U.S. Universities and Colleges Go Geothermal
According to a report released last year by the National Wildlife Federation and partners, the 4,100
two- and four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. could collectively cut their energy costs by
$2 billion to $7 billion and reduce the country’s carbon footprint by up to 1 percent annually if they
used geothermal heat pumps for most heated and cooled space.
The report, titled Going Underground on Campus: Tapping the Earth for Clean, Efficient
Heating and Cooling, states that around 200 U.S. university and college campuses have implemented
geothermal technologies, including ground source heat pumps, direct-use systems, aquifer thermal
energy storage, geothermal electricity and earth-sheltered buildings. Geothermal heat pumps and
earth-sheltered buildings, which can be utilized nearly anywhere in the country (unlike the other
technologies, which typically have specific geologic requirements), account for a large majority of
these campus installations.
While ground source heat pumps are most often used to meet the thermal energy needs of one
or two buildings, several institutions are thinking big and have implemented – or are in the process of
implementing – larger-scale campus geothermal heat pump systems. Examples of these include
•;Richard;Stockton;College,;New;Jersey;
•;Lake;Land;College,;Illinois;
•;Ball;State;University,;Indiana;
•;Miami;University,;Ohio;
•;Minot;State;University,;North;Dakota;;and
•;Missouri;Science;&;Technology;University.
In addition, the Oregon Institute of Technology is a notable example of a higher education
institution that heats its entire campus with direct-use geothermal district heating technology.
Other schools known to have or be developing direct-use geothermal district heating systems
include the College of Southern Idaho, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Boise State
University and Cornell University.
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(Sources: MEP Associates LLC; National Wildlife Federation, Going Underground on Campus: Tapping the Earth for
Clean, Efficient Heating and Cooling.)
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