Notre Dame Dedicates Hydro Facility as Renewable Energy Efforts Grow

Notre Dame Energy

(Credit: Pixabay)

by | Sep 13, 2022

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Notre Dame Energy

(Credit: Pixabay)

The University of Notre Dame dedicated a hydroelectric facility, which will generate nearly 7% of the campus’ electricity needs as the school continues its renewable energy initiatives.

The plant, called ND Hydro, is located along the St. Joseph River in downtown South Bend, Indiana, and started generating energy for the university in May. The 2.5-megawatt facility is expected to offset 9,700 tons of carbon dioxide a year for Notre Dame, the university says.

Work on the ND Hydro plant began in 2019, and it uses modular turbine technology from German hydro energy company Voith. Modular turbines produce energy by taking in water from the main stream which propels its runner blades.

The Notre Dame plant, which the university partnered with South Bend to develop, relies on the existing concrete and timber crib dam in the area to create the necessary headwater levels to turn a series of 10 turbines. The facility has been running at about 70% capacity as a result of spring and summer river levels.

Hydropower accounts for more than 31% of the total renewable energy generated in the United States and 6% of the country’s total electricity, according to the Department of Energy. Most of the hydropower produced in the US occurs on the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The hydro facility is part of several renewable energy projects at Notre Dame. The university also has a partnership with Michigan Power for a 20 MW solar plant, has commissioned two geothermal facilities, and partnered with Grind2Energy and Homestead Dairy to convert non-consumable food waste to energy. Notre Dame has also stopped burning coal, instead using natural gas, as part of a goal to achieve net zero by 2050.

Other schools to recently implement energy-efficient projects include Smith College breaking ground on a geothermal project, Boston University using geothermal heat pumps in a new building on campus, and the University of Hartford saving $1 million annually with energy upgrades. The University of California San Diego also has a proposed demonstration project that will look at blending hydrogen and natural gas to help with energy transitions.

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