MANCHESTER, N.H. — Dig Energy has completed its first paid commercial installation, deploying its compact geothermal drilling technology at 100MAG, Suffolk’s artificial intelligence and innovation hub adjacent to the company’s headquarters in Boston.
The Massachusetts-based geothermal energy company said the project marks the first field demonstration of its drilling platform serving an individual commercial building on an active jobsite. The installation is designed to provide geothermal heating and cooling while demonstrating how the company’s smaller, modular drilling system can make geothermal energy more practical for dense urban and commercial environments.
Geothermal heating and cooling technology has been used for more than a century, but the cost and complexity of drilling and installation have remained significant barriers to wider adoption. Dig Energy developed its compact, modular drilling platform specifically to address those challenges.
At 100MAG, the equipment operates with a smaller crew and footprint than conventional drilling equipment. The active work area occupies approximately the space of a few parking spaces at any given time, allowing drilling to take place alongside ongoing construction activities with less disruption to the site.
Drilling at 100MAG began in early August and was completed in approximately two weeks.
“Suffolk has led some of the most complex and sophisticated construction projects in the country and has a high bar for its partners to deliver exceptional quality at scale,” said Dulcie Madden, co-founder and CEO of Dig Energy. “This project is exactly the type of environment where the Dig technology excels: a tight lot, operating under a quick, live schedule.”
Madden said the company’s technology was designed to integrate into active construction environments and help move projects from planning and permitting through installation.
“We’re proud to be able to fit seamlessly into their infrastructure and be a key part of accelerating progress from initial design and permitting through drilling and building,” Madden said. “We see our drilling technology as fitting right into Suffolk’s campus.”
The project also represents a collaboration between Dig Energy and Suffolk Technologies, the venture capital affiliate of Suffolk. Suffolk Technologies invested in Dig through its BOOST 6 accelerator, which supports emerging construction and built-environment technologies by bringing them onto properties and projects through Suffolk and its network of industry partners.
For Suffolk, the installation provides an opportunity to evaluate geothermal technology through a real-world commercial deployment. By using Dig Energy’s system at 100MAG, the national general contractor can gain firsthand experience with the technology’s installation process, costs and potential scalability for future projects.
“Dig Energy represents the kind of innovation Suffolk Technologies is looking to support,” said Parker Mundt, partner, platform at Suffolk Technologies. “At 100MAG, Dig has demonstrated how its purpose-built, compact drilling platform can reduce the cost and complexity of geothermal deployment, helping make low-carbon energy infrastructure more practical and scalable for urban and commercial buildings.”
Mundt said the project also illustrates Suffolk Technologies’ strategy of pairing investment in emerging companies with opportunities to test their technologies in real construction environments.
“The project also demonstrates how Suffolk combines strategic investment with real-world deployment to accelerate the adoption of transformative technologies and advance the future of the built environment,” he said.
The commercial application comes as interest in geothermal and other on-site energy systems grows among building owners and developers seeking lower-carbon energy solutions. Suffolk is already working with clients across the country that are investing in geothermal and on-site energy infrastructure, including projects in the education and data center sectors—two markets Dig Energy has identified as key areas for growth.
Dig Energy plans to expand its commercial deployments in the coming months, with additional New England projects expected to include a grocery store, a utility headquarters and a small campus.
The 100MAG installation gives Dig Energy an early opportunity to demonstrate its technology in the demanding conditions of an active commercial construction site. For the company, the project is intended to show that geothermal systems can be deployed in locations where traditional drilling equipment may be difficult or disruptive to use.
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