Renewable
Energy
Education
Since the beginning of time, renewable resources have
provided warmth, movement, light; in short energy for
life. From early sailing ships to high production wind
farms; from ancient civilizations to future
generations, solar, wind, water, and biomass have been
primary sources of meeting our everyday needs. With a
growing shortage of fossil-fuel based energy and
advancements in technology, the integration of
renewable energy poses real opportunities and real
challenges for today and for our future. This Web page
is dedicated to assisting K-12 teachers in accessing
the professional development, resources, and
connections needed to provide students a well-informed
understanding of renewable energy. Please peruse often
as this dynamic site grows.
Renewable Energy is
energy from a source that can be maintained in a
constant supply over time. Five main renewable energy
sources exist: water, sun, wind, biomass, and energy
from within the earth. The following links provide
more information on each renewable energy source.
There are thousands of sites that focus on renewable
energy. Please search for your own and let us know
your favorites.
It depends. If you want to get a system that
meets your current energy needs and you are an average American
using the typical amount of energy, you would need to spend a huge
amount of money. This is because Americans typically waste a lot of
energy: Many of us have inefficient appliances, live in poorly
insulated homes, use energy for things we really don't need (e.g.,
an electric can opener), and forget to turn things off when we don't
need them--and even when we do turn them off they're still on
(leaking electricity through their remote controls and digital
clocks). Most renewable energy (RE) installers won't begin to quote
you a price until you take concerted efforts to use energy more
efficiently (for every dollar you spend on energy efficiency you
will save up to three dollars on the cost of your RE system).
But, let's imagine that you have taken steps to reduce your energy
consumption. For example, you live in an ENERGY STAR certified home
and you own ENERGY STAR appliances. Now are we prepared to tell you
how much a renewable system might cost? Not really. It still
depends. It depends on how large of a system you want. Do you have a
large family or is it just you? Do you want to supplement
your energy production or do you want RE to meet all your energy
needs? Do you want to be connected to the grid or off the grid? And
on and on.
Another reason RE consultants hesitate to quote system prices is
because people are often surprised at the cost. It is important to
remember that with RE systems, you pay for your energy up front and
after installation it's essentially free. Compared to getting your
energy through a utility where you pay as you go. However, people
should not buy an RE system hoping that eventually they'll break
even--that the money they didn't pay to a utility will essentially
cover the cost for the RE system. Unfortunately, for the most part
RE systems are still so expensive and fossil fuel is so cheap that
hoping to make money through an RE installation should not be a
primary reason for "going solar." Our society will spend money on
what it values. If you want to help reduce carbon emissions and
conserve energy resources--then RE is definitely an option for you!
So, there are many reasons why it is difficult to answer the
question "how much does RE cost?" But, for the sake of sanity, we've
provided some RE costs based on systems that are often installed in
Wisconsin.
Basic general prices:
PV
Utility intertied without batteries
$8-$10/watt installed cost (1000 Watt system = $8,000-$10,000)
Stand alone
$13-$15/watt installed cost (1000 Watt system = $13,000-$15,000)
Utility Intertied with batteries
$16-$18/watt installed cost (1000 Watt system = $16,000-$18,000)
Watts needed are determined by consumption. PV is modular and can be
built over time.
Wind
This is tricky. Wind is not modular. But in general, small wind is
more expensive in dollars/watt to install; bigger wind is
cheaper/watt to install.
Bergey 1kW $16,168 $16/watt
Proven 2.5kW $35,774 $14/watt
ARE 2.5kW $21,628 $8.50/watt
Bergey 10kW $50,056 $5/watt
Solar Domestic Hot Water Installs
$85-$125/square foot of collector
2-panels, 4x8 = 64 sq. ft. = $5440 - $8000 system cost
Remember there are
other ways you can use RE. You can buy "green power" through your
utility. The extra dollar or two you pay a month for on your utility
bill is a vote of endorsement for their RE endeavors. Visit the
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair this summer and talk to
people who own systems. The KEEP Activity "Why Use Renewable Energy"
provides an interview guide you or your students can use with these
RE owners.
Go to activity
"Why Use
Renewable Energy?"
KEEP Courses - See our
Professional Development page for all available
courses.
Lakeshore Technical College -
Wind Energy Technology
Madison Area Technical College -
Renewable Energy Certificate
Mid-State Technical College:
Biorefinery Technology Program
Renewable Electricity Technician
Renewable Thermal Energy Technician
Nicolet Area Technical College -
Renewable Energy Center
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College -
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Practices
Certificates
Site Assessment Forms
If you're interested in finding out if a particular site is a good one for
renewable energy, please request a site assessment. Download the following forms
to request a site assessment:
Or complete the online request form on the
Midwest Renewable Energy Association's Certified Site Assessor Directory.
Renewable energy resources and opportunities
Wisconsin Focus on
Energy
Wisconsin Renewable Energy Project Map
A
Research Guide for Students
Renewable Energy Yellow Pages from Focus on Energy
Wisconsin's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards
Wind Energy for Educators
KidWind - hands-on activities and fun workshops
Windustry - technical support and tools for wind analysis
The
Utility Wind Integration Group - interconnection and operation of wind
plants on electric power systems
The
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE)
Wind Energy Teacher's Guide - American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
Energy Information Administration
(EIA)
Renewable Energy
Policy Project (REPP)
Educational Kits
Silicon Solar Inc.
Solar World
Renewable Energy Videos
Renewable Energy with the Experts: An Instructional Video
Series on the Basics of Residential Renewable Energy (1996) / Home Power,
Inc. Order from: Home Power, Inc. P.O. Box 275, Ashland, OR, 97520, toll
free in USA: 800.707.6585 or 541.512.0201, Fax: 541.512.0343,
www.homepower.com
Videos include:
-Residential solar
-Residential wind power
-Residential microhydro power
-Batteries
-Solar water pumping
Learning experiences for your students are just a
click away!
Electrathon
- The Electrathon is an international electric
vehicle race for high school students.
WPS:
Solarwise for Schools: North
Central/North East Wisconsin
Solar Olympics - May 2008 at UW-Green Bay
MGE:
Solar in Schools:
Madison, WI
The 20th Annual Energy Fair:
June 19-21, 2009
ReNew the Earth Institute, Midwest Renewable Energy Association's
educational facility in
Custer, WI (7 miles east of Stevens Point)
www.the-mrea.org/energy_fair.php
Science,
Social Studies, Music, Environmental Education, Technology, and Family and
Consumer Educators all agree: the Educator Tent is a great place to learn
about renewable energy and sustainable living, with informative
presentations and hands-on displays.
Each year,
~20,000 visitors attend the largest Energy Fair in the
United States, right here in Central Wisconsin. Whether your interest is fuel
cell technology, social impacts of renewable energy, or living a more
sustainable life, The Energy Fair has something
for everyone. The Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program offers courses to weekend visiting educators with sessions geared
specifically for teachers and non-formal educators. Come join us at the fair.
To find out more about the courses KEEP is offering at The
Energy Fair, visit the
Professional Development page or call 715.346.4651.
Send comments and suggestions to KEEP,
energy@uwsp.edu
or call 715-346-4770.
Copyright 2001 KEEP
