University of Iowa looks to alternative energy sources

The University of Iowa recently tested burning paper sludge to possibly displace coal use in the campus power plant.

Wood chips and corn stover pellets also are being examined as potential renewable biomass fuels, which can be mixed with coal to power the campus while reducing fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions.

"It's hard to tell which of these fuels will be the next oat hulls," said Ben Fish, utilities plant manager, referring to a program that began in 2003 in which UI burns used oat hulls from Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids.

UI is developing a new 10-year energy plan, which it plans to release in October, that will set benchmarks for areas such as renewable energy, carbon emissions, energy use and waste along with goals for student involvement and research, said Liz Christiansen, director of the UI Office of Sustainability. UI, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have been working off a 2009 Iowa state Board of Regents sustainability plan, which includes a goal of a combined energy portfolio of at least 10 percent energy from renewable sources by July 1, 2013.

ISU and UNI have examined biomass products similar to UI but have found obstacles in consistency of a local supply.

"We have examined switchgrass and biopellets, but we would have to retrofit a boiler," said Tom Schellhardt, UNI vice president for administration and financial services, noting that the university doesn't have the financing for the retrofit.

Wind energy is likely to be UNI's most plausible source for meeting the regents' goal, and the school is considering a wind energy plan, Schellhardt said. UNI would need three to four turbines to hit the 10 percent mark, but the first would cost about $2.5 million and they don't have a financing plan yet, he said.

ISU in December 2009 added wind energy to its portfolio, and it now supplies 10 percent of campus electrical power. The wind is purchased from a wind farm in northern Story County and southern Hardin County, said Dave Miller, ISU associate vice president for facilities.

"We are trying to review that to see how high we can go," Miller said. "It's a trial operation."

At UI, which uses 17 percent renewable energy to power campus and wants to increase to 40 percent by 2020, Christiansen said wind energy could be one of the next major investments.

UI has done testing on a site in Hills that could be a reliable location for wind energy, said Glen Mowery, UI director of utilities and energy management.

"We are very close to making something happen," Mowery said. "I wouldn't expect to see a wind farm, but one or two turbines."

The initial investment would be at least $5 million and wind energy has a high cost per kilowatt hour, but over time, the investment would pay off and help the university scale back use of fossil fuels, Mowery said.

The long-term goal is to eliminate coal entirely from the UI campus, but that is a long way off, Mowery said.

At UI, the goal is to test and use several energy sources so as to not be dependent on one, he said. For example, UI is likely to seek permits to burn all three of the products they are test burning - wood chips, paper sludge and stover pellets, Fish said.

Other avenues also are being explored. For example, UI is purchasing methane from the Iowa City landfill to power backup generators on the Oakdale campus and is building a solar e-charging station to power electric vehicles on campus.

"We are getting exposure, so when we go larger scale, we know what we are getting into," Mowery said.