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Projects Updates for Geothermal on Campus

  1. Discussion on geothermal policy options

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus

    Morgan White, John Summers, Jim Sims, Matthew Tomaszewski, and Kent Reifsteck met today to discuss options for incorporating geothermal information into campus policies.  The best options are to include geothermal in the Energy Use Policy, update the Campus Administrative Manual to support the updated Energy Use Policy, and include geothermal information in the Facilities Standards. A summary of existing policies and the draft iCAP 2020 objectives linked to geothermal are shown in the attached file.

    Attached Files: 

  2. eGen010 Geothermal Feasibility Study - Returned

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Energy SWATeam Recommendations Summary

    Andy Stumpf provided the following response for eGEN010, "Yes. The summary will be compiled as part of a 'Living Labs' project proposed by the Illinois Water Resources Center."

     

    See the iWG Assessment of eGen010 Geothermal Feasibility Study here.

    See the SWATeam recommendation eGen010 Geothermal Feasibility Study here

  3. eGen009 Campus Geothermal Policy - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Energy SWATeam
    Energy SWATeam Recommendations Summary
    Geothermal on Campus

    Dr. Mohamed Attalla, Executive Director at F&S, responded to Dr. Ximing Cai, iWG Chair, on August 27, 2019 stating, "We will review options for incorporating geothermal into existing campus documents, and share our thoughts with the iWG before proceeding."

    For further information about this project, please see Geothermal on Campus. 

    See the transmittal of eGen009 Campus Geothermal Policy Recommendation. 

    See the SWATeam Recommendation eGen009 Campus Geothermal Policy. 

  5. SSC funds Energy Shaft at the Energy Farm

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This student-led project will involve the design, construction, and installation of an energy geo-structure for heating the UIUC Energy Farm, located near the southeast corner of Race Street and Curtis Road on the South Farms. This project has great potential in exploring and utilizing geothermal energy, a renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels. An energy shaft is a new technology designed to access the shallow geothermal energy (relatively constant ground temperature in the upper 30 m of the subsurface). The objective of the project is to determine the feasibility of using drilled shafts that are already being used to support structures on campus also as a geothermal heat-exchange element. Geothermal heat exchangers (closed absorber pipes) can be incorporated into underground infrastructure, e.g., drilled shafts, through which water is circulated to withdraw shallow geothermal heat (~55 °F) and transport it to the surface for structure heating or cooling.

    Attached Files: 

  7. iWG meeting minutes April 9th, 2018

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)
    Sustainability Council
    ECBS Recommendations Summary
    Certified Green Lab Program
    Bike Sharing
    Campus as a Living Lab Seed Funding
    SmartWay Transport Partnership
    Geothermal on Campus
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Sustainability Working Advisory Teams (SWATeams)

    Attached are the meeting minutes from the iWG meeting that was held on April 9th, 2018.

    Attached Files: 

  9. EGEN SWATeam Meeting (4.13.17)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Solar Energy on Campus
    Geothermal on Campus
    Biomass Boiler at the Energy Farm
    Power Purchase Agreements for Clean Energy

    The EGEN SWATeam held another bi-weekly meeting. Topics covered include:

    • Ximing Cai's [in attendance] vision for iSEE and SWATeams
    • Developing a recommendation to expand UIUC solar farm.
    • Developing a recommendation for another clean energy PPA
    • Cost savings for geothermal systems and opportunities for implementation at solar farm and new building sites
    Attached Files: 

  10. EGEN SWATeam Meeting (3.30.17)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Solar Energy on Campus
    Geothermal on Campus
    Biomass Boiler at the Energy Farm
    Power Purchase Agreements for Clean Energy
    Carbon Capture

    The EGEN SWATeam held another bi-weekly meeting. Topics covered include:

    • Performing preliminary assessment for clean energy PPA
    • Fact sheet using solar farm as basis to estimate land needs and costs of additional solar farm to meet iCAP goal
    • Update on biomass boiler at energy farm
    • Identifying opportunities to purseu implementation of ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology on campus.
    Attached Files: 

  11. EGEN SWATeam Meeting (3.10.17)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Biomass Boiler at the Energy Farm
    Geothermal on Campus
    Solar Energy on Campus
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Sustainability iCAP Portal
    Power Purchase Agreements for Clean Energy

    The EGEN SWATeam held another bi-weekly meeting. Topics covered include:

    • Associate Director for Campus Sustainability Ximing Cai and his vision for iSEE
    • Biomass boiler at Energy Farm
    • Opportunities for Geothermal on campus
    Attached Files: 

  12. EGEN SWATeam Meeting (11.9.16)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    PPA for National Petascale Computing Facility
    Rooftop Solar Potential
    Geothermal on Campus

    The EGEN SWATeam held their fourth meeting for the Fall 2016 semester. Topics covered include:

    • Guest presentation by Yu-Feng Forrest Lin to discuss his work on investigating campus geothermal properties
    • View draft recommendation for Petascale offsets
    • Review draft recommendation for on-campus solar
    Attached Files: 

  13. Geothermal Profile Project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Explore Options for 100 Percent Clean Campus Energy
    Geothermal on Campus
    Geothermal Test Well at Energy Farm

    Beginning Fall 2016, a team at the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS, a division of the prairie Research Institute) led by Illinois Professor Yu-Feng Forrest Lin is conducting a series of detailed observations of the geothermal profile on campus - including high-resolution temperature profiling and thermal analysis. The team will drill to 330 ft and install a geothermal loop and fiberoptic cables. Results will help determine the feasibility of implementing geothermal systems on campus by identifying costs and possible challenges.

    Professor Lin has coordinated with faculty from the University of Wisconsin to incorporate lessons learned from their implementation of a geothermal exchange system at the nearby EPIC health care systems campus in Verona, WI.

    Professor Lin's team began drilling on 9/19/16. Daily drilling progress is logged and can be found by clicking this link.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Geothermal Profiling Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Given the University of Illinois’ existing reliance on coal-fired steam heating for many buildings, significant changes to campus infrastructure will be required in order to move to being truly carbon neutral. One possible option is geothermal heating, but there is somewhat of a lack of information about the feasibility of geothermal systems on campus.

    This project will conduct a series of high-detail observations of the geothermal profile of campus and analyze the data. The results of the study will help identify the costs and possible challenges associated with adding a significant amount of geothermal heating systems to campus.

    Attached Files: 
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