Green energy tests to begin

Environmental research began on the campus today to see if College Park is able to sustain a renewable energy power plant.

The Maryland Environmental Service, working in conjunction with Facilities Management, began assessments to gauge the university's potential for using wind, geothermal, solar and biomass power plants. Green energy experts will study the campus in the next few weeks, and their results will help MES conduct an in-depth analysis of the power plants' feasibility.

MES's recommendations, which will be issued to campus planners in several months, could lead to anything from the construction of a handful of small wind turbines atop Denton Hall to a geothermal power plant that would harness the heat energy thousands of feet below College Park.

"The study will be taken into consideration by both Facilities Management and the climate change committee," Energy Manager Joan Kowal said. "I'm pretty optimistic that we'll get some tangible renewable energy projects implemented on campus."

Kowal's search for green energy comes as a response to the Presidents Climate Commitment, which obliges the university to become carbon neutral or pay to support environmentally friendly power plants elsewhere.

The testing and eventual results will take into account cost and feasibility as well as the university's ongoing construction and renovation projects, officials said.

"It takes years and years for the [state] to develop these large-scale projects," said Carol Hearle, a university environmental planner. "If we want to do something in the near term, the best way to do it is to look at the approved capital budget as well as the university's energy needs."

David Ferguson, a researcher with MES, hopes to integrate green energies with the university's master plan.

"We may look at new buildings coming in" and ask "does it make sense to integrate an [energy] system now?" Ferguson said.

MES first partnered with Facilities Management earlier this year, so research is still in its beginning stages. It remains unclear which form of green energy is most likely to be implemented on the campus. Researchers must consider the rapid pace at which solar energy technology is advancing versus its relatively high cost, Ferguson said. With wind energy, they must consider the physical conditions of the region.

"The best wind velocities are in the West and in Eastern Shore - those two places are the best spots for wind turbines," Ferguson said. "In central Maryland, the wind speed is not as consistent."

Biomass plants - systems in which plant matter is burned to release energy, and the resulting carbon is used to help grow more plants - impressed researchers after they saw the systems in action in Pennsylvania. Officials said biomass plants show promise, but the logistics of supplying the organic fuel pellets must be taken into consideration.

Geothermal energy plants are much more feasible on the west coast of the United States because of the prevalence of hot springs, Ferguson said, while East Coast plants must rely on much lower temperatures and much deeper holes.

Both university planners and state researchers remain largely uncommitted to any one particular type of energy and may incorporate smaller measures such as "green roofs" - wherein plants grow on a roof to help the building more effectively retain heat.

University officials hope their work will act as a guide for future environmentally conscious efforts.

"If solar panels work on a facility, we can use that as an example for other buildings that might go up on campus," Kowal said. "We can reduce our carbon and use it as a demonstration for the campus and community."

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