University adds sustainable energy wells, plants
In the last century, Notre Dame has pioneered campus energy: After building its first power plant in 1932, the university became the first institution of its kind to generate its own electricity when it transitioned to a coal-burning plant in the 1950s.
Motivated by Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for the environment, then-President Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. announced in 2015 that the university would cease burning coal by 2020 and cut carbon emissions in half by 2030. He said, “In recognition of Pope Francis’ encyclical … Notre Dame is recommitting to make the world a greener place, beginning in our own backyard.”
Laudato Si’, which comments on humanity’s role in preserving God’s creation, calls Catholics to environmental action: “The effects of the present imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and now.”
In response, Fr. Jenkins said the encyclical “presents us with a comprehensive moral vision about the environment, technology, the character of our communal lives, our responsibility to the poor and marginalized, the dangers of compulsive consumerism and the need for global solidarity. It is a challenging moral vision, but one for which, I believe, our world is hungry, and no university is better positioned to respond.”
The university delivered on this promise in 2019, when the power plant eliminated coal and transitioned to clean-burning natural gas.
Geothermal energy has also played a significant role in Notre Dame’s energy transition. In this process, energy is harvested from below the surface of the Earth by drilling thin vertical pipes to a depth of about 300 feet, the level at which the temperature remains at a constant 50 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. This means that water can be heated during the winter and cooled during the summer by circulation through these pipes. According to the university, this small temperature change saves significant sums of energy—and money—in heating and cooling buildings.
Universities across the country have adopted geothermal in a similar manner. The nation’s largest closed loop geothermal system is at another Indiana university: Ball State.
According to the Notre Dame Office of Public Affairs and Communications, “Compared to other renewable energy sources, geothermal applications have a positive return on investment as installation costs are quickly recouped through energy cost savings. The estimated capital cost of the systems currently being installed on Notre Dame’s campus is approximately $40 million. The University expects to see a return on investment in about 15 years.”
The first geothermal field was installed on East Quad in 2017. The initiative has since expanded to include thousands of wells across campus: most recently more wells under East Quad and the Compton Lot, as well as an ongoing power plant attached to Joyce.
The new plant, set for completion in August 2025, will work with the geothermal heat pumps to distribute heating and cooling to buildings throughout campus.
Notre Dame’s energy initiatives also extend to on- and off-campus solar fields and hydroelectric power generated from a dam in the nearby St. Joseph River.
More information about the projects and a live view of the geothermal plant construction can be found on the Notre Dame facilities website.
Caleb Vaughan is a sophomore chemical engineer living in Morrissey Hall. He wonders how the constant 90 degree temps in his dorm contribute to the campus sustainability initiatives. He can be reached at cvaugha2@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Image from the University of Notre Dame
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