Is Cuba a paradise for renewable energy education?

Mario Alberto Arrastía Avila.

Universidad Pedagógica "Enrique José Varona"

Laboratorio Didáctico de Educación Energética y Medioambiental.

Facultad de Ciencias, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba

How Greenpeace has educated people to install their own solar panels

Retze Koen

Leader of Greenpeace Jugendsolarprojekt Switzerland

Phone: +41 628781078

Address: Keizersgracht 174-176, Amsterdam, NL

Greenpeace believes the barrier to a renewable, solar dependent society, also is present in people’s minds: Solar PV is still perceived by the public to be too difficult to install and generate too little electricity at too high costs. This is why Greenpeace has worked in several countries to teach people to install their own solar panels, and to make the panels easier to install. Greenpeace has also collected buyer lists and investigated the market and it’s economy of scale to press prices and boost development.

(Can it provide a better life to people?)

Anil Misra

Tata Energy Research Institute, Darbari Seth Block, Habitat Place, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003, India

The paper presents a critical analysis of the renewable energy education (REE) since its beginning in India, and reports the lessons learnt during the last 20 years. It suggests strategies to make the REE effective in providing better life to millions of people by ensuring consistent and integrated education, and motivating the policy makers.

What is? (Historical background and status)

The renewable energy education (REE) in India started in early eighties primarily at postgraduate level, when the world started to look at the renewable sources of energy as viable option for the masses, after the oil shock of 1973, and the war in gulf in 1979. The other premier institutes of technology in the country initiated similar courses based on the available expertise and infrastructure embedding the REE with the mainstream curricula. The manpower developed at these institutions was absorbed by the government (MNES – Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources), its nodal agencies and other universities, where REE started proliferating in form of undergraduate courses, not however exclusively on RE. RE electives were added to the general curricula on energy at these universities. A exclusive course on REE was funded by the United Nations University (Japan) at the Indian Institute of Technology from 1989 – 98.

REE was introduced at school level (primary, secondary and senior secondary classes) through an initiative of the National Council of Educational Research and Training, after the National Policy of Education came into force in 1986 in which science education was made compulsory up to 10 years of national education.

Today several other undergraduate engineering degree programmes on RE, and short-term training/refresher courses are being offered besides a large number of events aimed at enhancing awareness about RE. Some work has recently been initiated on the development of vocational courses for technicians and mechanics.

What ought to be? (Hopes for future)

An analysis of the current course contents of many teaching/training programmes on renewable sources of energy reveals that the curriculums are strongly driven by the available expertise rather than the inputs to be given to the students. REE therefore merits immediate attention to ensure continuity and consistency in the inputs given at different levels, pursuing a bottom-up approach (School to University).

The paper suggests the following 3-pronged strategy to make REE effective in enhancing the quality of life of a large number of people in India, and other countries with similar characteristics.

1. Preparing the young for transition

The students at primary, secondary and senior secondary levels ought to be told the proper comparisons between renewable and non-renewable sources, and the merits and demerits of either. They also need to be made aware of the sacrifices and changes in the life-styles to promote RE, and the limitations of the use of rather than falsely promising them the sky.

2. Preparing the required manpower for transition

This calls for the development of comprehensive curricula, which should be inter-linked to subjects taught at different levels, and integrated with other disciplines. A careful attention has to be given to synergetic inputs for both energy and environment education. This aspect of REE is particularly important to all the energy resource – technology combinations to be environmentally sustainable.

3. Motivating the policy makers for transition

6.

Daylit Schools

Michael Nicklas, AIA

President, Innovative Design

Innovative Design

Innovative Design was formed in 1977 with energy-efficient, environmentally-sensitive design being a major focus of the architectural firm. From 1977 through 1998 we have

designed over 650 buildings incorporating renewable energy solutions. These environmentally-sound projects have routinely incorporated green building practices

including passive solar heating and cooling, natural daylighting, active solar domestic hot

water and space heating systems, photovoltaics, solar absorption cooling, thermal electric systems, and numerous technologies and design strategies to improve the energy-efficiency of our buildings.

Our solar home designs have been constructed over 4,400 times throughout the United

States and have saved over 300 million kilowatt-hours. Our first nine new daylit schools and 34 renovated schools have saved our clients 275 million kilowatt-hours, an amount

equal to US$23 million. These schools are now saving in excess of US$1.6 million annually. Over the past two decades the solar and energy-efficiency features incorporated into our 4,500 buildings have saved over 600 million kilowatt-hours, an amount equal to

US$50 million. We have avoided 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Michael Nicklas is an architect and president of Innovative Design, he has served as Past-President of the International Solar Energy Society, and is the current Chair-Elect of the American Solar Energy Society.

Daylit Schools

Innovative Design has been involved in the design of ten new daylit schools. Characteristic of each school is the fact that, in every space that is occupied by students

for several hours each day, we have incorporated daylighting strategies that allow

controlled natural light to provide at least two-thirds of the lighting needs. This strategy (in conjunction with the incorporation of radiant barriers, an improved thermal envelope,

and the elimination of almost all east and west glass) has resulted in energy reductions of

between 22% and 64%. Our typical daylit middle school is saving US$40-50,000 per year in energy costs. (1)

Because of the daylighting strategy, which is designed to provide over 600 lux of natural

light without glare, our cooling loads and cooling equipment are drastically reduced. This is because natural light can provide the same lumens as fluorescent fixtures but with at

least one-half the amount of heat. By allowing just the right amount of sunlight to enter

into the space during peak cooling times (when the sun is always shining), the cooling load created by fluorescent lights can be cut by at least half.

In addition to energy savings, daylighting has the benefit of creating a superior learning

environment. Studies of our first three daylit schools and their students' grade performance have quantified the significant advantages that full spectrum, natural light can have on productivity. When comparing the students' End-of-Grade Tests and California Achievement Tests, the students who attended the daylit schools for two to three years out-performed the students in non-daylit schools by 14%. (2) Similar studies

conducted in Colorado, California and Washington have indicated similar impacts from

daylit classrooms. In the 1999 study of 2000 classrooms and 21,000 students, improvements in End-Of-Grade tests of 20% in math and 26% in reading were observed

in students in the best daylit classrooms versus the worst. (3)

Durant Middle School

The 14,000 square meter, year-round Durant Middle School is a good example. The total

budget for the school was US$13 million and included numerous advanced energy and educational technologies not typically utilized in school construction.

The average of 13 other existing "non-year-round" middle schools in the county was

628 megajoules (or US$11.12)/square meter per year). (4) Had these schools incorporated the enhanced ASHRAE ventilation requirement of .42 cubic meters/minute

per person (which was implemented into Durant), the average consumption would be 784 megajoules (or US$13.93)/square meter per year. The design objective was to develop

an energy strategy which would not exceed the overall budget and would save one-third

the average energy costs that would have been experienced if the schools had met the

ASHRAE standards. This established the energy budget at US$9.29/square meter.

Through daylighting strategies, the design was to create a healthy, productive learning

environment. Like other schools, the project was to meet all other objectives regarding program, budget, and schedule.

The key to meeting these objectives was to replace artificial light with natural daylighting.

To maximize daylighting and passive heating benefits, the building was elongated along

the east-west axis, allowing placement of daylighting monitors within a well integrated,

single-sloped roof assembly. The classrooms, as well as the gymnasium, media center,

and cafeteria, were all daylit. The roof monitors, which incorporated overhangs, vertical

glazing and translucent baffles to eliminate glare and diffuse the light, were sized to

produce a minimum of 600 lux of well-controlled natural light for two-thirds of the time,

year-round. North and south facing windows were designed to wash light onto east and west walls within the classrooms and, in conjunction with the light coming from above, produce uniform lighting levels throughout the spaces.

The results were as follows.

a. Energy

The energy cost for 1996-7 was US$8.64/square meter, bettering our goal

of US$.9.29/square meter (two-thirds of US$13.93/square meter, the average for non-year-round schools meeting ASHRAE standards). In addition

to the daylighting strategies, numerous energy efficiency measures were

incorporated including radiant barriers, an energy management system, high

-mass construction, low-e glazed windows, and increased insulation.

b. Maintenance

With daylighting providing the majority of lighting needs, lamp usage and replacement is considerably less. Because daylighting provides superior

lighting with considerably less heat than typical fluorescent fixtures, less

cooling equipment and operation is required. Durable building materials were

also incorporated in order to require less maintenance.

c. Environmentally sensitive materials and systems

Trees and ground cover removed during excavation were mulched and used

for landscaping. Products and finishes were selected with low VOC out-

gassing. Heat-exchangers with humidity control were employed to meet the

higher ASHRAE ventilation standard yet keep energy consumption to a

minimum.

d. Healthy building

This school has the highest attendance rate in a county school system

with over a hundred schools.

e. Budget

The project was 5% and US$700,000 under budget and was designed and

constructed on time. The construction cost was less than US$896/square

meter.

In 1997, the American Institute of Architects chose Durant Middle as one of the most

environmentally sensitive buildings in the United States. The school was later selected as

one of five projects from the United States to be highlighted at the inaugural International

Green Building Challenge, where the school was picked by a panel of green building experts as one of the world's most successful examples of green building design.

References

(1) A Daylit School in North Carolina; B. Thayer; Solar Today; Nov/Dec 1995.

(2) Analysis of the Performance of Students in Daylit Schools and Energy Performance

of Daylit Schools, M. Nicklas and G. Bailey; ASES National Conference, 1996.

(3) Daylighting in Schools: An Investigation into the Relationship Between Daylighting

and Human Performance; Heschong Mahone Group, August 20, 1999.

Professor and Director

Solar energy and energy Conversion Laboratory

POB 116300 University of Florida

Gainesville, Fl 32611-6300

Tel: 352/392-0812

SOLAR ENERGY IN SCHOOL (SOLIS)

KARL TORSTEIN HETLAND

Dalen vidaregåande skule, 3880 Dalen, Norway

phone:47-35077271 fax: 47-35077206

email: karlth@dalen.vgs.no

EINAR OTERHOLM

Ressurssenteret i miljølære, 6630 Tingvoll, Norway

phone: 47-71531235 fax: 47-71530142

email: einar.oterholm@eunet.no

Abstract

This project is one of many environmental projects initiated by KUF (the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs). This project show a way of introducing solar energy as a subject in the physics curriculum in the upper secondary school. Our main goal has been to measure the global solar radiation continuously and to use the results in practical student projects.

The project started in 1991. The first years it was solely a Norwegian project, but it created some interest in other countries and in Denmark SOLIS initiated a daughter project called FotoSOL. This was the first international branch.

After a long period of planning Latvia started in the fall 97 and in the same year Finland introduced SOLIS Finnish schools as part of their new school physics project named ^SC_HOOL PHYSICS.

New Solar energy Resource for Teachers

Background

Building installations are becoming increasingly costly and complex. Moreover, the last years have witnessed a trend towards "operational contractorship" in the Nordic countries. The building contractor is thus no longer only responsible for the building itself, but also for the proper functioning and performance of the building. These factors contribute to requiring a higher level of competence among professionals in the building sector. This competence is currently missing among engineers and architects and results in a wastage of energy in buildings as well as an increasing amount of failures. These failures are often due to a lack of a holistic view of the building and to a poor collaboration between professionals involved in the building process.

Lund University’s Comfort Design Program

As a response to the current shortcomings of competence in the building sector, a new education program for architects and engineers called Comfort Design is being initiated at Lund University (Inst. of Technology). The program’s main goal is to educate architects and engineers to design environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient and healthy buildings with a good indoor environment in which indoor temperatures, air quality, daylighting and acoustics are favourable. A special feature of the new Comfort Design program is that a holistic approach is adopted. The program thus aims to present the building layout, the choice of construction methods and materials, the installations, the power and control systems as interacting and interrelated elements of a whole system.

The new program consists of a series of special courses included within the civil engineer’s and architect’s normal master degree program. The program includes a series of courses in common for architects and engineers (Indoor Climate, Environmental Psychology, Lighting Technique, Construction Technique, Renovation Technique, Failure Analysis, etc) as well as specific courses addressed to each group of professionals to respond to their respective career interests.

In the Comfort Design Program for Architects, the main goal is to supplement the architect’s competence in design with relevant knowledge about energy, comfort and climate. This additional knowledge will allow the architect to plan a building’s shape, orientation, windows, shading devices and building materials so that e.g. passive cooling could be achieved and the heating demand minimised without impairment in the indoor climate, air quality, daylighting and acoustics.

Topic

Energy Savings and Renewable Energy Education at Schools

Full title

SPARE project in the Czech Republic

Author + contact

The Tereza association is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation that is working to educate young people and the general public about environmental issues. It provides a wide range of programmes that link scientific, educational, and leisure activities. Tereza’s programmes have become an integral part of the education of more than 1,000 schools, clubs, groups, families and individuals throughout the Czech Republic.

Purpose of the work

SPARE (School Project for Application of Resources and Energy) is international project for school children and students focused on energy savings. The purpose of SPARE is to contribute to the stabilisation CO₂ emissions and to the fight in stopping dangerous climate change by reducing total energy consumption. The main project goal is to increase the knowledge of pupils, students, teachers and parents about energy savings both at school and at home and to consolidate good energy habits in them. 10 European countries have joined SPARE so far with more than 2.000 classes and 50.000 students taking part every year.

Approach

The Czech Republic has been participating in SPARE project since its beginning in 1996. TEREZA association has co-ordinated this project at more than 250 schools all around the Czech Republic every year. The tasks in the project are varied and TEREZA suit them to local conditions. Pupils and students in the CR measured energy consumption in their schools, think of their own energy saving ideas and realised them both at school and home. At the end of project pupils arrange a conference to present their results to parents and representatives of local authorities.

Innovation and relevance

Children’s behavioural changes are important as a contribution towards more sustainable global energy system in the future. Last year we appreciated the effort of those most hard-working schools. TEREZA raised money for 10 best schools for professional energy audit. While professionals were making the audit, members of TEREZA took a lecture for children about renewable energy resources and „Green Architecture".

Results and conclusion