Although this class is the first time I have taken a traditional course focused entirely on alternative energy, I have studied the topic extensively for years. Whether through my other courses - such as Sustainable Development or Environmental Engineering - or through my co-ops and internships - such as at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) or Greentown Labs. Through those experiences, my perception of clean energy evolved in ways I never could have foreseen. Prior to work experience, I had a very general understanding of the various technologies and understood them more by their limitations. I soon felt inspired by their potentials and what has been deemed as the "solar revolution." Since the beginning of my college career, Massachusetts has risen to the top of the nation for energy efficiency and clean energy and I have been fortunate enough to be a witness to it.
At MassCEC, I experienced firsthand how the state plays a role in promoting clean energy technologies and companies and how the benefits were rapidly catching up to the drawbacks. During a short internship at a solar energy startup, it became apparent that a solar boom was taking the nation and that installed capacity in each year was greater than all of the growth in the years combined. In 2014, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that U.S. installed solar had grown by 418 percent since 2010. My job included researching, monitoring the news and writing articles about the U.S. solar industry, further developing my knowledge of utilities and the role of the market in industry. My latest co-op at Greentown Labs, an incubator that holds more than 50 clean energy startups, provided me a glimpse of the future. Through observation of the interaction between engineers and entrepreneurs and large corporations interested in adopting their technology or product, I understood that there is a significant push for companies to invest in cleaner, more innovative technologies. While I had spent the past three years studying and feeling discouraged about the state of the world and global climate change, I began to see a brighter future that I had to be a part of.
In a sense, coming on this dialogue was a way for me to legitimize my past experience, as I understand the value of backing up arguments with numbers, facts and science. In addition to the wonderful opportunity of experiencing Brazil, I wanted to build upon my past knowledge, determine if engineering was a path I should pursue, and develop methods for making the topic of issue less abstract and more tangible for the everyday person. I believe this course is helping me meet all three of those goals, especially when it comes to Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air (which was actually recommended to me by an entrepreneur at Greentown Labs). The book uses metaphors and figures to enable a larger audience to grasp an understanding of the various complicated topics. However, at times I felt as if I am learning more about the United Kingdom, than the U.S.. Furthermore, the author often paints a somewhat bleak future through raising difficult questions, such as when he calculates a deficiency of 127 kWh/day/person between renewables and the average current consumption for a British citizen. He does, however, promise to pursue alternative solutions beyond renewables to sustain the UK's current lifestyle.
For obvious reasons, I feel the alternative energy excursions have immensely broadened my knowledge of various forms of alternative energy, such as at the ethanol or hydropower plants. However, it's clear that the course complimented these trips. For example, I knew about the loss of efficiency during energy conversions, but I had no idea about the "most efficient paths." In class, we covered the loss of energy during the conversion of mechanical to electrical energy. At the hydropower plant, the tour guide specifically described this and worked through the mechanics of the entire system, allowing the teachings to better stick in my mind. This type of learning is truly unique and certainly valuable for a student who will continue to pursue the energy field. In conclusion, I assume its safe to say that this course provides me with more intimate details about energy cleantech, thus broadening my knowledge from a physics or engineering perspective. I look forward to the remaining activities and classes.
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