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Oregon Tech To Be Powered Entirely By Geothermal Energy
cleantechnica.com — College students are demanding sustainability efforts in their schools, and now universities are stepping up to the plate. This past Tuesday, the Oregon Institute of Technology outlined a plan to build a $7.6 million geothermal power plant on campus
ritubpant- 840 diggs
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- jojordan, on 08/08/2008, -2/+9Big oil really blew it by allowing fuel to go so high in the recent runup (if they're not just plain running out of cheep supply). I bet they could have milked the US for under $100 a barrel oil for quite a few more years.
- YoWhatDaFuxUp, on 08/08/2008, -4/+6Yea they really blew it with all those record profits...
- Kanten, on 08/08/2008, -2/+8To be followed with a massive deficit in the next decade. Blowing your load is not the way to keep your business running.
- zeebo323, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5That sounds suggestive.
- Vergisst, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1@Kanten: It's all about what heiress of what company you blow it all in...
god that's dirty.
- ender7074, on 08/08/2008, -4/+2Yah, that demand that we created was all the oil companies fault. That moritorum on drilling our own resources was all the fault of the oil companies and not Congress. No permits for more refineries is all on the oil companies.... Try some intelligent thought instead of grabing BarryO's lame talking points.
- Gonthim, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2You realize oil has dropped over 30 dollars in the last two or three weeks right? The average for gas is already 30 cents less than the high of ~$4.11. I doubt it goes back down to 50 dollars a barrel and 2 dollars a gallon, but the ridiculous speed of this increase is over for the time being.
Demand has dropped and production has increased. Not much either way, but it was apparently enough to cause this little bubble to pop. You might want to do some research of your own.
- Gonthim, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2You realize oil has dropped over 30 dollars in the last two or three weeks right? The average for gas is already 30 cents less than the high of ~$4.11. I doubt it goes back down to 50 dollars a barrel and 2 dollars a gallon, but the ridiculous speed of this increase is over for the time being.
- Barackalypse, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1We'll be using oil at whatever price it is for quite a few more years. Do you think the average American with all their credit card debt can $30,000 to replace their petroleum powered cars with an electric one (assuming someone actually comes to market with a suitable one in sufficient quantity)?
- Gonthim, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Oh we'll be using oil, no doubt about it. But because of this run up people have realized how dependent we are on it. This has accelerated a lot of green tech development. If oil had stayed low, or risen a lot slower, the majority of people would still be using it in blissful ignorance and the green tech would still be relegated to a much more nitch corner of the market.
- Barackalypse, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1The late 1970's called, they want their argument back. If people waiting in line to buy expensive and rationed gas didn't change anything I doubt $4 a gallon is going to, especially if the government isn't stepping in and forcing the issue.
- minorthreat, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2had absolutely nothing to do with the oil companies running it up or supply and demand. Please take a few moments to look into market manipulation on futures trading by large banks such as Bears Stearn.
Futures trading isn't regulated by the FTC like the stock market is. The house passed a bill on the 8th of July to give them oversight of the futures market and now it is sitting in limbo. Since the beginning of July and word of congress investigating futures manipulation, Oil has fallen to 21% from its high to 115 today. Everyone got duped by corrupt banks and this will never make the news. - skipdog172, on 08/08/2008, -0/+6yeah because big oil just chooses what oil is worth.
the amount of diggs this comment has is a testament to the general level of ignorance on digg !
- YoWhatDaFuxUp, on 08/08/2008, -4/+6Yea they really blew it with all those record profits...
- ElDiabloJefe, on 08/08/2008, -2/+18Dugg because I live in Klamath Falls, w00t!!
- dpolehn, on 08/08/2008, -7/+0dugg becaus I live in TD w00T!!!!!!!!!!
- WNW3, on 08/08/2008, -1/+12THE FALLS ARE A LIE!!!
- ElDiabloJefe, on 08/08/2008, -4/+1Indeed they are...
- Puppetfunk, on 08/08/2008, -2/+2Canby area woo! Yay Oregon.
- WNW3, on 08/14/2008, -0/+1I can digg Canby. The mid-valley is nice.
- onlinegames, on 08/08/2008, -7/+2where is Klamath Falls?
- SolitarySoviet, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1right near hell, which is that fault line they talk about in the article... DONT EVER GO THERE....
- klipseracer, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Southern oregon.
- klipseracer, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I used to live in Klamath! South sixth FTW!
- mixmastermike76, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I dugg for the Klamath connection myself.
For those who don't know, Klamath Falls is about 20 miles north of the California border on the east side of the Cascades along the shores of the Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon. - JPOnion, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4Dugg because I've lived there the last 6 year.
- SolitarySoviet, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5and you will be stuck there until you die.
- JPOnion, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Not really, I moved out 2 months ago. Bwahaha!
Unfortunately, I have a number of friends that do seem stuck there. Klamath Falls really is a black hole.
- coyo7e, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4Dugg because I went to school at OIT. Klamath Falls breeds *****-up people, though.
- klipseracer, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2i think we've all lived there at one point hahaha. bunch of diggers at klamath.. Anyone know Jean Calvo? wri 121 professor. She passed me when she didn't have to. Coolest teacher i've ever had by far. And not because she passed me. Only professor I remember.... Wait. that one bitch, Rouch.
- asdf2000, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1*****
- radiofrequency, on 08/08/2008, -14/+1I doubt a $7.6m plant will power all of Oregon Tech.
- xeslana, on 08/08/2008, -5/+8WTF I go there. I doubt this will happen. They try to tout all the geothermal walk ways that can "melt" the snow in the winter. Its a big scam. OIT is all about the fake cake.
- starkruzr, on 08/08/2008, -6/+2I would really like more technical data about this. A $7.6m plant can REALLY provide all the energy a university needs? The large coal/natural gas plant at Notre Dame can't provide all the power we need and that cost a LOT more than $7.6m.
- QuantumRiff, on 08/08/2008, -0/+10OIT is about 3000 students on their campus, about a dozen buildings and a single dorm.. Much smaller than Norte Dame. The more details are here: http://geoheat.oit.edu/greenoit.htm
- starkruzr, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3Thanks, that was really useful. I'd love to know why I got dugg down to -3 for asking an honest question that then got an honest answer.
- TheMachine1, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1They have 300 F at about 5000 - 6000 feet according to the pdf.
- QuantumRiff, on 08/08/2008, -0/+10OIT is about 3000 students on their campus, about a dozen buildings and a single dorm.. Much smaller than Norte Dame. The more details are here: http://geoheat.oit.edu/greenoit.htm
- QuantumRiff, on 08/08/2008, -0/+19OIT has about half the money already from grants and private companies that want to study it. (and the other half is being worked on, or could just be paid out of funds, and break even from their power bills in about 7 years) It is more than enough to power the campus, OIT only uses a fraction of the electricity most schools or business use, since it is heated and cooled geothermally already. ( I remember reading that they spend as much to heat/cool 700,000 square feet of space as a normal 40,000sq foot building would spend over the same time) Surplus power will be sold to the hospital next door, and the slightly cooled steam, after it is not hot enough to produce steam for power generation, will be either used on campus, or piped to the hospital or a nearby retirement center to use to heat buildings, before being returned to the ground. Pretty darn cool idea. There is a couple year old renewable energy program and center at the college. Geothermal will be a good addition to the solar and wind power. (I'm an alum, graduated 06)
- QuantumRiff, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5To add to my own post.. more details in the actual proposal here: http://geoheat.oit.edu/greenoit.htm
Forgive the ugly web page...
- QuantumRiff, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5To add to my own post.. more details in the actual proposal here: http://geoheat.oit.edu/greenoit.htm
- beerock, on 08/08/2008, -5/+8great, more things to spend money on aside from students.
- mixmastermike76, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2It will eventually save money for the university system which in turn should lower tuition but knowing how Oregon's education system like to do things, you're right. It will not matter to the students at all unless they really do care about saving the state a bunch of money and helping Klamath Falls go green.
- beerock, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Agreed.
At Carleton University, all the money goes to building new buildings, buying out tenured profs to replace them with sessional instructors (who are paid the same as TA's), and recruiting students from Japan, China, South Korea, and Thailand.
- beerock, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Agreed.
- mixmastermike76, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2It will eventually save money for the university system which in turn should lower tuition but knowing how Oregon's education system like to do things, you're right. It will not matter to the students at all unless they really do care about saving the state a bunch of money and helping Klamath Falls go green.
- HowItIs, on 08/08/2008, -0/+16There should be a contest, and all the Universities in America should compete to see who can supply their energy demands in the most eco-friendly way, and the winner would get... Well, they would get long-term sustainable energy, so everyone would be a winner! Yay!
- gormanwvzb, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5Great story! I hope that they include green roofs in their sustainability projects. Green roofs reduce storm water runoff, CO2, fine particulate matter pollution, and the urban heat island effect.
I read an article about Northern Arizona University using a green roof. The title was: "LEED with Green Roofs" found here http://cleanerairforcities.blogspot.com/search/lab ...
Good luck and great project!- teesix, on 08/08/2008, -2/+1My roof is red... does that make me bad?
- wunksta, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1you commie
- teesix, on 08/08/2008, -2/+1My roof is red... does that make me bad?
- mistertrogdor, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2The first steps towards a Type 1 civilization, of course if they actually go through with it.
- vertigoacid, on 08/08/2008, -2/+10Guys, OIT is a TINY institution, less than 4000 students and faculty. Don't let "university" fool you. It's not really surprising that they could run off of a single geothermal plant
- s73v3r, on 08/08/2008, -0/+8I'm sure there are a lot of smaller colleges around the nation that this could easily be adapted to. My alma mater was only about 2500 students, something like this easily could have powered my school.
And the number of students usually isn't indicative of the quality of the school.- mixmastermike76, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1The school is of very high quality in certain areas. There is need for a lot of improvement but I think this will help get them going. Their technology and medicine programs are some of the best nationwide.
- starji, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3True enough, but it's still pretty sweet, and will likely be a boon to the renewable energy programs they have at OIT. Between OREC, the Geo-Heat center and the Renewable Energy Systems students, there are a lot of people who will benefit from having a fully functional power plant on campus, if only for the educational value. The fact that it will power the campus is just icing on the cake.
On a side note, OIT has the best software engineering program for any public (and probably private) school in the state. Then again, I might be a bit biased (class of 06).
- s73v3r, on 08/08/2008, -0/+8I'm sure there are a lot of smaller colleges around the nation that this could easily be adapted to. My alma mater was only about 2500 students, something like this easily could have powered my school.
- vertigoacid, on 08/08/2008, -8/+1Guys, OIT is a TINY institution, less than 4000 students and faculty. Don't let "university" fool you. It's not really surprising that they could run off of a single geothermal plant
- maheshee11, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Geos, the first fossil fuel free community in the USA, also uses geothermal energy to meet a part of its energy demands.
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/08/07/geos-the-us-fi ... - thedinomeister, on 08/08/2008, -3/+3In future news: Half of the United States blew up when Oregon Tech accidentally triggered a supervolcanic eruption. Stayed tuned for updates.
- Barackalypse, on 08/08/2008, -6/+4"College students are demanding sustainability efforts in their schools". Really? I've never met a single person that thinks their school should be responsible for its own power generation. What next, are schools going to open their own organic farms to produce all food served in their cafeterias? Perhaps they should focus on actually educating their students and let the power company worry about the power.
- webyatri, on 08/08/2008, -0/+10you should get out more ...
Some other things you might not be aware of -
There is a smart black dude running for president.
People are drinking less soda and more tap water.
People are demanding sustainable lifestyles, public transport, less pollution.
Like I said you should get out more ...- michaelz92, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1Smart black dude running for president? where?! All i see is a socialist idiot.
- ang48137, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3Sustainability does not always have to mean power generation. I went to college with lots of students supporting sustainability with recycling, wind power research, hydrogen fuel cell cars, etc. This stuff doesn't just help the schools - it helps the students and the community as well.
- wunksta, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1if its public, it should care as they could be constituents
if its private, it should care because they are customers
think before posting, oh wait, this is digg
- webyatri, on 08/08/2008, -0/+10you should get out more ...
- dbuck, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1You should see what Rogue Community College in Medford, OR--spitting distance from KF. Their new building is going to be one of the greenest buildings in the state: http://www.highereducationcenter.net/about/green.s ...
"Green Certification:
You already know that the HEC represents cooperation and collaboration between RCC and SOU. But did you know it also represents exceptional environmental stewardship?
The RCC/SOU Joint Facility Advisory Council pursued a Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The design team worked with faculty, staff, students, and community members to establish green priorities for the project. As a result, the building incorporates a large number of green building and sustainable strategies." - JPOnion, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Woo! Go Hustlin' Owls, my alma mater :D
- bmcnally, on 08/08/2008, -1/+3You know, adding nuclear reactors to college campuses might encourage more research into the subject.
I remember the University of Michigan used to have one, but shut it down 3 years ago. - mass922, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5Wow, I go to Texas Tech, and we are spending $7,000,000 on a student leisure pool.
Shows where our administrations' different priorities are, I suppose.- iomatic, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Well, here in Oregon, we love our trees, food, clean air and water.
Weird, huh?
- iomatic, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Well, here in Oregon, we love our trees, food, clean air and water.
- kyleforeman, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Hello Fellow OIT Alum
- klipseracer, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3I went to school at OIT. Great place, they are already thermal powered. The heaters in the dorms, and the sidewalks themselves are heated by thermal power as it is.
- gdha, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Awesome to hear!
- gusisfry, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3Dugg because that is my school!
- bmcnally, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3I think my school was powered by burning tuition money.
- Lynx55, on 08/09/2008, -0/+2That's the spirit! Kudos to them! ( Ok, not an intelligent comment, but you guys used them all up! ) ! :)
- MadGangster, on 08/09/2008, -0/+2It would be awesome if more schools were powered this way. Dugg.
- DeuceDiggalow, on 08/09/2008, -1/+0freakin tree huggerz. Be american and drive a humvee jeez.
- cryptocom, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1Ok, how many of you read "Oregon Trail..." at first? Damn I'm getting too old for this sh**.
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