UI Facilities Management: Utilities & Energy Management

OAKDALE RENEWABLE ENERGY PLANT (OREP)

Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant Project (presentation .pdf)

Preliminary work has been undertaken to study the feasibility of constructing an Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant (OREP). The purpose of the project would be to demonstrate multiple technologies using locally available renewable fuel sources to meet the expanding energy needs at the Oakdale Campus.

Under consideration is constructing and operating an energy plant using alternative and renewable energy sources such as biomass, landfill gas, anaerobic digester methane, and gasifier syngas.

With this project, the existing utility infrastructure at Oakdale would be reused and converted into a renewable energy plant to power the University of Iowa Hygienic Lab and other Oakdale campus facilities. The Oakdale Renewal Energy Plant’s (OREP) capacity could be large enough to supply the Oakdale Campus with all facility steam, cooling and electric requirements from renewable energy. The OREP would be expected to serve as an innovative model demonstrating the feasibility of using local materials for production of economical and sustainable quantities of renewable energy for local consumption. The OREP could provide research, education, and training opportunities for University faculty and students, as well as industry and the general public. The Office of the Vice President for Research and the College of Engineering will collaborate with UI’s Utility Enterprise in pursuit of these academic goals to be achieved concurrently with energy production. The local natural gas and electric utilities would remain connected to the Oakdale utility system to provide emergency back-up service and a market for excess renewable electric energy generated above campus requirements.

To improve the overall efficiency and benefits of the Oakdale central energy plant, this project will also study inclusion of a central chilled water production system at the energy plant, a chilled water distribution system and an electrical power distribution system serving facilities. The electrical distribution system would include a new substation and underground distribution loops to connect the energy plant with Alliant Energy’s Campus electrical service, the UI Hygienic Lab and other future Oakdale Campus facility development.


UEM HOME ENERGY CONSERVATION CHILLED WATER PLANT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS POWER PLANT OAKDALE RENEWABLE ENERGY PLANT WATER PLANT 2006 Confidence Report Stormwater Program BIOMASS FUEL PROJECT History ENERGY CURTAILMENT UEM STAFF Facilities Management SERVICES & INFORMATION CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, & VENDORS ABOUT US OTHER USEFUL LINKS		OAKDALE RENEWABLE ENERGY PLANT (OREP) Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant Project (presentation .pdf) Preliminary work has been undertaken to study the feasibility of constructing an Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant (OREP). The purpose of the project would be to demonstrate multiple technologies using locally available renewable fuel sources to meet the expanding energy needs at the Oakdale Campus. Under consideration is constructing and operating an energy plant using alternative and renewable energy sources such as biomass, landfill gas, anaerobic digester methane, and gasifier syngas. With this project, the existing utility infrastructure at Oakdale would be reused and converted into a renewable energy plant to power the University of Iowa Hygienic Lab and other Oakdale campus facilities. The Oakdale Renewal Energy Plant’s (OREP) capacity could be large enough to supply the Oakdale Campus with all facility steam, cooling and electric requirements from renewable energy. The OREP would be expected to serve as an innovative model demonstrating the feasibility of using local materials for production of economical and sustainable quantities of renewable energy for local consumption. The OREP could provide research, education, and training opportunities for University faculty and students, as well as industry and the general public. The Office of the Vice President for Research and the College of Engineering will collaborate with UI’s Utility Enterprise in pursuit of these academic goals to be achieved concurrently with energy production. The local natural gas and electric utilities would remain connected to the Oakdale utility system to provide emergency back-up service and a market for excess renewable electric energy generated above campus requirements. To improve the overall efficiency and benefits of the Oakdale central energy plant, this project will also study inclusion of a central chilled water production system at the energy plant, a chilled water distribution system and an electrical power distribution system serving facilities. The electrical distribution system would include a new substation and underground distribution loops to connect the energy plant with Alliant Energy’s Campus electrical service, the UI Hygienic Lab and other future Oakdale Campus facility development.

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