Climate of Our Future

ScienceDaily (Dec. 1, 2008) — Cold, clean water from Lake Ontario has the potential to act as a natural coolant for buildings 30 miles away in Syracuse, N.Y., while reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses, substantially cutting energy costs, and aiding in the restoration of the long-polluted Onondaga Lake, according to a team of scientists from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF).

Researchers from ESF are working on the effort, dubbed the Central New York Naturally Chilled Water Project, with an array of public agencies and corporate partners. They are conducting a feasibility study, funded by a $1.5 million federal appropriation, aimed at developing an innovative, alternative cooling system that could be used in the city of Syracuse, some 30 miles south of the easternmost Great Lake.

The environmentally friendly undertaking would pipe water from deep in Lake Ontario into Central New York’s Onondaga and Oswego counties. The lake water would provide a greenhouse gas-free cooling source that would reduce emissions and cut the amount of fossil fuels used to power mechanical chillers and coolers in regional private and public buildings. After being used, the oxygen-rich water would flow back through the smaller Onondaga Lake, adjacent to Syracuse, and then naturally return to Lake Ontario, closing the loop on the system.

Not only does the project stand to provide natural cooling to the region’s buildings, but the water, when deposited in Onondaga Lake, can aid in the cleanup of the lake, which has long been the site of remediation efforts after many years of industrial pollution. The water entering Onondaga Lake would be approximately 52 degrees, which is cooler than Onondaga Lake in the summer. This cooler, oxygen-rich water would help reduce mercury and other toxins, add oxygen naturally and enhance aquatic fisheries.   Keep Reading