Containing the Heat in Austin!
The first case study I looked at took place in Austin, Texas and was dealing with the idea of solar power and its uses. In this particular situation they were using solar power to heat water in order to reduce energy use. They installed solar power water heating systems in three different locations around Austin, Texas and studied how they performed compared to the old system using the typical route of fossil fuels for power. The study was fairly successful and saved all three locations hundreds of dollars each year from using solar power instead of paying for it as usual. This is directly related to the module because it is pushing for more sustainable development. The use of fossil fuels as an energy source will not be sustainable forever, while on the other hand getting it from a source such as the sun will be sustainable for many generations to come. I think this is just the first step in the right direction and studies like this will prove that it is a valid option that more people should consider over fossil fuels.
http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/ener-tx.html
Catching the Rain in Buckinghamshire!
The second case study I looked at deals with collecting rainwater. In Buckinghamshire, UK at Fulmer Infant School they are trying to become a more eco friendly school. To try and take a step in the right direction they installed a $3,000 rainwater collection system on the side of their school. The purpose of this system is to collect rainwater naturally and use it to flush toilets, wash clothes, and water the garden. The system collects water from the roof of the building and then automatically filters it to remove any sort of debris that may have been collected as well. According to the study it rains heavily and often in Buckinghamshire which was why they thought it was a great place to try this new system. Once again this relates back to module five because of its sustainability. Collecting water from the ground or lakes and filtering it and pumping it places is a long process and wastes water. If the water is collected directly after rainfall it is much safer, faster, cheaper, and easier. This creates a much more easily sustainable system. This is a great way to collect and save water by doing it naturally when it rains. According to the school it has saved them lots of money on water bills and they are looking for more ways to become a more eco friendly place.
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/show_case_study.php/00266.html
Both of these case studies happened in very different locations for very specific reasons. The first study, taking place in Austin, Texas, was done so because it is very hot and the sun is out almost all year long their. This makes solar power very efficient as it is constantly soaking up energy from the sun to be used for our needs. This might not work as well in a place like State College because we experience all four seasons distinctly here and lots of times throughout the year we don’t have lots of sunlight. Overall it just isn’t as hot here as it is in Austin. The second case study as well was done specifically in Buckinghamshire because of how much it rains there. This system make work better here than the solar power system due to the decent amount of rainfall that we receive here in State College.
Hey Kevin, I liked how both of your modules dealt with ways to make our society more sustainable. One of the companies that I interned with designed rainwater collection systems for fire departments so that they could wash their trucks with recycled water. It was very interesting, and saved huge amounts of water. I think that if you combined the two ideas that you mentioned, you could have a very efficient and sustainable way to heat and collect water for your home. It would reduce the amount of water that we use dramatically, and would definitely be a very forward-thinking way to solve two of our biggest problems in the future. Good job, I liked the case studies that you examined!
Hi my name is Jake Hughes! I saw that you also talked about one of the depleting resources, fossil fuels. I am also familiar with the area in UK you chose to talk about. I found that really interesting. I talked about wolves in the Northern Rockies and water depletion in New Zealand! It was a little harder for me to tie them to my hometown but in the end, they were both really interesting topics to research and let others in our class read!
For the first case study, although different method of sustainable energy, had the same idea. My case study focused on using wood as a sustainable energy source that was a complete success. The second one seemed very interesting by saving rainwater for its purposes. Similar, both method didn’t work for my hometown either.
Here is my link: http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/02/26/david-youn-post-5/