In an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the University of Notre Dame has added three underground geothermal fields.
The South Bend, Indiana, school reports that one field is up and running, with the other two expected to be fully functional by 2018 and 2019. The three fields are expected to reduce the school’s carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 11,800 tons, an 8% reduction compared to 2016. The fields will also allow Notre Dame to increase energy security and capitalize on long-term cost savings.
Notre Dame’s systems work by circulating water in a closed-loop piping system to a depth of roughly 300 feet before returning it to the surface and distributing it through an energy center that acts as a heat exchanger. The heat from the Earth warms the water in the pipes to a constant elevated temperature of approximately 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to produce the desired hot or cold indoor air temperatures.
Read the full article on Energy Manager Today.
