What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Exciting things at my university…

joossa

Aklys
http://www.csun.edu/pubrels/press_releases/spring07/fuelcell.html

Elected officials and clean energy enthusiasts from across the region are expected to join Cal State Northridge President Jolene Koester on Friday, Feb. 23, for the dedication of a 1 megawatt fuel cell power plant at Northridge—the single largest fuel cell power plant at any university in the world.

The plant will generate base load electricity for the university’s facilities and surplus heat for buildings, showers and food service hot water, and for heating the University Student Union’s swimming pool.

The power plant also provides a rare opportunity for students in the College of Science and Mathematics to study the carbon dioxide enrichment potential on plant life provided by the power plant to the university’s greenhouse. University officials are routing carbon dioxide exhaust from the plant’s heat exchanger into an adjacent miniature sub-tropical rainforest developed specifically to be sustained by the fuel cell plant’s operation.

Cal State Northridge has long been considered a leader in energy conservation among universities across the country. It was hailed in 2000 by the Clean Air Coalition for its use of alternative energy.

FuelCell Energy said institutions of higher education represent an excellent application of fuel cells’ 24/7 electrical generation—powering academic facilities during the day and providing critical base load needs at night. DFC power plants address significant energy issues in California—where power consumers face high energy costs, strict air quality standards and greenhouse gas reduction goals. The high efficiency of DFC power plants not reduced carbon dioxide, but results in less fuel needed per kilowatt hour of electricity and lower operating costs. In addition, DFC power plants provide greater energy reliability and energy security since they are located directly at customer sites, like CSUN.
The new Fuel Cell is up and running and is simultaneously warming the swimming pool and pumping CO2 into the botanic garden’s green houses. The “miniature sub-tropical rainforest” is still under development. When completed, the CO2 will be pumped into the mini-rainforest. The only downside is that the construction of the new science building(not mentioned in the article) will require the demolition of the south side of the botanic garden, which will force the removal and relocation of the small observatory and the large pond that houses ducks, fish, and turtles.

I am really excited about the new tropical rainforest that will be built. Last time I went into the garden, they didn’t have CPs (or any that I noticed…). Maybe they’ll add some once the forest is finished.
 
That is exciting. And certainly a lot safer and environmentally friendly than the nuclear reactors that many of the UC campuses have. I remember from the student days other than a few locked doors there was no security on their reactor on my campus.

I wonder how pure the wastewater is. Maybe you can get some of that for your CPs.
 
nice!

my school is still working on their energy conservation... they have an extensive recycling program though, and they changed all of the plates & cups in one of the large take-out dining halls to reusable ones (the dine-in places already use reusable stuff). i'm now hearing that the upperclassmen housing where i am is getting a HUGE renovation this summer... our heating system absolutely bites, half the houses get too much heat and half get none (i'm in the half that roasts), and they're replacing it this summer with a geothermal system, which is awesome! especially since i'm living here next year! :D
 
Back
Top