HIGHER ED DIGS DOWN FOR GEOTHERMAL

Drive for geothermal power heats up on US campuses
Dinesh Ramde, December 6, 2009 (AP via Seattle Post Intelligencer)

"While solar and wind power get most of the headlines, geothermal power is quietly gaining traction on college campuses [from Wisconsin to New Mexico] where energy costs can siphon millions each year from the budget…There are 46 schools divvying up millions in federal stimulus dollars to advance technology that uses the temperature of the Earth, rather than coal-fired power plants, to heat and cool buildings…So far this year, the Department of Energy has announced $400 million in grants to advance [such] geothermal projects…

"Geothermal technology has been around for decades, it works and it's increasingly affordable. At colleges that must maintain dozens of large buildings, the savings are magnified…[Decision-makers seek] to use less coal-fired power, although the schools also…save money [justifying] the move."

Types of conventional geothermal, 1 (click to enlarge)

"The technology is a natural fit for schools like Boise State that sit atop geothermal springs…[It] expects to save as much as $80,000 per year in heating costs…[and] even more as the project expands. Yet schools in the Midwest and East are also turning to geothermal power using a different type of technology…[in which] the system draws heat from a hot building [on a warm day] and pumps it underground where the soil absorbs it. On a cold day the process reverses - the system extracts heat from the earth and returns it to the building.

"The process is so efficient that even though the underground temperature remains about a constant 55 degrees, the system can be used to chill water to 45 degrees or heat it to 170 degrees…Ball State University…is upgrading all of its 45 buildings to geothermal technology, at a cost of $65 million to $70 million. The state contributed about $40 million, and because the system is expected to cut energy costs by $2 million per year, it should pay for itself in 12 to 15 years…The savings won't translate directly into tuition breaks…but will ease the school's pressure to find funding for other operational expenses."

Types of conventional geothermal, 2 (click to enlarge)

"Students have been advocating for a shift in campus energy sources for years. The increased investment in geothermal comes as students launch a national campaign intended to pressure schools into using less energy from coal-fired power plants. Students began protests late this year, specifically targeting 60 campuses that have their own coal-burning power plants.

"There are several variations of geothermal installations…[but geothermal] may not be the best choice for every school…Urban schools may not be spacious enough to install the pipes where they can be accessed easily for maintenance and repair…[U]nforeseen regulatory issues…can drive the initial cost [too high]…[They tripled the cost for the] Theological Seminary in New York City…[from an] initial estimate of $6 million to upgrade 18 buildings…to about $20 million, to be paid over five to 10 years…[but with just five buildings upgraded so far, the seminary has already saved about $200,000 in heating and cooling costs last year."