Autumn 2015

CAPSTONE SUMMARY

The Big Picture Renewable energy systems at universities reduce carbon emissions and utility costs, and should be considered more often. As universities adopt renewable energy policies in order to meet their sustainabili-ty goals, they will contribute to a shift towards a more environmentally friendly way to power their campuses.

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“Renewable Energy at Universities: How Solar Thermal Heating Systems Help Achieve Carbon Emission Reduction Goals and Save on Energy Spending”

Summary:

During my project, I looked for ways the University of Washington could both reduce its carbon footprint and minimize energy costs by implementing renewable energy systems on campus. After hearing about an obso-lete steam heating system that needs to be replaced from UW Facilities Services, I took the opportunity to design a solar thermal system that could provide hot water to keep the Intramural Activities Building’s swimming pool warm throughout the year. Through scholarly research and hands-on planning, I found that implementing such a system would provide the UW with benefits to their budget and the environment.

Why I did it:

Burning fossil fuels to generate energy is a primary contrib-uting factor of anthropogenic climate change, and univer-sities use an immense amount of energy to operate their campuses. Because a large portion of university carbon emissions comes from producing steam to heat buildings and water, finding a renewable energy source to do so is a perfect opportunity to accomplish UW’s “Climate Action Plan” goals for sustainability. Instead of burning natural gas, we have the technology to harness the sun’s radiation for the same purposes. My design for a solar thermal hot water system can be a project template for other students who feel inspired to improve the university’s energy portfolio. Case studies, like mine at the UW Intramural Activities Building, are vital to understanding how renew-able energy can reverse a university’s impact on our changing climate.

How I did it:

Beginning with a scholarly literature review to find renew-able forms of energy that were viable in a climate like Seattle’s, I followed the research of published authors...(continues on next page)

DETAILS

STUDENT

Garrett Brooks

SITE

UW Sustainability

FACULTY ADVISOR

Karen LitfinDepartment of Political

Science University of Washington

SITE SUPERVISOR

Marilyn OstergrenUW Sustainability Office

INTERNSHIP QUARTER

Spring-Autumn 2015

Patrick Blanc

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who believed that solar thermal technology could be extremely useful for institutions using large quantities of hot water. After designing a solar thermal hot water system for UW’s Intramural Activities Building (IMA) at my intern-ship, I was able to delve further into scholarly research that discussed other successful renewable energy projects at universities. In order to best understand how the Universi-ty of Washington can contribute to a reduction of green-house gases, I searched through articles that discussed how to best implement renewable energy education, and how to overcome roadblocks to integrating renewables at the university scale. I then used my internship as a case study, guiding my research towards possible ways univer-sities could reduce their carbon footprints through renew-able energy systems.

What I discovered:

The solar thermal system I designed for the IMA would reduce the UW’s natural gas consumption enough to lower its carbon dioxide emissions by 220,000 lbs per year. In terms of finances, the system would cost approximately $200,000 and reduce required natural gas purchasing by $18,000 a year, meaning the system would take nearly eleven years to pay back. In addition, utilizing renewable energy on campus would improve UW’s reputation as a sustainable university doing its part to combat climate change. My broader findings from scholarly research show that because universities like UW influence large spheres of people, their energy decisions have a substantial effect on the opinions and habits of their communities. In addition, I found that universities are key in the research and funding required to propagate renewable energy innovation to the point of viability in other applications like the residential sector.

What I learned:

-To estimate energy project budgets-To design solar thermal hot water systems-To assess infrastructure improvement possibilities-To communicate effectively across different professional fields-To manage projects with multiple stakeholders-To present findings to groups of professionals and spur discussion