid network – Free subscription is available to access Bids from the City of Madison and other Wisconsin agencies, participating in the Wisconsin Association of Public Purchasers (WAPP). A fee is required if subscribing to multiple agencies that are not included in

WAPP.

Bid Opportunities: www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/bidDemandStar.cfm

Home Page: www.demandstar.com

To Register: https://www.demandstar.com/app/registration

Please note when registering: Pick the Wisconsin Association of Public Procurement (WAPP) to select all current Wisconsin government agencies.

1.14 Oral Presentations/Site Visits/Meetings

Bidders may be asked to attend meetings, make oral presentations, inspect City locations or make their facilities available for a site inspection as part of this RFB process. Such presentations, meetings or site visits will be at the Bidders expense.

1.15 Acceptance/Rejection of Bids

The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Bids submitted, in whole or in part, and to waive any informalities or technicalities, which at the City's discretion is determined to be in the best interests of the City. Further, the City makes no representations that a contract will be awarded to any Bidder responding to this request. The City expressly reserves the right to reject any and all Bids responding to this invitation without indicating any reasons for such rejection(s).

The City reserves the right to postpone due dates and openings for its own convenience and to withdraw this solicitation at any time without prior notice.

1.16 Withdrawal or Revision of Bids

Bidders may, without prejudice, withdraw Bids submitted prior to the date and time specified for receipt of Bids by requesting such withdrawal before the due time and date of the submission of Bids. After the due date of submission of Bids, no Bids may be withdrawn for a period of 90 days or as otherwise specified or provided by law. Bidders may modify their Bids at any time prior to opening of Bids.

1.17 Non-Material and Material Variances

The City reserves the right to waive or permit cure of nonmaterial variances in the offer if, in the judgment of the City, it is in the City’s best interest to do so. The determination of materiality is in the sole discretion of the City.

1.18 Public Records

Bidders are hereby notified that all information submitted in response to this RFB may be made available for public inspection according to the Public Records Law of the State of Wisconsin or other applicable public record laws. Information qualifying as a “trade secret”defined in State of Wisconsin Statutesmay be held confidential.

Bidders shall seal separately and clearly identify all information they deem to be “trade secrets,” as defined in the State of Wisconsin Statutes. Do not duplicate or co-mingle information, deemed confidential and sealed, elsewhere in your response.

http://www.cityofmadison.com/finance/purchasing/bidDemandStar.cfm http://www.demandstar.com/ https://www.demandstar.com/app/registration

S. 19.36(5)

(5) TRADE SECRETS. An authority may withhold access to any record or portion of a record containing information qualifying as a trade secret as defined in s. 134.90(1)(c).

s. 134.90(1)(c)

(c) “Trade secret” means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process to which all of the following apply:

1. The information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.

2. The information is the subject of efforts to maintain its secrecy that are reasonable under the circumstances.

The City cannot ensure that information will not be subject to release if a request is made under applicable public records laws. The City cannot consider the following confidential: a bid in its entirety, price information, or the entire contents of any resulting contract. The City will not provide advance notice to Bidders prior to release of any requested record.

To the extent permitted by such laws, it is the intention of the City to withhold the contents of Bids from public viewuntil such times as competitive or bargaining reasons no longer require non-disclosure, in the City’s opinion. At that time, all Bids will be available for review in accordance with such laws.

1.19 Usage Reports

Annually, the successful Bidders shall furnish to City Purchasing usage reports summarizing the ordering history for each department served during the previous contract year. The report, at a minimum, must include each and every item or service ordered during the period, its total quantities and dollars by item/service and in total. The City reserves the right to request usage reports at any time and request additional information, if required, when reviewing contract activity.

1.20 Partial Award

Unless otherwise noted, it will be assumed that Bidders will accept an order for all or part of the items/services priced.

1.21 Tax Exempt

The City of Madison as a municipality is exempt from payment of federal excise taxes (Registration Number 008-1020421147-08) and State of Wisconsin taxes per Wisconsin statute 77.54(9a). Federal Tax ID #39-6005507. A completed Wisconsin Department of Revenue Form S-211 (R.2-00) can be found on the City website. Our tax-exempt number is ES 42916.

1.22 Cooperative Purchasing

Bidders may choose to extend prices offered on bids to other municipalities. Under Wisconsin Statutes, a municipality is defined as a county; city; village; town; school district; board of school directors; sewer district; drainage district; vocational, technical and adult education district; or any other public or quasi-public corporation, officer, board or other body having the authority to award public contracts. This is known as “cooperative” or “piggyback” purchasing, a practice common amongst units of government. The City is not responsible for any contract resulting from a cooperative purchase using this RFB as a basis;

they are made solely between the bidders and third party unit of government.

1.23 Bidders Responsibility

Bidders shall examine this RFB and shall exercise their judgment as to the nature and scope of the work required. No plea of ignorance concerning conditions or difficulties that exist or may hereafter arise in the execution of the work under the resulting contract, as a consequence of failure to make necessary examinations and investigations, shall be accepted as an excuse for any failure or omission on the part of the Bidders to fulfill the requirements of the resulting contract.

2 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES/COMMODITIES

2.1 Project Overview and Background

The City of Madison seeks bids from qualified Geothermal Well/Bore Drillers for the installation of a vertical test bore along with the execution of a ground formation and thermal conductivity analysis at 1 John Nolen Drive (Monona Terrace) in the City of Madison. All of the associated work shall be fully completed by December 4, 2026.

The City of Madison and Monona Terrace intend to retrofit Monona Terrace with a geothermal HVAC system. A detailed feasibility study was completed which recommends either a traditional vertical borefield or a small number of aquifer exchange wells (report is attached as Exhibit A). As part of the design process for this facility the project team is soliciting bids for a geothermal test bore/well and formation thermal conductivity test that would characterize design parameters for each geothermal configuration.

In general, this site is very challenging to fit a borefield/wells in for various reasons. The exact location of this test bore/well can be adjusted to make installation as easy as possible but for purposes of this solicitation assume it would be in this general area southwest of Monona Terrace along the lakeshore:

2.2 Scope of Work

Complete an 800’ deep test bore as defined in Exhibit B: TB and TC Test Specification and pause for aquifer characterization.

Upon completion of aquifer characterization, install the U-bend and grout it in place as defined in Exhibit B.

Complete formation thermal conductivity test as defined in Exhibit B.

Monona Terrace Building

Area for Test Bore/Well

John Nolen Drive

Wilson St

Lake Monona

2.3 Completion Schedule

Contractor to certify that the completion schedule outlined below can be executed. Any deviations from this schedule should be noted and returned with bid. Schedule can shift if needed based on workload but final deliverable must be received by December 4, 2026.

1. Award of Contract/Notice to Proceed: by or before August 26, 2026

2. Site visit to coordinate work: week of August 31, 2026

3. Mobilize to site: week of September 7, 2026

4. Complete bore (pause before U-bend/Grout: by September 25, 2026

5. Aquifer Exchange Characterization Support – week of September 28, 2026

6. Complete U-bend Install and Grouting – by October 2, 2026

7. T/C data collection complete: by October 16, 2026

8. T/C Test Report received by November 6, 2026

9. Test bore location staked, capped, GPS and survey complete by November 6, 2026

3 REQUIRED INFORMATION AND CONTENT OF BIDS

3.1 Forms

1. Form A – Signature Affidavit

2. Form B – Receipt Forms and Submittal Checklist

3. Form C – Contractor Profile Information

4. Form D – Fee Proposal

5. Form E – References

Rev. 07/28/2016-RFB-FormA-SignatureAffidavit.doc

Form A: Signature Affidavit

RFB #: 15053-0-2026-TJ Monona Terrace Geothermal Test Bore-Well

This form must be returned with your response.

In signing Proposals, we certify that we have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement or participated in any collusion or otherwise take any action in restraint of free competition; that no attempt has been made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit Proposals, that Proposals have been independently arrived at, without collusion with any other Proposers, competitor or potential competitor; that Proposals have not been knowingly disclosed prior to the opening of Proposals to any other Proposers or competitor; that the above statement is accurate under penalty of perjury.

The undersigned, submitting this Proposals, hereby agrees with all the terms, conditions, and specifications required by the City in this Request for Proposals, declares that the attached Proposals and pricing are in conformity therewith, and attests to the truthfulness of all submissions in response to this solicitation.

Proposers shall provide the information requested below. Include the legal name of the Proposers and signature of the person(s) legally authorized to bind the Proposers to a contract.

COMPANY NAME

SIGNATURE DATE

PRINT NAME OF PERSON SIGNING

Rev. 07/28/2016-RFB-FormB-Receipt..doc

Form B: Receipt of Forms and Submittal Checklist

Test Bore-Well

This form must be returned with your response.

Proposers hereby acknowledge the receipt and/or submittal of the following forms:

Forms Initial to

Acknowledge

SUBMITTAL

Initial to Acknowledge

RECEIPT

Description of Services/Commodities N/A

Form A: Signature Affidavit

Form B: Receipt of Forms and Submittal Checklist

Form C: Vendor Profile

Form D: Cost Proposal

Form E: References

Appendix A: Standard Terms & Conditions N/A

Appendix B: Contract for Purchase of Services N/A

Exhibit A – Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study N/A

Exhibit B – TB and TC Test Specification N/A

Addendum #

Addendum #

Rev. 07/28/2016-RFB-FormC-VendorProfile.doc

Form C: Vendor Profile

Test Bore-Well

This form must be returned with your response.

COMPANY INFORMATION

COMPANY NAME (Make sure to use your complete, legal company name.)

FEIN (If FEIN is not applicable, SSN collected upon award) CONTACT NAME (Able to answer questions about proposal.) TITLE

TELEPHONE NUMBER FAX NUMBER

EMAIL

ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CONTACT

If the selected contractor employs 15 or more employees and does aggregate annual business with the City of $50,000 or more, the contractor will be required to file an Affirmative Action Plan and comply with the City of Madison Affirmative Action Ordinance, Section 39.02(9)(e), within thirty (30) days contract signature. Vendors who believe they are exempt based on number of employees or annual aggregate business must file a request for exemption. Link to information and applicable forms:

https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/vendors-suppliers

CONTACT NAME TITLE

TELEPHONE NUMBER FAX NUMBER

ORDERS/BILLING CONTACT

Address where City purchase orders/contracts are to be mailed and person the department contacts concerning orders and billing.

CONTACT NAME TITLE

TELEPHONE NUMBER FAX NUMBER

https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/vendors-suppliers

Rev. 07/28/2016-RFB-FormD-CostProposal..doc

Form D: Cost Proposal

Test Bore-Well

This form must be returned with your response.

Prepare the fee proposal as all inclusive, not-to-exceed, fixed fees:

• All Inclusive – Covers all direct and indirect necessary expenses including but not limited to;

travel, telephone, copying and other out-of-pocket expenses.

• Not To Exceed – The actual fees shall not exceed the amount specified in fee proposal.

• Fixed Fee – All prices, rates, fees and conditions outlined in the proposal shall remain fixed and valid for the entire length of the contract and any/all renewals.

Any pricing increases or additions must be agreed upon in writing by both parties.

Item Description Total Price

Installation of a vertical test bore along with the execution of a ground formation and thermal conductivity analysis at 1 John Nolen Drive (Monona Terrace) in the City of Madison.

in conformance with the specifications described in this solicitation.

Can your company meet the completion schedule outlined in Section 2.3?

Yes_________ No _________

If not, please explain:

Rev. 06/21/2022-RFB-FormE-References.doc

Form E: References

Test Bore-Well

This form must be returned with your response.

Please list three references that are NOT from the City of Madison. If you wish to highlight any additional work experience for the City of Madison, please list it on a separate page.

REFERENCE #1 – CLIENT INFORMATION

COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME

ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP

TELEPHONE NUMBER FAX NUMBER

EMAIL

CONTRACT PERIOD YEAR COMPLETED TOTAL COST

DESCRIPTION OF THE PERFORMED WORK

REFERENCE #2 – CLIENT INFORMATION

COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME

ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP

TELEPHONE NUMBER FAX NUMBER

EMAIL

RFB-FormE-References.doc

REFERENCE #3 – CLIENT INFORMATION

COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME

ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP

TELEPHONE NUMBER FAX NUMBER

EMAIL

Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study March 27, 2026 | OEI Docket 9709-FG-2023

Exhibit A

Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study | Page 2

HGA Commission Number 3774-009-00 March 27, 2026

Prepared by:

Kevin Frost, HGA Russell Knudson, HGA Andy DeRocher, HGA Madison Roeber, HGA

Acknowledgements:

This project was supported by the Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP) of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

The authors would like to acknowledge support from the City of Madison, the Monona Terrace, and other groups that provided valuable information to this report. Special thanks to Jon Evans and Jeffery Bloch for their assistance with providing valuable data and information on the Monona Terrace design and operations.

Jonathan Evans, Building Design Project Manager, City of Madison Engineering Jessica Price, Sustainability and Resilience Manager, City of Madison Mayor’s Office Alice Duncan-Graves, Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow, City of Madison

Connie Thompson, Executive Director, Monona Terrace Bryan Cator, Operations and Maintenance Manager, Monona Terrace Jeffery Bloch, Facility Maintenance Manager, Monona Terrace

Eric Knepp, Parks Superintendent, City of Madison Parks Division Michael Sturm, Landscape Architect, City of Madison Parks Division CJ Ryan, Assistant Parks Superintendent, City of Madison Parks Division

Joe Grande, Water Quality Manager, City of Madison Water Utility Sarah Scroggins, Water Quality Specialist, City of Madison Water Utility

Olaf Jensen, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology

Special thanks to suppliers who provided product information that helped inform this study:

Trane Madison, Wisconsin Commercial Sales Office The Glacier Group AWEB Supply Co.

Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study | Page 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.0 INTRODUCTION

3.0 MONONA TERRACE

3.1 Site overview

3.2 Geology

3.3 Lake Monona

3.4 Existing building and systems overview

4.0 EXISTING BUILDING ENERGY AND LOAD ANALYSIS

4.1 Heating and Cooling Energy Analysis

4.2 Heating and Cooling Peak Load Analysis

4.3 Energy-Saving Recommendations

5.0 GEOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

5.1 Traditional Geothermal Bore-Field

5.2 Aquifer-Exchange System

5.3 Lake Water Heat Exchangers

6.0 GEOTHERMAL REGULATORY REVIEW

6.1 Madison Water Utility

6.2 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

7.0 MONONA TERRACE GEOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGY FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS

7.1 Energy and Load Analysis for the Geothermal Feasibility Study

7.2 Traditional Geothermal Bore-field Analysis

7.3 Aquifer-Exchange System Analysis

7.4 Lake Water Heat Exchangers (Lake Monona)

7.5 Mechanical Retrofit Feasibility – Heat Pump Equipment

7.6 Mechanical Retrofit Feasibility – Piping Systems and Hot Water Coils

8.0 EMISSIONS REDUCTION, COSTS, AND INCENTIVES

8.1 Energy, Energy Cost, and Emissions

8.2 Steam System Energy Cost and Emissions Analysis

8.3 First Cost Summary

8.4 Federal Tax Credits

8.5 Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA)

9.0 CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS

9.1 Evaluation

9.2 Recommendations

Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study | Page 4

1.0 Executive Summary

The City of Madison is currently executing their sustainability plan, which includes reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from city facilities and buildings by 55% by 2030.1 This report is a feasibility study of geothermal technologies at the Monona Terrace Convention Center to reduce emissions. A geothermal system would reduce overall building emissions by 8% and fossil fuel related emissions by 90% in the City’s most prominent building. As the Monona Terrace hosts over 600 events each year, a geothermal system would be a clear way to show the city constituents that the City of Madison is actively achieving their sustainability goals.

Based on the feasibility study, HGA recommends the following to the City of Madison within the next year:

Conduct a traditional geothermal test drill while HGA finalizes feasibility pricing and life-cycle cost analysis. Coordinate this activity with aquifer-exchange manufacturers to determine how this testing could inform a possible aquifer-exchange system.

In the next year:

o Conduct a ventilation study at the Monona Terrace, adjust ventilation rates per the findings of the study, and implement DCV controls at the Air Handling Units.

o Investigate the costs and feasibility of heat recovery ventilation to reduce peak loads at the largest air handling units.

o Conduct low temperature heating testing outlined in the Mechanical Retrofit Feasibility

– Piping Systems and Hot Water Coils section of this report.

o Submeter hot water and chilled water energy to determine and validate heating and cooling load profiles.

Begin the design process for a geothermal heating system:

o Traditional geothermal is the best geothermal technology for eliminating fossil fuel heating but requires the most investment in first cost and site disruption.

o If that initial investment is too great, a hybrid-solution of traditional geothermal, aquifer-exchange, or lake water heat exchangers combined with an air-source heat pump system is likely the best option to limit site impact and cost and can eliminate most fossil fuels.

These next steps were developed by comparing three geothermal technologies: a traditional geothermal system, an aquifer-exchange geothermal system, and a lake water heat exchanger system. The traditional geothermal system uses bores drilled up to 800 feet in the ground to exchange heating and cooling with groundwater. Aquifer-exchange systems are an emerging technology that uses water wells to pump the groundwater across the building heating and cooling fluid in a well heat exchanger. One well has the heating and cooling capacity of dozens of traditional bores but has additional regulatory requirements. The lake water heat exchanger consists of stainless-steel plate heat exchangers placed in Lake Monona. More information on each technology can be found in Geothermal Technology Overview section.

1 City of Madison. 2024. “City of Madison Sustainability Plan.” City of Madison Sustainability. Page 45.

https://madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13773353&GUID=30FA24BB-F08D-4A47-A1F6-AA24B8916331

Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study | Page 5

HGA reviewed two scenarios for the Monona Terrace geothermal system, one where some energy saving adjustments were made to the ventilation system within the building, and one where heat recovery ventilation (HRV) is added to significantly reduce the heating demand in the winter. These upgrades are recommended regardless of the final system, as they potentially reduce annual carbon emissions by 7% on their own. HRV will significantly reduce the size for any geothermal system. It is estimated to save over $1,000,000 in the traditional geothermal system by eliminating bores and heat pump equipment.

Table 1 summarizes the feasibility study findings. The building requires large geothermal systems to support the load. The aquifer-exchange and lake water heat exchanger do not eliminate fossil fuel use as those options cannot support heating throughout the entire year.

Table 1. Summary of geothermal feasibility findings.

Traditional Geothermal Aquifer-exchange Lake Water Heat

Exchanger

Scenario #1 – Baseline 170 Bores, 800 ft deep 9 wells, 300-500 feet deep

188 Plates

Scenario #2 – Heat Recovery Ventilation

140 Bores, 800 ft deep 7 wells, 300-500 feet deep 151 Plates

Eliminates Fossil Fuel Heating?

Yes No, requires supplemental heating

No, requires supplemental heating

Emissions reduction in MTCO2e/yr*

134 66 185

Installation Cost less IRA tax credits

$12.0 to $14.3 million** $11.5 to 13.1 million** $12.1 to 13.3 million***

Net Present Value $28.5 to 31.8 million $30.2 to $33.1 $30.4 to $32.8 million

*Scenario #1 emissions compared to 2024 emissions.

**Assumes 40% federal tax credit deduction for non-fossil fuel related equipment.

*** Not eligible for federal tax credits.

Both the traditional geothermal system and the aquifer-exchange system are feasible geothermal technologies for the Monona Terrace, but each present different benefits and challenges for the City of Madison and the Monona Terrace. The traditional geothermal system is more time-proven, uses fewer moving parts and saves maintenance, and requires less pumping energy. The aquifer-exchange system can better fit within the Monona Terrace property and limit earthwork and site disruption. See Figure 1 and Figure 2 for potential layouts of each system. Both technologies eliminate fossil fuel heating at the Monona Terrace. Assuming 40% of the construction cost can be reimbursed through direct pay federal tax credits, all three technologies would cost $11.5 to $14.3 million and have similar life-cycle costs. However, all three options are expensive compared to business-as-usual cost estimates, which is estimated to cost around $5.5 million to add natural gas boilers.

As a traditional geothermal meets the city’s goals and has the best life cycle cost, it is the recommended geothermal system if the City can afford the investment in both initial cost and the site area required for the bore field. If that is not possible, a hybrid system with an air-source heat pump or other electrified system combined with a geothermal option would be the next best solution.

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Figure 1. A potential bore field option for a traditional geothermal bore-field at the Monona Terrace and Law Park.

Figure 2. Site plan of a potential aquifer-exchange well system. Blue dots represent the well location, while the blue dashed line is shown for clearances between wells.

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2.0 Introduction

The Monona Terrace is one of the most symbolic and recognizable buildings in the City of Madison and the State of Wisconsin. Originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Monona Terrace links the Capitol building and downtown Madison to Lake Monona. The Monona Terrace is a community and convention center and hosts 600 events with as many as 390,000 people every year. It is also part of Law Park, which extends northeast and southwest along the lakeshore.

Figure 3. Monona Terrace, Madison, Wisconsin. Credit to the Monona Terrace.2

The City of Madison has two key ongoing initiatives. The first is the City’s sustainability plan, which includes reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from city facilities and buildings by 55% by

2030.3 As part of this effort, the City of Madison would like to eliminate all fossil fuel consumption, such as natural gas, from their buildings, including the Monona Terrace. The second is the planned redevelopment of the Lake Monona waterfront, called the Madison LakeWay.4 To meet their emission reduction initiatives, the City received a grant from the Public Service Commission of

2 Monona Terrace. 2025. https://www.mononaterrace.com/media/images/ 3 City of Madison. 2024. “City of Madison Sustainability Plan.” City of Madison Sustainability. Page 45.

https://madison.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13773353&GUID=30FA24BB-F08D-4A47-A1F6-AA24B8916331 4 City of Madison. 2025. “Madison LakeWay: Lake Monona Waterfront.” Madison Parks. Last modified August 5, 2025.

https://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/projects/madison-lakeway-lake-monona-waterfront

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Wisconsin’s Office of Energy Innovation (OEI) Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP) to study the feasibility of geothermal heating and cooling system for the Monona Terrace. If a geothermal system is feasible, its construction could be integrated into the Madison LakeWay redevelopment.

A third goal for the Monona Terrace is to look at options for removing the district steam heating system that is provided by the Capitol Heat and Power Plant (CHPP). In addition to reducing emissions from fossil fuel energy, there is a high cost to using steam. This study investigates the feasibility of a geothermal system or lake water heat exchange system for the Monona Terrace to remove steam and fossil fuels for heating and for any coordination with the Madison LakeWay.

3.0 Monona Terrace

3.1 Site overview

The Monona Terrace is situated on Lake Monona directly southeast of the State Capitol building. It is bound to the north by the 6-lane highway John Nolen Drive and a railroad. There is a parking structure and rooftop terrace that passes over both to connect the building to downtown Madison. The parking structure has two “helix” car ramps for traffic from John Nolen to enter and exit the structure. The northeast helix wraps around the chilled water plant structure and cooling tower. The Capitol Heat and Power steam PRV is located on the northwest side of John Nolen, and the main steam line passes under the parking garage into Level 3 of the Monona Terrace.

Also to the north is an urban park that is the decorative entryway to the Monona Terrace from downtown Madison. The park extends from Wilson Street to a pedestrian walkway that connects to the rooftop terrace. While there is at least a storm and sewer line under this park, this Wilson Street Park is a potential location for geothermal bores or wells.

The Monona Terrace is flanked on either side of the lake shore by Law Park. Law Park offers a total of 2,500 feet of public shoreline access and has 4.7 acres of park.5 The Capital City Bike Path passes under the southeast side of Monona Terrace to connect the two sides of Law Park. The only major utilities under Law Park are eleven storm sewers with outflows into Lake Monona.6 Law Park is expanded lake shore and was a landfill from the 1930s through 1950s.

Law Park is part of the multi-phase Madison LakeWay redevelopment project, which extends from Olin Park to the south through all of Law Park to the northeast.7 This work also will coincide with remediation of the John Nolen bridge. The Law Park portion of the redevelopment is not scheduled to begin until 2036. When HGA met with the City Parks department, city officials preferred to avoid placing geothermal bores or wells in Law Park, as they could interfere with future boathouses or structures for the new development.

To the north of the Monona Terrace is Unit Well 17. This seasonal drinking well is owned by the Madison Water Utility. A minimum area of 1,200 feet around the well is designated as a wellhead protection

5 City of Madison. 2020. “Lake Monona Waterfront Preliminary Report.” City of Madison Parks. Page 8.

6 City of Madison. 2020. Pages 38-40.

7 Madison Lakeway Partners. “Madison LakeWay.” https://www.madisonlakeway.org/

Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study | Page 9 area, and for the purposes of this study will not be considered for drilling for a geothermal system. This is expanded on later in the report in Geothermal regulatory review section of the report.

For the purposes of this geothermal study, HGA will assume the area available for geothermal vertical bores or aquifer exchange wells are integrated into the planned Lakeway redevelopment of the Monona Terrace property, including parking and drives, the Wilson Stret park to the northwest, and southwest portion of Law Park. The area is identified below in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Monona Terrace site and square footage available for geothermal bore or well drilling.

3.2 Geology

The geology relevant to geothermal at this site is characterized by the Cambrian Period Elk Mound Group, which consists of the Wonewoc, Eau Claire, and Mount Simon Formations. The bottom of the Mount Simon sandstone formation is anticipated to be approximately 730 to 800 ft below ground surface. Below this is Precambrian bedrock that is hard granite. See Figure 5a and 5b.

The Eau Claire formation is a “very fine, silty, shaly, and/or dolomitic quartz sandstone8” that acts as a natural dividing formation between the upper Wonewoc and lower Mount Simon aquifers. The Eau Claire formation is a confining or semi-confining layer that is critical to the water quality of the Mount Simon aquifer from which much of the City’s drinking water is sourced. Because of this, the Madison Water Utility does not permit drilling through the Eau Claire formation within wellhead protection zones. See Geothermal regulatory review section for more information.

8 Brown, B.A., K. Massie-Ferch, and R.M. Peters. 2013. “Preliminary Bedrock Geology of Dane County, Wisconsin.” Wisconsin Geological and

Natural History Survey. https://wgnhs.wisc.edu/catalog/publication/000913/resource/wofr201301plate01

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(a) Preliminary Bedrock Geology of Dane County, Wisconsin9

(b) Section B-B’: Illustration of geologic bedrock layers

Figure 5. Dane County geology in Madison and the Monona Terrace. Illustration (a) is the site plan that shows the top layer of bedrock. It shows that the Madison isthmus rests on the Wonewoc Formation (ꞒW, yellow area), which is then surrounded by the Eau Claire Shale formation (ꞒEC, dark brown) and the Mount Simon (ꞒMS)formation under Lake Monona. The section (b) shows how, underneath Lake Monona, the Quaternary (Q) penetrates the Eau Claire formation.

While the Eau Claire Shale formation divides the two aquifers, one aquifer above it and one below it until it reaches the Mt. Simon formation.

9 Brown, B.A, et al.

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The geology under the Monona Terrace site is likely to be beneficial for geothermal system performance. The two aquifers beneath the site will likely have natural groundwater flow to help transfer heat to/from the bores. The presence of groundwater is also favorable for aquifer-exchange wells. A geothermal bore test at the nearby Triangle Development on the north shore of Monona Bay had high thermal performance and similar results are expected near the Monona Terrace.

Drilling to the bottom of the Elk Mound Group has been successfully performed using air-rotary and mud-rotary methods. With air-rotary methods, casing would be installed to the top of the first bedrock (the Wonewoc Formation), which has variable depths reported between 40-140 ft below ground surface. The Wonewoc, Eau Claire, and Mount Simon Formations are relatively soft and bode well for drilling. High groundwater flows and pressures have been reported in historical borings, and water generation and runoff are risks with this drilling method. These runoff risks are critical at the Monona Terrace because a driller would have to ensure runoff does not enter Lake Monona. Mud-rotary drilling may be favorable to reduce the groundwater generation. The most cost-effective depth to drill is likely to be 500 to 800 ft (or to the top of the Precambrian granite bedrock).

3.3 Lake Monona

Lake Monona is part of the Yahara River system and is the lake to the south of the Madison isthmus.

The Lake is the second of five lakes in the Yahara River watershed.10 The City of Madison’s 2020 Lakefront Redevelopment Report investigates several aspects of the lake and how it interacts with the Monona Terrace and Law Park. Relevant to this study is how lakeshore currents move northeast along the shore and the lake vegetation at the north end of Law Park.11 There are popular fishing piers in Law Park as well as fisherman from the shoreline at the Monona Terrace itself.12

Important to this study is understanding of how a lake water heat exchanger may affect the temperature of the lake, and how changes in temperature may affect life within the lake. Figure 6 shows how seasonal lake temperature results in different lake temperatures based on depth throughout the year. Right before freezing, the entire lake temperature drops to almost 32°F. After freezing, reverse stratification occurs, where the warmest water of the lake is pushed to the bottom. In a discussion with Olaf Jensen, associate professor at the UW Center for Limnology, this layer of around 37°F water is critical to fish life in the lake. In the summer, the lake exhibits normal stratification, and colder water is pushed to the bottom of the lake while convection pushes warm water to the top.

According to the Lakefront Redevelopment report, there are concerns for algae blooms and the effects of invasive Zebra Mussels in Lake Monona.13 The deep areas around Law Park are important habitats for adult fish, while the northeastern end of law park is an important fish nesting ground.

10 City of Madison. 2020. Page 60.

11 City of Madison. 2020. Page 64.

12 City of Madison. 2020. Page 50, 66, and 70.

13 City of Madison. 2020. Page 70.

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Figure 6: Seasonal Lake temperatures and turnover. In the summer, the warmest water is at the surface, and in the winter the warmest water is deepest. Credit: National Geographic, illustration by Tim Gunther.14

3.4 Existing building and systems overview

Monona Terrace is a convention, community center, and a multi-level facility embedded into the lakeshore with both public and event spaces extending over the lake. The building is 303,367 square feet consisting of over 250,000 square feet of event space.

The facility functions primarily as a convention and exhibition center, hosting conferences, banquets, performances, and public events. The building contains a large exhibition hall on the first floor. The first two floors also have meeting and reception spaces, as well as a large loading dock that accommodates vehicles for the exhibition hall. There are ballrooms, conference rooms, pre-function areas, offices, kitchen/service zones, and a gift shop on the fourth floor. Above that is a rooftop terrace that can also host banquets or receptions. There is access to the parking garage at Levels 3 and 4, and access to a walkway to the Wilson Street Park at the roof level. Given the year-round occupancy pattern and variable internal gains, thermal loads are highly dependent on event schedules, ventilation demand, and seasonal lake temperature profiles.

Chilled Water System:

The cooling system utilizes three 300-ton chillers located on the ground level of the East Helix parking ramp. Two chillers are original to the building but one was replaced in 2024. The chillers are connected to two cooling towers, each sized for 8,250 MBH (687 cooling tons) that are located on the roof level of the same East Helix parking structure. The two cooling towers have constant volume fans and are served by constant volume pumps at each chiller.

14 Gunther, Tim. “Lake Turnover.” Illustration, National Geographic, last accessed Jan 26, 2026.

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/lake/

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The chilled water piping is primary-secondary. The original primary pumps are constant-volume, and the secondary pumps are variable-volume. The new chiller has variable volume pumping. The chilled water supply and return piping is routed under the parking garage structure above John Nolen Drive and into the building on the East side. Facilities currently drain the chilled water system in the late fall to prevent freezing of the outdoor piping. The chilled water loop serves AHUs located throughout the building, providing air for cooling and dehumidification.

Figure 7. The three existing chillers in the east helix mechanical room at Monona Terrace.

Steam and Hot Water System Overview

The Monona Terrace is heated with district steam from the Capitol Heat and Power Plant (CHPP).

Steam is metered at the PRV station near Wilson Street across the railroad, crosses under the parking garage, and then enters the building at Level 3. The steam heats 12 of the building’s air handling units (AHUs) through steam face-and-bypass coils. Steam is also converted to hot water through two heat exchangers located in the Level 2 East Mechanical room. Two condensate pumps return steam condensate to the CHPP. A schematic from the original design drawings is shown in Figure 8.

The hot water loop distributes heat throughout the facility to AHUs, VAV reheat coils, unit heaters, and wall fin-tube radiation, maintaining consistent supply temperature for perimeter and interior zones.

The hot water supply temperature is set to 180°F and is lowered to 120°F based on an outdoor air reset schedule. The hot water system has two primary pumps. The steam heat exchangers and pumps were designed for 100% redundancy. Per the original mechanical drawings, most hot water coils, unit heaters, and wall fins were sized for 200°F entering hot water.

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Figure 8: 1997 Schematic of the steam system layout, serving twelve of the air handling units and the two hot water shell and tube heat exchangers, HX-1 and HX-2. Condensate is returned to the CHPP via two condensate pumps, CP-1 and

CP-2.

Building Air Handling Unit (AHU) Overview

The Monona Terrace has 14 AHUs that provide up 306,880 CFM to cool, heat, and ventilate the building.

The two largest AHUs are AHU-1 and AHU-3 serving the exhibition hall. These units are 50,000 CFM each and have two-speed supply fans. The Monona Terrace staff switch the fans to high-speed operation based on number of people expected for an exhibition. The units are also designed for a unique situation where a full diesel truck would enter the large service corridor.