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Lab for Sustainable Energy Fred Loxsom Eastern Connecticut State University
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American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
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Climate Action Plan
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Green Campus Committee
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Energy Research
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Campus and Community Outreach Earth Day Activities Speaker Series Student Clubs Recycling Program Service learning in the community
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Campus as Laboratory
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Submetering and Energy Dashboard
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Institute for Sustainable Energy Statewide energy efficiency programs Energy Education programs for secondary schools Employs energy students as interns
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Center for Sustainable Energy Studies Endowed Chair in Sustainable Energy Studies Environmental Earth Science Department Position has separate budget, reduced teaching load, and excellent teaching and research space in a new science building.
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Sustainable Energy Studies General Education Courses: Global Climate Change Sustainable Energy Sustainable Energy Lab Minor in Sustainable Energy Studies Sustainable Energy concentration in Environmental Earth Science B.S. Major
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Sustainable Energy Lecture General Education – “Science and Society” 250 students in 6 sections Climate change as main indicator of environmental impact. Emphasis on electricity and transportation alternatives.
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Sustainable Energy Laboratory 110 students in 5 sections 22 students per section Two hour lab sessions Mixture of general education non-science students and energy track majors
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Learning Objectives Learn experimental method. Get “hands on” experience with key technologies – e.g. solar and wind. Consistently use scientific units, perform basic calculations, use some statistics Master some basic measurement techniques. Enjoy sustainable lab work.
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Types of Lab Experiences Table top experiments Group experiments Outdoor measurements Campus field observations Take home (and bring back) measurements Use “rule of three”. Repeat key experiences until students really get it.
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Lab Equipment Pasco Xplorer GLX graphing data logger, (Vernier is another excellent option.) Various lab equipment Existing campus facilities Low-cost expendables
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Power and Energy Measure power used by small appliances (lamp, fan) using a Kill-A- Watt meter Calculate energy corresponding to normal weekly use. Use W and kWh. Take Home: Students complete energy audits of their residence hall room and use energy dashboard to study energy consumption in their residence hall.
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Current and Voltage Series and Parallel Circuit Measure current and voltage Draw and read simple schematic circuits Calculate power and energy Use amperes, volts, and watt units.
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Solar Electric Cell and Module Measure current and voltage. Determine open circuit voltage, short circuit current, and maximum power point of modules. Measure solar intensity. Understand connection between solar cells and solar module. Measure the energy performance of an operating solar ventilator.
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Campus Solar Electric Lights Determine voltage and current parameters for campus bus shelter solar lighting systems. Draw simple schematic for system. Calculate annual energy savings for this lighting system. Campus Field Trip: Visit bus shelter and other campus solar electric installations.
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Electric Vehicle Use solar module to charge model electric car. Measure charging energy for module electric car. Measure mpk (miles per kWh) rating for model electric car. Calculate average and SD for several rating values Take Home: Visit Nissan LEAF website and compare performance of electric vehicle and gas vehicle.
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Fuel Cell Vehicle Use solar module to produce hydrogen gas by hydrolysis. Use hydrogen to power model Fuel Cell Vehicle Measure miles per gallon gasoline equivalent rating for model FCV. Measure miles per kWh rating using solar module.
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Wind Power Use model wind turbine to power LED lamp. Measure wind speed and calculate wind power intensity. Measure efficiency of model wind turbine. Calculate performance of small-scale wind turbine operating on campus.
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Lighting Efficiency Measure and compare lighting efficiency of incandescent, CFL, and LED bulbs Calculate energy savings in science building by switching to CFL or LED lights. Compare lighting energy to total energy consumption of science building using energy dashboard.
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R-Value Measure the R-value of foam board insulation. Requires students to use knowledge of electric energy and basic measuring techniques. Calculate energy loss through windows in science building during entire heating season.
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Heat Capacity Measure the heat capacity of water Requires students to use knowledge of electric energy and basic measuring techniques. Use measured heat capacity to calculate energy required to heat water stored in hot water tank. Campus Field Trip: Tour solar hot water system on campus
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Cooling Rate Measure the rate of energy loss for water in an insulated mug. Requires understanding of heat capacity from previous lab exercise. Use linear curve fit to determine the cooling rate. Take Home: Measure energy required to provide hot water for student’s shower. Devise plan to reduce energy consumption.
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IR Radiation Calibrate IR sensor using digital thermometers. Develop linear equation for determining surface temperature using IR intensity. Use IR measurements to determine the effective temperature of the sky. Determine the IR transmission characteristics of glass and plastic sheets.
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CO2 Concentration Calibrate CO 2 sensor and use it to measure CO 2 concentration of exhaled breath, in the greenhouse, and at other campus sites. Compare measured values to long-term values of carbon dioxide concentration acquired on campus. Campus Field Trip: Visit campus site where carbon dioxide ground flux is measured.
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Experiments Under Development Basic hydroelectricity experiment using Pasco energy transfer apparatus. Nuclear counting experiment using Geiger Counters. Measure shielding parameters and assess uranium ore samples.
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Comments about Lab The lab meets the needs of both majors and general education students. Majors consider this to be a valuable “hands on” introduction to their major field and non-science students find the lab interesting and worthwhile.
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Questions?
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