Nevada System of Higher Education 2012 Renewable Energy Report
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Nevada System of Higher Education 2012 Renewable Energy Report (BOARD OF REGENTS' AGENDA 11/29/12 & 11/30/12) Ref. BOR-8b, Page 1 of 92 UNLV (BOARD OF REGENTS' AGENDA 11/29/12 & 11/30/12) Ref. BOR-8b, Page 2 of 92 2012 Renewable Energy Report UNLV: A Leader in Renewable Energy Introduction The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is dedicated to advancing renewable energy in the community, state, region, and beyond. UNLV’s outstanding achievements in renewable energy research, its success in establishing public/private partnerships, and its outstanding academic programs place the university as a leader among the state’s public entities in this field. UNLV has acquired more than $101 million in funding in the past dozen years for research on wide-ranging subjects in the renewable energy area, including solar and geothermal power; biofuels; photonics; nuclear energy, including recycling of nuclear waste; and hydrogen production, storage, and use.* This year, UNLV is among 20 teams selected worldwide to participate in the 2013 Solar Decathlon, an international competition initiated by the U.S. Department of Energy with the goal of educating the public about energy-saving opportunities. Collegiate teams from across the U.S. and around the world design, build, and operate sustainable solar-powered houses. This competition serves as an avenue for academic institutions and their respective teams to showcase their expertise and promote sustainability and the environment. Additionally, UNLV has formed partnerships with a variety of businesses and other public entities with the goal of accelerating the deployment of renewable technologies, diversifying the regional economy, generating jobs, analyzing policy, and coordinating financial and intellectual resources. UNLV has co-hosted the National Clean Energy Summit for the past five years and served as a host site for other important international meetings on its campus. The university’s academic programs are geared toward educating *See the attached 2012 UNLV Renewable Energy Research Inventory for additional details. (BOARD OF REGENTS' AGENDA 11/29/12 & 11/30/12) Ref. BOR-8b, Page 3 of 92 the next generation of leaders in the renewable energy field on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The campus itself exhibits tremendous dedication to the support and use of renewable energy and sustainable practices. UNLV earned a 2011 Silver Rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Ratings System (STARS). STARS is a voluntary, self-reporting framework developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to help measure sustainability performance over time and among colleges and universities nationwide. The UNLV Sustainability Council oversaw STARS, which by measuring sustainability can help UNLV to reduce energy consumption and waste, improve education, attract research, and generate jobs. Academic Programs UNLV introduced a Solar and Renewable Energy Minor in 2009. Hosted by the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, the highly successful program has 105 students currently enrolled. This interdisciplinary minor provides students from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to explore this field. The minor degree program is available to all undergraduate students at UNLV through two tracks – one in engineering and science, and another in policy. In addition, various co-curricular activities are provided to further prepare students for careers in the solar and renewable energy fields. See http://sepa.unlv.edu/programs/solarMinor.html for more information. UNLV has developed the minor program through an industry-education partnership with NV Energy, which has provided a $1 million donation over four years to help establish this program. The goal of the program is to position Nevada and UNLV as leaders in the field of alternative energy through the support of excellent educational programs that advance understanding of the field, build the state’s workforce, and stimulate the state and local economy. The School of Environmental and Public Affairs offers a Graduate Certificate in Solar and Renewable (SRE) Energy. The SRE Certificate is designed for individuals who already hold either a baccalaureate degree or a graduate degree. More specifically, the SRE Certificate provides a specialized qualification for career professionals in the energy industry; professionals from other fields; individuals with bachelor’s degrees who are seeking entry into the renewable energy field; and currently enrolled graduate students seeking an additional specialization. This SRE Certificate is designed to: • Provide an interdisciplinary approach to SRE grounded in the three critical pillars of policy and governance, technology and physical science, and the built environment. • Develop within students the intellectual and problem-solving foundation for a successful professional career in the SRE field. • Improve the overall effectiveness of the solar and renewable energy sector in Nevada and the Western U.S. (BOARD OF REGENTS' AGENDA 11/29/12 & 11/30/12) Ref. BOR-8b, Page 4 of 92 Student success in the renewable energy fields is evident in several schools and colleges at UNLV. In the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, department of mechanical and aerospace engineering students at all levels programs are working at the Center for Energy Research. Numerous master’s and doctoral students are working on funded research projects, and many undergraduates have done senior design projects in alternative energy. In the department of civil and environmental engineering, two graduate students have completed funded research on improvements in solar distillation to produce potable water. In the School of Architecture, faculty members teach and conduct renewable energy research in a variety of areas from renewable energy application to building and landscape design. Course List UNLV provides a wide variety of courses in solar and renewable energy or related fields and many others that contain significant content on the subject; all are listed below. Many of these courses are part of the curriculum of the Solar and Renewable Energy Minor program and/or the Graduate Certificate in Solar and Renewable Energy. College of Business BLW 331 - Real Estate Law I BLW 435 - Construction Law ECO 707 - Environmental & Natural Resource Economics College of Fine Arts AAE/AAL 330 - Design with Climate AAE 435/635 - Developing Sustainable Design / Sustainable Design Principles ABS 331/531 – Environmental Control Systems I ABS 332/532 - Environmental Control Systems II ABS 443/643- Interior Lighting Design ABS 632 – Solar Energy Applications in Architecture ABS 644 – Lighting Design and Technology College of Liberal Arts EPS 743- Policy Formation: The Problem of Legitimacy HIST 441/641 - American Environmental History HIST 443/643 - Comparative Environmental History PSC 320 - Policy Analysis PSC 321 - Analyzing Policy Issues PSC 403A - Natural Resource Policy PSC 403B - Energy Politics and Policy PSC 405Q - Global Ecopolitics PSC 721 or EPS 747 - Public Policy Process PSC 722 - Environmental Resource Policy NRES 411 - Environmental Law SOC 407/607 - Environment and Society (BOARD OF REGENTS' AGENDA 11/29/12 & 11/30/12) Ref. BOR-8b, Page 5 of 92 Greenspun College of Urban Affairs ENV 101 - Introduction to Environmental Science ENV 206 - Introduction to Climate Change ENV 350 - Sustainable Urban Planning and Design ENV 360 - Environmental Assessment Methods ENV 407 /SOC 407 - Environment and Society ENV 411/611 - Environmental Risk Management ENV 420 - Environmental Impact Analysis ENV 460/660 - Environmental Modeling ENV 480/680 - GIS for Environmental Management ENV 470 - Energy Economics ENV 703 - Environmental Law and Policy ENV 711 - Risk Assessment and Risk Management ENV 720 - Natural Resource Valuation PAF 702 - Role of Government in Society PUA 725 - Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation PUA 756 - Policy Implementation William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration HMD 395- Facilities Management MHD 626 - Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering CEE 250 - Sustainability in Civil and Environmental Engineering CEE 413 - Water Resources Engineering CEM 480680 - Sustainable Construction CEM 755 - Renewable Energy Capital Facility Projects EE 290 - Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering EE 320/L - Engineering Electronics EE 340/L - Introduction to Electrical Power Engineering EE 450/ECG 650 and 450L/ECG 650L - Solid State Devices and Solid State Characterization Laboratory EE 451/ECG 651 - Electronic and Magnetic Materials and Devices EE 452/ ECG 652 - Introduction to Optical Electronics EE 453/ ECG 653 - Introduction to Nanotechnology EE 495/ ECG 695 - Photovoltaic Devices and Systems EE 442/ECG 642 - Power Electronics ECG 740 - Computer Analysis Methods for Power Systems ECG 741 - Electric Power Distribution System Engineering ECG 742 - Power System Stability and Control ECG 757 - Electron Transport Phenomena in Solid State Devices EGG 450/650 - I Solar and Renewable Energy Utilization ME 311 - Engineering Thermodynamics ME 314 - Introduction to Heat Transfer ME 315 - Thermal Energineering Laboratory ME 412/ - Sizing Solar Energy Systems ME 415/615 - Design of Thermal Systems (BOARD OF REGENTS' AGENDA 11/29/12 & 11/30/12) Ref. BOR-8b, Page 6 of 92 ME 417/617 - Fuel Cell Fundamentals ME 418/618 - Air Conditioning Engineering Systems ME 419/619 - Advanced HV AC and Energy Conservation Systems ME 705 - Conduction Heat Transfer ME 707 - Radiation