GEOTHERMAL AT NOTRE DAME
On the road to sustainability and net-zero carbon emissions
CURRENT SITUATION
CASE STUDY
GEOTHERMAL AT NOTRE DAME
TAKE THE QUIZ
CURRENT SITUATION
Notre Dame is using geothermal energy to reduce its emissions and build a greener, more sustainable campus.
Notre Dame started its geothermal journey small with a system that provided heating and cooling to just two buildings on campus. This helped the university learn how to implement geothermal energy systems on campus, building the foundation for future projects.
Notre Dame then installed additional geothermal fields to help heat several more buildings on campus and to connect to the campus cooling system. Wells are located beneath the parking lots south of the Football Stadium.
The latest installation on Notre Dame’s campus is located beneath Ricci athletic fields. The system supplies heat to buildings on the north side of campus and connects to the campus cooling system. All together, the three geothermal fields contribute to 2% of campus heating and 10% of campus cooling with a reduction in carbon emissions of over 11,000 tons per year.
CASE STUDY:
HOLE-IN-ONE HEATING
Building off past success
Our proposal expands upon existing geothermal systems in order to continue Notre Dame's progress towards building a more sustainable campus. The proposed system would consist of 500 additional wells which would provide heating to the west side of campus and connect with the university wide cooling system. The wells would be located underneath Burke Golf Course and a new heat exchange system would be installed at McGlinn Fields.
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The proposed system is shown on the adjacent diagram in the yellow and blue boxes.
The benefits of adding the proposed new system included lower energy costs, additional capacity, and a short payback period.
$361
Lowered energy cost per ton per year
1000 TONS
Added geothermal capacity for heating and cooling
9 YRS
Payback period considering the social cost of carbon, 20 yrs if not considered
Notre Dame's energy usage for heating and cooling buildings on main campus from 2010 to 2021.
GEOTHERMAL AT NOTRE DAME
Geothermal is a cost effective and sustainable energy source that is in the financial and social interests of Notre Dame. Installing additional geothermal would advance Notre Dame towards its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% by 2050. It is efficient and does not rely directly on the burning of fossil fuels. Increasing Notre Dame's geothermal energy capacity will allow the University to move away from fossil fuels and meet its sustainable energy goals.
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Currently, the main barriers to installing more geothermal capacity to Notre Dame are the costs of updating old buildings' temperature control systems to be able to work with geothermal heating and cooling. Our plan will take advantage of renovations planned for buildings on campus to also update the heating and cooling systems in those buildings. Over time, this project will help Notre Dame increase its use of sustainable energy.
