Renewable Energy Technologies, EnS 483 Spring 2004

Instructor: Jim Taulman, 605-745-3959, jimtaulman@netscape.net

General Information

Course Description – This course provides information about sustainable living methods and technologies. The importance of living in harmony with natural cycles and processes is emphasized, including reducing energy use, reducing consumer wastes, conservation of natural resources, recycling, and energy efficient building design. The use of renewable energy sources for our electricity and other power needs forms the primary thrust of the course. Photovoltaic and wind turbine power production technologies are featured prominently. Hydro and biomass power methodologies are alto discussed. In order to understand design and installation of renewable energy systems, electrical theory is also presented.

Required Text – Solar 1, The Basics of Renewable Energy. This is a CD with articles on all aspects of general interest to this course. The CD is available in the bookstore at Piya Wiconi.

Attendance – This course will be pictel. Please make the commitment to attend each week. A student may be dropped after 3 consecutive absences and will automatically be dropped after 5 total absences.

Homework – Homework will consist of reading assigned articles on the Solar 1 CD and handouts. I will arrange with remote students to get hand outs to them on a timely basis. Since many of these additional articles are not available online, there will not be a convenient way to post them at a Blackboard site.

In addition to readings, we will often have class projects related to the topic covered, such as building a solar cooker in the class in which solar cooking is discussed. These projects will consist of tasks that can be accomplished in the pictel room, in order to include remote students. Remote students will not be able to participate in person, but will be able to watch class activities on the monitor and participate verbally and visually.

Grading – Four lecture tests will be given. Grades will be averaged to determine your grade in the course.

A = 90 - 100

B = 80 - 89

C = 70 - 79

D = 60 – 69

F = 59 and below

Food – You can bring a drink into class but we won’t be eating in class.

Class Field Projects – These projects are still under development and subject to change, but it is planned to take several outings which will most likely take place on weekends in order to avoid conflicts with other classes and work and to allow driving time.

1. We will travel to the Rosebud Reservation to tour the wind turbine installation there at the Hotel/Casino complex.

2. Honor the Earth organization has plans to install a wind turbine at the KILI radio station site this spring and hopefully we will be able to get involved in that project at least one weekend.

3. OLC has plans to erect a wind speed data collecting anemometer at Piya Wiconi this spring. I will attempt to get the class involved in that project at least to observe and possibly to assist.

Class Schedule

Renewable Energy Technologies EnS 483 Spring 2004

Instructor: Jim Taulman

Jan. 22 - Introduction

Background on Current Energy Sources and Issues

Jan. 29 - Energy Conservation

Ecological and environmental need for energy conservation

Recycling, reusing raw materials

Feb. 5 – Energy Efficient Buildings

Passive Solar Design

Home building for energy efficiency

Feb. 12 – Test #1

Solar Cooking

Design and use of solar cookers

Feb. 19 – Guest speaker – Winona LaDuke (Ralph Nader’s running mate in the 2000 Presidential election and currently leader in Native American environmental issues and Honor the Earth)

Solar Water Heating

Examination of design and installation of open and closed-loop systems

Feb. 26 - Basic Electrical Theory

Power equations

Wiring issues

Utility grid interconnection issues

Mar. 4 – Test #2

Wind Energy

Evaluation of wind generators, small to large

Application of wind energy

Mar. 11 - More on Wind Energy

Mar. 18 – Storing and Transferring Generated Energy

Battery systems

Inverters

Mar. 25 – Spring Break

Apr. 1 – Test #3

Solar Photovoltaics

Design and operation of photovoltaic cells and arrays

Apr. 8 - Photovoltaic System Design

Design and installation of photovoltaic systems

Apr. 15 - Micro-Hydro Power

Micro-hydro generators and their application

Apr. 22 - System Considerations

Integrating technologies into a whole renewable energy system

Apr. 29 – Open

May 6 – Test #4