University taps Nevada's geothermal potential to power new facility
 |
| The Nell J. Redfield Campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, will be entirely powered by geothermal energy when it opens in 2004. (WorthGroup Architects rendering) |
A 30-year contract signed last winter by the University of Nevada, Reno and Advanced Thermal Systems, Inc., will turn the new Redfield Branch Campus into the world's first all renewable-powered college campus. ATS is currently building the geothermal powerplant that will supply all of the facility's heating, cooling and energy needs when Redfield opens its doors in summer 2004.
Under the agreement, ATS will build and operate an 11-MW Kalina Cycle geothermal powerplant adjacent to the new campus. "The campus site sits a few hundred yards from an underground geothermal pool with a temperature of more than 400º F," Campus Operations Officer Neal Ferguson said of Redfield's reasoning behind the choice of renewable energy.
Patient negotiations result in contract that accommodates expansion
The university had its eye on building a renewable-powered facility when the Redfield Foundation donated the land for the new campus in 1995. "It's in the perfect position to take advantage of a clean, renewable resource," Ferguson noted. "This is one of the places where geothermal energy can provide heat and electrical power at a price competitive with natural gas or coal-powered plants, but without the emissions of fossil fuels."
The rights to the geothermal resources below the site did not come with the deed; however, they belonged to ATS and the geothermal developer Yankee Caithness. "We were talking to the companies from the start, but it was slow going, initially," admitted Ferguson.
That changed after UNR accepted an ATS proposal submitted in response to the university's RFP in 2001. "The company has been very enthusiastic about the project, and we have really enjoyed working with them," Ferguson said.
Other contract terms specify that campus energy costs will be set at $210,000 per year with annual increases limited to 1 percent. After 10 years, the university system will have an opportunity to purchase the project.
The central utility plant will meet an initial load of about 500 kW of electricity when the campus opens its first 84,000-sq.-ft. classroom building. ATS hopes to sell the plant's excess generation to Sierra Pacific Power Company to help the local utility meet growing regional energy needs.
As the campus expands, adding buildings and square footage over the next 25 years, the plant will scale up to meet the demands. "The operation's efficiency will increase as we use more of the electricity internally and ATS sells off less," explained Ferguson.
Plant to serve as teaching aid for many disciplines
As part of the new agreement, ATS is building an 800-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art classroom at the new powerplant for educational use by the university. "A lot of thought and planning went into this agreement, and it shows in the tremendous opportunity the plant offers to advance research and education," Ferguson commented.
The Redfield Campus is a joint venture between UNR, Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, and Western Nevada Community College, Carson City. Students at the community colleges will use the powerplant as a resource for studying climate control technology, while civil engineering students at the university will focus on the design aspect of the facility.
The geothermal system will provide a valuable laboratory for UNR's Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, one of the nation's top centers for education and research on geothermal resources. It will also supply hot water to support university research in areas such as hydroponics and aquaculture.
Renewable energy technology offers economic, educational and environmental advantages no matter where a college campus is located or what curriculum it offers. UNR's Redfield branch campus is showing how universities can shape the future, not only through their students, but by choosing renewable energy.
