New facility could put Eastern Washington University at the center of alternative energy education
By JOHN McCALLUM
Editor
Rodger Hauge is convinced there's a revolution going on – it's just the average Joe doesn't realize it yet.
The revolution is the growing use of renewable, alternative energy resources. Hauge wants to make Cheney ground zero for its promotion in the Inland Empire by creating the Eastern Washington University Center for Alternative Energy Education on 1.5 acres of land donated by the university west of Roos Field.
The center will feature the latest in new energy resources including three solar installations, accessible data kiosks, a small building equipped with the most current sustainable energy features, sustainable landscaping, a wind turbine, mini-solar race track and solar boat troughs along with an activity pad for students and picnic area for family and groups.
Hauge, a senior lecturer in EWU's Department of Education, said the center would fill a number of functions. It will be a place for university education students to learn how to instruct K-12 students about alternate energy while providing a research laboratory for electrical and mechanical engineering students.
It will also be a location for field trips from area schools, and a clearinghouse for new ideas for area professionals interested in utilizing alternative energy resources in their businesses.
“It's a wild project,” Hauge said. “It's big. I think it will do good things for all of us.”
The project started when Hauge and EWU Engineering Department associate professor Jeffrey Donnerberg took their results in improving K-12 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) science test scores to a National Science Teachers Association conference in Portland, Ore. At the conference they learned of an organization called KidWind.org that specializes in classroom science project kits, some teaching renewable energy.
Hauge and Donnerberg procured kits and took them to schools in towns like Inchelium, Tekoa and Deer Park. Their success led to a math/science partnership with Washington State University and Educational Service District 101.
They also put on a physical science instruction unit for K-12 teachers at Eastern, and eventually realized at the end of the 2010 academic year they needed something more permanent. Through a colleague at EWU Hauge heard about a grant with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation's Solar 4R Schools program and set up a meeting with them while on a family trip to Portland.
“I knew after a couple of hours that we had a going concern,” he said.
The BEF's mission is to increase the supply and use of new renewable energy through a number of initiatives, including the Solar 4R Schools. According to program manager Craig Collins, it receives funding from the Bonneville Power Administration to help communities and utilities with renewable energy education.
“We try to provide an avenue to that goal,” he said.
Solar 4R Schools have educational and data collection facilities set up throughout the country, 85 percent of which are in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The data is shared online with the program providing hands-on educational experience for students and teachers.
Collins said they were intrigued by Hauge's center proposal, seeing an opportunity to increase and enhance the alternative energy educational experience. The BEF will provide some funding for one of the first demonstration systems and be a resource for the center's design.
“This project for us is a pretty ambitious one because we're going to be working with the university in its designing of the center,” Collins said.
The center has also received the blessings of EWU President Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo, and has begun moving from concept to actuality.
Lots of material is needed. Hauge estimates it will cost about $500,000 for the facilities without the solar installations, which will hopefully come through in-kind contributions, and another $250,000 for the first three years of educational programming.
“This isn't your normal process,” Hauge said, adding they usually train teachers for a fraction of the cost. “The first three years we'll be ramping the whole thing up to get it into a sustainable form.”
The EWU Foundation is handling most of the financing work. Foundation College Advancement Director Allison Leep said they haven't left a stone unturned in seeking funding, pursuing grants and in-kind donations from local energy companies while talking with private individuals about monetary contributions.
“We're looking at all of our options when it comes to getting this site going,” Leep said.
While still in the early stages of funding, things are going well, she added.
“It's a trendy next wave people are eager to be a part of,” Leep said. “We've seen lots of interest.”
Hauge said they hope to have trenching work for utilities to the site done this summer, along with installation of the solar tracker and solar panels. Once built the center would not initially be staffed, but eventually could have personnel to conduct spring and fall classes.
Hauge does have some apprehensions.
“This is still very much dependent on funding,” he said. “We don't have it yet. That's what bothers me is this whole business of setting things up and then not having it happen.”
The uncertain fiscal situation doesn't dampen his enthusiasm however. With many people working on it, the center stands a good chance of opening.
“This is going to be cool,” he said. “I think it will happen.”
If so Hauge thinks it could be a benefit to Eastern, Cheney and the region, providing alternative energy education training to tomorrow's students and engineers while providing resources for companies interested in alternative energy. It could also serve as a possible selling point for relocating to the area for these types of businesses.
Hauge insists there's a need to seriously begin looking hard at renewable energy sources. Like all revolutions it scares people, he said, but it shouldn't. Alternative energy sources are already being used in non-traditional areas, such as farmers using solar power to run circle irrigation systems.
“We're seeing it happen,” Hauge said. “You're seeing people using solar applications where you've never seen it used before.”
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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