For the past year, schools looking to go green and save green have turned to solar and wind power. But the push for geothermal power has been heating up at colleges campuses across the country, the Associated Press reports.
The Department of Energy has announced $400 million in grants to advance similar geothermal projects on campuses. Proponents say they want to use less coal-fired power, and geothermal technology provides an affordable option, especially at colleges that spend a large portion of money to maintain large buildings.
According to the article, 46 schools are using federal stimulus dollars to acquire the technology that uses the temperature of the earth to heat and cool buildings. For instance, the University of Wisconsin-Madison plans to incorporate a geothermal system in a new building. The Muncie, Ind., campus of Ball State University is upgrading its 45 buildings to geothermal technology. The project costs about $65 million, but the system is expected to save $2 million worth of energy per year. (It should pay for itself in 12 to 15 years.)
How does a typical geothermal system work?
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