区域能源厂

The University of Idaho uses a district energy system for the heating and cooling needs of campus. District energy systems produce utilities such as steam, 冷冻水, 压缩空气可用于多个建筑物. The 区域能源厂 at the University of Idaho (often referred to as the steam plant or energy plant) distributes utilities to campus buildings through miles of tunnels located under sidewalks and roads. 通过使用一个集中的位置, energy can be distributed at a lower cost than producing it in every building. 这消除了冗余的需要, low-efficiency equipment throughout buildings that need to be maintained.

The U of I energy plant is located on campus at the corner of 6th and Line Street in 莫斯科, Idaho. 建于1926年，使用煤炭, the plant has undergone many changes over the years as coal was slowly phased out in favor of natural gas. As the university sought to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the 1980’s and secure a long-term, 可持续燃料来源, an agreement was made with the local wood products manufacturing industry where the companies would invest in the installation of a new wood chip fueled boiler at the energy plant. This would provide the university with the 可持续燃料来源 it desired while providing lumber mills a means of removing waste in an environmentally friendly manner. In 1986, the new biomass boiler was installed and the last coal boiler was converted to burn natural gas.

确保尽量减少对环境的影响, the steam plant requires all woody biomass to be managed in accordance with industry/sustainability best practices for the use of mill residues/waste products, including requiring that biomass must not be sourced from the forest floor. 另外, potential suppliers must have the proper certifications to ensure that sustainable forest management practices and standards are being met. Besides ensuring that wood chip fuel is sourced responsibly, the wood chip trailers operated by U of I use biofuel produced on campus, 代替柴油.

Just like any other sustainable energy source, biomass energy is most effective when near the source. 太阳能光伏技术需要阳光, 风力涡轮机应设在有风的地区, 当靠近木材工厂时，生物质更有效. The U of I energy plant demonstrates the potential success for woody biomass as a 可持续燃料来源 by reducing long-term emissions compared to fossil fuels, 同时减少灾难性森林火灾的风险. The wood boiler at the energy plant reduces the cost of higher education and supports the local lumber mills by reducing their operating costs, 使当地社区在经济上受益, 改善科达伦人的健康状况, St. Joe, Kaniksu, Clearwater, and Nez Perce National Forests.

校园冷冻水

Chilled water is produced using a combination of electric vapor compression chillers and absorption chillers at two central locations on campus. The North Campus Chiller Plant (NCCP) is located inside the 区域能源厂. The South Campus Chiller Plant (SCCP) is located above the Kibbie Dome, next to the Golf Course. The system provides 冷冻水 for process cooling loads such as servers and environmental room conditioning in a reliable and cost effective manner. This has allowed for many worn out and inefficient building chillers to be eliminated, and allows new buildings and major remodels of older buildings to be constructed without separate chillers, 进一步降低成本.

除了冷却器, the University of Idaho operates a 2 million gallon 冷冻水 Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank. The university uses the TES to meet peak load demands during the day without running additional chillers, 提高系统效率. By discharging the tank when cooling loads are highest, 然后在晚上充电, the university lowers the peak demand for electricity it purchases from the utility, reducing operating costs significantly while also improving system performance.