Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Monday’s Class :
Before Class
- Before every class for the next three weeks, your preparation will begin with a quick look at all the new articles on the ECEEE news website. I’m actually having a hard time imagining how you could not be reading this every day.
- Please do PS#7 (on main class website), due today in class.
- Please review in DH’s Book: 507 – 537 on Transportation
- Please see video: TransportationA and Slide and
- Please read about California’s Intention to Maintain Leadership in Clean Transportation, and Conflicts with the National Government
- Take a look at the Renewable Energy Global Status Report Maybe you want to actually read this 250 page exciting document thoroughly. However, you may also just want to take a brief look at the sections and graphs and decide where and when you might like to read more some other time.
- Please read over your colleagues’ Empathy Intervention Reflections (please read through at least 4 of them) and be ready to discuss it in class.
- Here’s a great article about a new regulation in European cities. Please read it and come to class ready to discuss the following questions:
- Banning Diesel is a command and control regulatory mechanism. Are they also trying market mechanisms?
- What about the timing in your opinion is good? What is bad? – where do you see this leading?
- Do you recognize any EJ (Environmental Justice) issues arising?
- Robert (our collaborator from Malawi) is in town today! You are all welcome to meet with Robert Van Buskirk. However, groups working with solar cooking should definitely meet with him. Please see the signup sheet to log your time to meet with him.
During Class
- Hand in PS #7
- Bring in your power meters to return to me
After Class
Wednesday’s Class
Before Class
- Take a quick look at all the new articles on the ECEEE news website.
- In particular, please see this story about BEVs, relevant to today’s class.
- A quick statement regarding the Ox-Powered Electricity presentation. I said that this kind of analysis is exactly what I want from the other groups…. Actually, if the calculations are shown on the slide (and on the website) then it will be exactly what I want. During a presentation, we don’t have to go over the details of the calculation, but it should be there.
- Solutions for PS#7 posted on main class website.
- Please see: TransportationB and slides
- See this video about the future of transportation in USA. This isn’t a “graded video”, so you can skip through it. Please watch the first 5 minutes, and I bet you watch the whole thing…. if not, please skip through it.
- Optional: read this article about recycling car batteries published April 2017 by the American Physical Society.
- Please see LCA and Biofuels and Slides
- PG&E on BEV!, April 2, 2019
- link to electric cars in Norway.
- Please read, what’s being done in China? Do you know where are the world’s lithium supplies?
- What has happened to the cost of lithium in the past few years? Are we going to hit “peak lithium”?
- Please consider the two papers I published with Cal Poly students on the True Energy Density of Batteries in Cars and the distance dependence of cost of electric travel.
- 44 million square meters of lithium mining ponds… is that a lot? Are there environmental concerns?
- They are making a big deal about this, but it seems obvious, why did hybrid trucks take so long to be proposed?
- Prepare for Assessment #6
- Each person in the class should send me an Email describing their experience in their group. The email can be very short, as simple as “we’re great working together.” or “we’ve never met, I forget who’s in my group.” or “It’s OK, except that Pete never shows up and when he does, he’s on his cell phone or complaining about something.” Whatever your experience is.
During Class
- Assessment #6
- Bring in your power meters to return to me
Friday :
Before Class
- Take a quick look at all the new articles on the ECEEE news website.
- Several of us have expressed despair about the demise of global ecosystems. How do we manage these feelings. the ECEEE news sent me to this Guardian Article about Managing Climate Grief. Read it if you like.
- Please see *Very important* PS #8 with some *very important* calculations on it, on the main class website.
- Assessment #6 solutions posted, please see on main class website. Grades were dismal.
- Read in DH’s Book: 316-324 on policy options for climate change
- Please see video: Solar PV , and slides
- Please read our PV research webpage. Please understand the cost/price trends and implications for continuation into the future. You don’t need to click on each project, but you’re welcome to.
- Two interesting articles in NPR
- Nuclear is struggling because of high cost – but it would thrive if it had “green” status for renewable portfolio standards (RPS). Should nuclear count as part of the “carbon-free” renewable energy?
- Tesla solar roofs are coming to California. How might this solar electricity and storage change the game?
- Please read a story about a WHO report of 1.7 million children deaths due to environmental causes. Please at least read the the first and the last two paragraphs.
- I have a *very important* question for you: If the wind is pushing a wind cart, can the wind cart go directly down wind faster than the wind (DDWFTTW)? Dan Kammen says, “NO”, but a sailor says it happens all the time! Who is right? Please read as much of this article as you like, but certainly find the quote by Dan Kammen. What you have to answer is: would this violate the first law (perpetual motion machine of the first kind), or not? AND support your reason why you are correct! BUT don’t miss the video of their crazy-ass undertaking to do just that!
During Class
- Two presentations!
After Class