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Notre Dame installs three geothermal fields

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 11, 2017 / Posted in geothermal / No Comments

Notre Dame installs three geothermal fields

Three geothermal fields designed to reduce carbon emissions

By Margaret Fosmoe, South Bend Tribune; Jul 11, 2017

SOUTH BEND — Youngsters run on soccer fields this summer at the University of Notre Dame, unaware that part of the university’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gases is hidden under that turf.

Notre Dame has installed three underground geothermal fields designed to lower campus carbon dioxide emissions, reduce use of natural gas and coal, and create long-term savings.

Geothermal systems use less energy to heat and cool buildings than more traditional energy sources, said Paul Kempf, the university’s senior director of utilities and maintenance.

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The geothermal fields were built underneath a grassy quad just east of Hesburgh Library, below the parking lot just south of Notre Dame Stadium, and under the athletic fields and marching band practice field near Stepan Center.

So far, only the small field near the campus library is operating. The other two fields are expected to come online in 2018 and 2019.

Geothermal systems rely on the earth’s ability to store heat. The upper layers of the earth’s surface maintain a constant temperature of about 50 to 55 degrees, reducing the amount of energy needed to produce a desired indoor air temperature, Kempf explained.

Geothermal systems use a network of water-filled pipes to bring heat from the warm ground during the winter, and deposit excess surface heat in the cooler ground during the summer. The systems draw on that water to help cool buildings during the summer and heat them during the winter.

The Notre Dame systems circulate the water in a closed-loop piping system to a depth of about 300 feet below ground level before returning it to the surface and distributing it through energy centers to campus buildings.

While such geothermal systems are becoming more common, Notre Dame’s system is believed to be the first large-scale use of the technology in the Michiana area.

Elsewhere in Indiana, Ball State University ceased burning coal in 2014 after installing the largest ground-source geothermal energy system in the United States.

Notre Dame leaders announced in 2015 the university would cease burning coal entirely within five years and cut its carbon footprint by more than half by 2030. The move was in response to an encyclical from Pope Francis urging action to curb climate change.

When fully operating, the three geothermal fields together are expected to reduce the university’s carbon dioxide emissions by 11,803 tons, an 8 percent reduction compared to fiscal year 2016.

Notre Dame has invested about $40 million in the three fields, Kempf said. The university expects to recoup that cost in energy savings within 15 years.

University leaders are considering the possibility of adding geothermal fields in the future in White Field (at the north edge of campus) and below part of Burke Golf Course at the southwest corner of campus.

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Anne Hoskins: Lessons from Nevada’s rooftop solar victory

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 07, 2017 / Posted in solar, Uncategorized / No Comments

Lessons from Nevada's rooftop solar victory: Consumer demand and collaboration

Sunrun's Anne Hoskins on how utilities and solar companies could learn from Nevada's recent net metering law

The following viewpoint is from Anne Hoskins, the current Chief Policy Officer for Sunrun and a former Commissioner on the Maryland Public Service Commission.

After nearly two years of controversy and uncertainty, Nevada’s legislators and Governor achieved the inevitable. Consumers unequivocally demanded access to rooftop solar, and the legislature responded by passing a bill—nearly unanimously—allowing the state’s crushed residential solar industry to rise again.

For regulators seeking a measured approach to the integration of rooftop solar, skip to the end of Nevada’s experience—and definitely skip the stage where solar consumers are denied fair credit for the energy they share with their neighbors. The tenable path forward is rooted in consumer choice, compromise, and collaboration.

In the wake of the 2015 regulatory order that devalued solar exported by customers, such decisive political support to restore net metering seemed unimaginable. Yet, in a December 2016 order partly reversing the 2015 decision, the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, Joe Reynolds, described the decision: "Abraham Lincoln once said that “[b]ad promises are better broken than kept...The PUCN’s prior decisions on NEM [Net Energy Metering], in several respects, may be best viewed as a promise better left unkept. The PUCN . . . look[s] forward to pursuing that new approach together with all Nevadans.”

In parallel, Nevada lawmakers discovered that the millions of consumers clamoring for access to rooftop solar had another name: voters. As former Nevada Utility Commissioner Rebecca Wagner aptly described consumer demand to E&E: "People feel strongly about clean energy and access to clean energy. I don't think that's ginned up. I think it's real.”

Beyond reinstating solar net metering to ensure that consumers receive fair credit for the energy they export to the grid, the Nevada legislation also provides a model for protecting solar “prosumers”. Under the bipartisan law, homeowners are protected by a first-in-the nation Solar Bill of Rights, which ensures utilities cannot single out solar customers with unexpected and discriminatory fees. The law also provides strong standards for transparent sales practices, allowing homeowners to invest in solar with peace of mind.

The political reality of consumer demand is increasingly driving solar compromise in legislatures and state utility commissions across the country. Plainly, support for rooftop solar is palpable, regardless of party affiliation, and decision-makers are taking note.

For example, Xcel in Colorado heralded the 2016 landmark settlement between themselves, solar interests and more than a dozen other stakeholders as a chance to give “customers more control over their energy choices.”

More recently, the New Hampshire Commission facilitated a collaborative settlement process which narrowed regulatory options and yielded an order that enables continued solar investment in the Granite State. Citing lack of data, the Commission triggered a longer-term value of distributed energy resources docket with innovative pilots, such as non-wires alternatives, to drive a data-based rate in the future.

The New Hampshire order ensures market stability by removing all net metering caps and offering robust grandfathering, while making incremental changes on the road to a future tariff. It soundly rejected the euphemistically termed “instantaneous netting” pushed by the utilities, and did not accept their false claim that distributed energy resources provide zero distribution benefit. Further, while we compromised on some things, like distribution value, this new rate is temporary until we can implement a rate based on real data and real value.

The recent experiences in Nevada, Colorado and New Hampshire—and previous experiences in California and New York—show that solar companies are willing to come to the table and support public policy that fairly credits consumers who invest in solar energy. We invite more utility counterparts to join us. Together, we can enable more solar customers to create clean energy, good jobs and a more diversified grid.

Taylor University takes down wind turbines because of cost of repairs

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 06, 2017 / Posted in wind / No Comments

Taylor University takes down wind turbines because of cost of repairs

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DISMANTLE: Employees from All Energy Management, LLC of Wisconsin dismantle one of the wind turbines at Taylor University. To repair the icons would have cost more than $50,000, according to Director of Media Relations Jim Garringer.

Cassidy Grom, Chronicle-Tribune, 7/5/2017

UPLAND -- Taylor University’s iconic turbines no longer tower over the flat landscape of Upland.The university encountered a series of problems with the turbines and it would cost more than $50,000 to repair them, according to Director of Media Relations Jim Garringer.

“It is pretty hard to imagine, for me, that the turbines are coming down,” Taylor student Hallie Charbogain said. “It’ll be strange to drive onto campus and not see the turbines right away. I am sure it will take some getting used to.”

Students affectionately dubbed the turbines the “Olson Twins” because of the turbines close proximity to Olson Hall, where Charbogain lives. Charbogain and several other women in the dormitory could be seen wearing T-shirts featuring “Mary-Kate and Ashley” around campus last school year.

Taylor’s student newspaper, The Echo, reported in April that turbines, which had an initial price tag of $700,000, had not operated for nearly six weeks due to safety issues.

“A routine inspection on February 20 revealed a cracked and worn connector between the hub and blades on one of the turbines,” The Echo reported.

Shortly after they were erected in 2011, the company from which the university purchased the turbines went out of business.

The turbines have often been a point of conversation among students. In 2014 Echo Reporter Julia Oller mentioned the turbines’ grease stains that many students mistook as rust. Garringer said the nose of one of the turbines fell to the ground in the spring of 2017.

When the turbines were operating correctly, they provided 12 percent — that 12 percent saved the university $18,000 to $20,000 on their electricity bill.

They were erected in 2011 and helped Euler Science Complex achieve a gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Euler’s LEED gold certification is not likely to be revoked now that the turbines have been removed. In order for that to happen, Euler would also have to lose its solar panels and geothermal cooling system as well, Ron Sutherland, vice president for business administration, told the Echo in April.

“It just increasingly was a situation where we didn’t know if they were going to be operating or not,” Garringer said. He added that the university is looking into other alternative sources of energy including solar panels.

All Energy Management, LLC of Wisconsin started taking the turbines down on Saturday, June 17 and completed by Tuesday, June 20. The material from the turbines is being shipped to Europe to be repurposed or restored, according to Garringer.

Haley Heath lives toward the center of Olson Hall but she said the young women who lived at the end, closer to the turbines, could hear them swirl.

“They might enjoy the peace and quiet again,” she said.

Chronicle-Tribune reporter Navar Watson contributed to this article

Do you have your “Total Solar Eclipse” US Postage stamps yet?

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 04, 2017 / Posted in Uncategorized / No Comments

Solar eclipse Forever stamps

Total Eclipse of the Sun to be commemorated on a Forever Stamp

One Stamp: Two Images

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service will soon release a first-of-its-kind stamp that changes when you touch it. The Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp, which commemorates the August 21 eclipse, transforms into an image of the Moon from the heat of a finger. The public is asked to share the news on social media using the hashtag #EclipseStamps.

Tens of millions of people in the United States hope to view this rare event, which has not been seen on the U.S. mainland since 1979. The eclipse will travel a narrow path across the entire country for the first time since 1918. The path will run west to east from Oregon to South Carolina and will include portions of 14 states.

Thermochromic Ink

The stamp image is a photograph taken by astrophysicist Fred Espenak, aka Mr. Eclipse, of Portal, AZ, that shows a total solar eclipse seen from Jalu, Libya, on March 29, 2006.

In the first U.S. stamp application of thermochromic ink, the Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamps will reveal a second image. Using the body heat of your thumb or fingers and rubbing the eclipse image will reveal an underlying image of the Moon (Espenak also took the photograph of the Full Moon). The image reverts back to the eclipse once it cools.

Thermochromic inks are vulnerable to UV light and should be kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible to preserve this special effect. To help ensure longevity, the Postal Service will be offering a special envelope to hold and protect the stamp pane for a nominal fee.

A total eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Moon completely blocks the visible solar disk from view, casting a shadow on Earth. The 70-mile-wide shadow path of the eclipse, known as the “path of totality,” will traverse the country diagonally, appearing first in Oregon (mid-morning local time) and exiting some 2,500 miles east and 90 minutes later off the coast of South Carolina (mid-afternoon local time).

A total solar eclipse provides us with the only chance to see the Sun’s corona — its extended outer atmosphere — without specialized instruments. During the total phase of an eclipse the corona appears as a gossamer white halo around the black disk of the Moon, resembling the petals of a flower reaching out into space.

Art director Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, VA, designed the stamp.

The Total Eclipse of the Sun stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp, which is always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Tens of millions of people in the United States hope to view this rare event, which has not been seen on the U.S. mainland since 1979. The eclipse will travel a narrow path across the entire country for the first time since 1918. The back of the stamp pane provides a map of the August 21 eclipse path and times it may appear in some locations. Visit NASA’s website to view detailed maps of the eclipse’s path.

This stamp image is a photograph taken by retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak of Portal, AZ, who is considered by many to be the world’s leading authority on total solar eclipses with 27 under his belt. The photograph shows a total solar eclipse seen from Jalu, Libya, on March 29, 2006.

“I’m honored to have my images on this unique stamp. But more importantly, the stamp will spread the news about America’s great eclipse to many more people than I could ever reach,” said Espenak, who began collecting eclipse stamps after witnessing his first as a teenager. “A total eclipse of the Sun is simply the most beautiful, stunning and awe-inspiring astronomical event you can see with the naked eye — but you’ve got to be in the 70-mile-wide path of totality that runs across the nation from Oregon to South Carolina. So where will you be on August 21?”

“Having witnessed so many total eclipses myself, I know that two minutes inside the moon’s shadow could have a profound impact on the younger generation,” said Guhathakurta. “The Sun can be viewed safely with the unaided eye only during the few brief seconds or minutes of a total solar eclipse. Partial eclipses or partial phases of total solar eclipses are never safe to watch without solar eclipse glasses.”

Guthakurta recommended learning more on solar eclipse safety, educational and science information at eclipse2017.nasa.gov. NASA TVand NASA.gov will broadcast a live panel discussion and news conference starting at 1 p.m. ET Wed. June 21, from the Newseum in Washington, DC.

These new Total Solar Eclipse Stamps are very special to IndianaDG. A solar eclipse is part of the logo adopted by IndianaDG and our mantra:

"Don't let them block the power of the sun."

We hope you will join us in buying and using these new postage stamps.

672-solar panel project for elementary school gets OK from Lowell Town Council (IN)

Posted by Laura Arnold / July 04, 2017 / Posted in solar, Uncategorized / No Comments

672-solar panel project for elementary school gets OK from Lowell Town Council

Melanie Csepiga, Times of Northwest Indiana CorrespondentLOWELL — The installation of 672 solar panels at Three Creeks Elementary School will begin immediately now that the Lowell Town Council has approved the project.

The Lowell Town Council endorsed an earlier recommendation by the Board of Zoning Appeals to grant a variance to allow the construction.

Tri-Creek Schools Superintendent Debra Howe thanked the Town Council and said the school district appreciates the partnership with the town.

Because the area in which the school is located is zoned residential and the use of solar panels is not a designated use in that zone, a variance was required.

The Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously last month to give a favorable recommendation to the council, but only after hearing presentations on whether Tri-Creek's request met required criteria.

While James Mandon, a planning consultant to the town, disagreed that all criteria was met, the BZA members apparently accepted the school district's position that the lack of a solar panel ordinance meant another ordinance permitting wind energy in all zones in the town could be used.

Howe said the district will seek a variance next month for a solar panel array at Oak Hill Elementary School, 425 South Nichols St. as part of Tri-Creek's district-wide solar energy plan.

The Three Creeks solar panel array will be on about one-fourth of an acre in eight rows of pole-mounted panels. Each panel is 18 square feet and will generate 34.6 volts and 7.10 amps. A 6-foot tall chain link fence will surround and enclose the area.

Howe told the BZA in May the solar panel arrays are planned to not only save on energy costs, but serve as an outdoor classroom of sorts as they did at Lowell Middle School. Alternative energy science educational kits for problem solving will be used a well as a mock solar array for experiments.