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Is Education the Fuel We Need for a Renewable Future?
Is Education the Fuel We Need for a Renewable Future?
By Meg Cichon, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
March 23, 2012
New Hampshire, U.S.A. -- We all dream of a renewable-dominant future and are working hard to get there. We also know there is a long road ahead of us, but at a recent American Associate for the Advancement of Science meeting, Sandy MacDonald, director of the NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), gave some hopeful words of encouragement. According to a three-year ESRL study, solar and wind power could provide 70 percent of the continental U.S. electricity needs by 2030.
The study took 16 billion pieces of weather data, filtered out unlikely sites for power production, and developed a principle for an effective smart grid that would provide extensive renewable transmission to balance production and demand.
The future is bright for renewables, but some may argue that there is a crucial missing link that could be a detriment for industry development: education. To address these concerns, several innovators have created programs to secure our energy future by educating our students – from tykes to undergrads.
In North Carolina, a group of green energy advocates banned together to develop a weather kiosk that is: “Cool enough to notice. Close enough to check out.” Outfitted with solar panels, a wind turbine and a weather station, Sprout calculates and combines data for wind speed/direction, solar elevation/irradiance, voltage, watts/m2 available and other statistics. Users can retrieve this data on Sprout’s interactive touch screen or online. If a location already has a solar or wind project, Sprout can calculate what it produces on any given day. “The solar panels on your roof or the wind energy you buy off-site can suddenly be made visible by Sprout’s engaging presence at your location,” according to its website. Sprout offers integrated lesson plans for all levels that allow students to use renewables in math, science and more.
While Sprout educates students about what renewables can produce...
By Meg Cichon, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
March 23, 2012
New Hampshire, U.S.A. -- We all dream of a renewable-dominant future and are working hard to get there. We also know there is a long road ahead of us, but at a recent American Associate for the Advancement of Science meeting, Sandy MacDonald, director of the NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), gave some hopeful words of encouragement. According to a three-year ESRL study, solar and wind power could provide 70 percent of the continental U.S. electricity needs by 2030.
The study took 16 billion pieces of weather data, filtered out unlikely sites for power production, and developed a principle for an effective smart grid that would provide extensive renewable transmission to balance production and demand.
The future is bright for renewables, but some may argue that there is a crucial missing link that could be a detriment for industry development: education. To address these concerns, several innovators have created programs to secure our energy future by educating our students – from tykes to undergrads.
In North Carolina, a group of green energy advocates banned together to develop a weather kiosk that is: “Cool enough to notice. Close enough to check out.” Outfitted with solar panels, a wind turbine and a weather station, Sprout calculates and combines data for wind speed/direction, solar elevation/irradiance, voltage, watts/m2 available and other statistics. Users can retrieve this data on Sprout’s interactive touch screen or online. If a location already has a solar or wind project, Sprout can calculate what it produces on any given day. “The solar panels on your roof or the wind energy you buy off-site can suddenly be made visible by Sprout’s engaging presence at your location,” according to its website. Sprout offers integrated lesson plans for all levels that allow students to use renewables in math, science and more.
While Sprout educates students about what renewables can produce...
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/03/is-education-the-fuel-we-need-for-a-renewable-future?cmpid=SolarNL-Tuesday-March27-2012
