WHAT: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will be one of the featured speakers, as OIT begins drilling a deep geothermal well to feed a power plant that will take the campus off the grid. This is the first step in making OIT the first geothermally powered campus in the world. The well will be drilled to a depth between 5,000 and 6,000 feet to reach a water temperature of approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot water will be used to produce steam which will then turn a turbine to power a 1.2 megawatt power facility.
WHY: The installation of this power plant would provide a number to benefits:
· A showcase for individuals interested in sustainable practices.
· Financial savings of approximately $400,000 annually in electricity costs.
· The OIT campus will become a “net zero” energy user.
· OIT and Oregon will continue to be leaders in developing and using renewable, green energy.
· A realistic laboratory for engineering students to study, gather data and report findings, and making this information available to other potential users.
· Opportunities for interested individuals to monitoring the operation of the plant through Web-based controls.
· Potential for additional income to the campus by selling the excess hot water to adjacent users.
· Additional electricity will be generated with a bottoming cycle power plant (binary cycle) using the “waste” water after flashing.
WHO: Sen. Wyden and President Chris Maples and other dignitaries from the Oregon University System.
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009
WHERE: The southeast corner of campus, where the drilling rig will be visible. If inclement weather prevents outside access, the event will be held in the College Union.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment