It’s Not Easy Being Green (New)
Alternate Tuesdays • 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. • Shapiro AB
September 9, 23 • October 7, 21 • November 4, 18 • December 9
Instructor: Rick Hearn
Coordinator: Susan Hanna
Each meeting will focus on the rewards and challenges of a particular green energy project. Some of the topics will be rooftop solar electric systems, electric cars, and grid energy storage.
This is a discussion course, not a lecture series. Participants are encouraged to share their understanding and experiences. We will consider all aspects of each green project including the cost and benefits, the lifetime environmental impact from resource extraction to production to implementation to repair and reuse and finally recycling or disposal. Relevant disciplines include climate science, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, sociology, aesthetics and politics. (Let's be gentle on each other when talking about the political aspects.)
The first discussion will cover rooftop solar electric systems. If you have installed one or just looked into it, please share what you've learned. (By the way, if you are considering installing solar and want to receive the thirty percent federal tax credit, be aware that the project must be installed and operational by December 31, 2025 to be eligible for the credit.)
One part of the discussion might be whether elimination of the tax credit will turn out to be good or bad over the long term for global climate and for the economy. We can also discuss how solar panels work and what the future may bring in improvements to solar panels. Most new solar systems in California will include battery storage. What are the current choices and what will the future bring?
Course Meeting Schedule and Topics
September 9th: Rooftop Solar Electricity and Home Energy Storage
Millions of families have installed solar panels on their homes to save money on electric bills, reduce global warming, and optionally have power backup when the electric grid goes down. Have you considered rooftop solar? What factors have affected your decision?
September 23rd: Electric Cars
Many families have purchased electric cars to save money on fuel and maintenance costs, reduce global warming, and enjoy quiet and performance. Have you considered an EV? What factors have affected your decision?
October 7th: Utility Scale Energy Storage on the Grid
Utilities have installed storage devices like batteries in order to load balance the unpredictable timing of generation from renewable sources (like solar and wind) against the timing of electric demand (which peaks in the early evening). Do you think that utility scale energy storage would make renewables a good solution for meeting future power needs?
October 21st: Utility Scale Solar
Utilities have installed large arrays of solar panels as alternatives to traditional power generation technologies like coal and gas. Why have some succeeded where others have failed?
November 4th: Utility Scale Wind Turbines
Utilities have installed large arrays of wind turbines as alternatives to traditional power generation technologies like coal and gas. How do you feel about the trade-offs of large wind turbine arrays?
November 18th: Heat Pumps for Home Heating and Cooling
Some families have purchased heat pumps to save money or reduce global warming. Have you considered them? What factors have affected your decision?
December 2nd: Nuclear Power Generation
Utilities have decommissioned some older nuclear generators like San Onofre. Would it be a good idea to build new nuclear generators using new technologies like thorium reactors?
