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The Organization of Clean Energy and Climate in Washington County has received a grant of $7,582 from the Marietta Community Foundation.
The funds will be used to support development of curricular materials to create hands-on, on-site learning on the topic of an advanced computing center ecosystem. By leveraging the 5,000 square foot greenhouse and SAI.TECH's data center south of Marietta on Gravel Bank Road off Ohio 7, 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 is the large greenhouse, which will be used 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 to assist those in the county experiencing food insecurity.
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 and the Building Bridges to Careers program have expressed support for the project.
Abby Campbell of the Fort Frye School District will coordinate the educational portion of the project. MrMarcus McCartney, Ohio State University extension agent, is a consultant on agricultural aspects of the project.
Washington County Commissioners and other public officials and agency heads have expressed support for the project.
"OCEC is excited to bring this new heat-exchange technology to the Washington County area," Dr. Tao Wu, executive director of the Organization of Clean Energy and Climate, said. ""We hope that it will serve as a model of the productive and environmentally supportive approach to capturing heat from the rapidly growing number data centers throughout the country."
The Organization of Clean Energy and Climate in a short time has received support from many educational institutions and agencies in the area, George Banziger, a member of the project's advisory group, said.
"With the help of this grant from the (community foundation), we hope to expand the educational impact of the project throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley and create new applications for recycled heat," Banziger said.
For further information, call email ocec.heatrecycle@gmail.com or go to https://www.ocec.co/ocec-education/).