Month: March 2019

5:30 pm Thursday, April 4 in Founders Hall 118

Humboldt State University has set ambitious climate action goals, including a target to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990 levels by 2040. This panel will highlight the challenges and opportunities at HSU for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The discussion will include an overview of energy use patterns on campus, current approaches for reducing energy use and emissions, and possible future strategies to make progress toward the campus’ climate action goals. The panel will be moderated by Schatz Center Director Arne Jacobson.

• Andrea Alstone is an Energy Planner and Analyst in Facilities Management at HSU, where she is responsible for tracking campus energy use and planning for its future. Her prior work on energy issues includes projects at the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and the Schatz Center.
• Morgan King is a Climate Action Analyst in Facilities Management at HSU, where he facilitates climate action and resiliency planning, advises students, and furthers the infusion of sustainability into campus operations and academics. Morgan has over 20 years of experience working in sustainability, environmental education and green workforce development.
• Gwelen Paliaga is the Technical Director within TRC’s Research and Technology Commercialization practice. He has 15 years of experience in commercial building energy efficiency and building science research, with expertise in design and operation of high performance buildings, research and emerging technology, and codes and standards development.
• Oona Smith is a Senior Planner for the Humboldt County Association of Governments — a Regional Transportation Planning Agency — where she promotes public transit, walking, and bicycling. She earned a Master’s degree in International Development Technology from HSU.

The Sustainable Futures Speaker Series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State.

Spring 2019 lectures will be held on Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:00 pm in Founders Hall 118.

• For additional details on upcoming events or to request accessibility accommodations, email serc@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-4345.
• Sign up for the latest Schatz Center info, including speaker events, on our news page.

5:30 pm Thursday, March 28 in Founders Hall 118

Environmental planner Aldaron Laird specializes in sea level rise vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning, specifically in the Humboldt Bay region. In this lecture, he will highlight the significant changes we might see on Humboldt Bay with just 2.0 meters of sea level rise – which could occur between 2070 and 2100, based on new probabilistic projections. Laird will discuss the associated challenges for land and water use, transportation and utilities infrastructure, and cultural and environmental resources.

Aldaron Laird helped create the first baseline vulnerability assessment of the Humboldt Bay shoreline, and was the lead planner for the Humboldt Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Project. Recently, he authored a portion of the 4th California Climate Change Assessment that described sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation opportunities on the North Coast. Laird serves as co-chair of the Sea Level Rise Initiative at HSU.

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The Sustainable Futures Speaker Series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State.

Spring 2019 lectures will be held on Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:00 pm in Founders Hall 118.

• For additional details on upcoming events or to request accessibility accommodations, email serc@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-4345.
• Sign up for the latest Schatz Center info, including speaker events, on our news page.

Today, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Understanding for the Redwood Coast Airport Renewable Energy Microgrid. Key partners for this project include the County of Humboldt, which will house the airport microgrid, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), which will own and operate the microgrid, and the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State, which is the prime contractor and responsible for the project design and technology integration.

The Redwood Coast Airport Renewable Energy Microgrid will power the Humboldt Bay region with clean, locally generated energy. Annually, its two solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays will provide enough electricity to power 430 households, and prevent the emission of ~880 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

On a typical day, some of the energy generated from the PV arrays will be stored onsite, some will be fed directly to the airport and offset electricity costs, and some will be sold on California’s wholesale energy market. The energy sold on the wholesale market will be timed to best support renewable energy on the grid. By storing power in the batteries, the microgrid will be able to provide clean energy when demand is highest and the sun has set.

During a power outage, the microgrid’s solar + battery storage system will maintain electricity indefinitely for the airport and adjacent Coast Guard Air Station. This will permit flights and rescue operations to continue across the county, even when the highways are closed.

This project is being funded by a $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission’s EPIC program, with $6 million in match funding from RCEA. This system will be the first multi-customer, front-of-the-meter microgrid in Pacific Gas & Electric’s area of service, and is expected to be fully operational in December of 2020.

The Redwood Coast Airport’s renewable energy microgrid is one of four resiliency projects completed or currently underway at the Schatz Energy Research Center. The Schatz Center’s first microgrid at the Blue Lake Rancheria was awarded the DistribuTECH 2018 Project of the Year Award for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Grid Integration and is currently a finalist for the Greater Good Award from Microgrid Knowledge.

Learn more about the Center’s microgrid development…