|
December 2006
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with the Utah Geological Survey, has funded a study to examine the feasibility of heating the Utah Transit Authority's (UTA) commuter rail service center with geothermal energy. The $15,000 study will assess the feasibility of using naturally occurring underground energy to help heat UTA's 165,000-ft2 facility near the Wasatch Warm Springs in Salt Lake City. The study, funded by DOE's GeoPowering the West Program, was requested by the Utah State Energy Program. It will be conducted by engineers of the Geo-Heat Center at the Oregon Institute of Technology. Results are expected by the end of December 2006.
Without geothermal energy, UTA could spend $15,000 per month heating the commuter rail center. Using the natural energy that is thought to exist below the site may save UTA and taxpayers thousands of dollars each year. If it is economically feasible, UTA will tap geothermal water to provide heat to the working areas of the repair and maintenance facility. It is not expected to be able to heat the entire facility, but should significantly reduce natural gas use.
UTA's commuter rail center is the former Union Pacific locomotive maintenance facility. The building is currently undergoing renovations to accommodate UTA's commuter rail fleet. UTA will use the building for cleaning and repairing passenger cars and locomotives for the new FrontRunner commuter rail train service that will extend from Salt Lake City north to Ogden. The facility will also be used to refurbish used rail cars that UTA has acquired for the FrontRunner system.
Project description of a state energy office project dealing with energy efficiency and renewable energy that the State Energy Program (SEP) published in its bimonthly newsletter Conservation Update.
|
