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The Marietta Community Foundation recently announced that the Organization of Clean Energy and Climate has been awarded a grant of $7,582.
Grant funds will be used to support development of curricular materials to create hands-on, on-site learning on the topic of Advanced Computing Center Ecosystem (ACCE). By leveraging the 5,000 square foot greenhouse and SAI's data center, high school students in the area will learn about computing data center systems, why they generate so much heat, and how this recycled heat can be used for a variety of applications. The major feature of the learning site, located about seven miles south of Marietta (on Gravel Bank Road, just off State Route 7) is the large greenhouse, which will be used as a site for raising vegetables and conducting experiments on agricultural technology. Vegetables raised and harvested in the greenhouse will be distributed by Harvest of Hope to local food pantries during cold months in order to assist those in the county experiencing food insecurity. On-site classes for students and professional development sessions for teachers and local business farmers will be conducted on this same site.
The project's contribution to achieving carbon neutrality will also be an educational focus of the project.
The Washington County school districts of Belpre, Fort Frye, and Warren, as well as the program Building Bridges to Careers, have expressed support for the project. Ms. Abby Campbell of the Fort Frye School District will coordinate the educational portion of the project. Mr. Marcus McCartney, the Ohio State University Extension Agent, is serving as a consultant on agricultural aspects of the project. Washington County Commissioners and other public officials and agency heads have expressed support for the project.
Dr. Tao Wu, Executive Director of OCEC noted: "OCEC is excited to bring this new heat-exchange technology to the Washington County area. We hope that it will serve as a model of the productive and environmentally supportive approach to capturing heat from the rapidly growing number of data centers throughout the country."
"In the short time that OCEC has been in the Marietta area, we have won the support of many educational institutions and agencies in the area. With the help of this grant from the MCF, we hope to expand the educational impact of the project throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley and create new applications for recycled heat," added Dr. George Banziger, member of the project's advisory group.
For further information contact Dr. Tao Wu by calling 480-266-0965 or by email at ocec.heatrecycle@gmail.com and for more information about the OCEC education program visit https://www.ocec.co/ocec-education/