Author: Schatz Center

Between 1-2 billion people can’t access a reliable power grid. In some communities, the grid is unstable, with power outages that total hundreds to thousands of hours each year. In others, the grid is unaffordable – or there is no grid at all. Many of these communities rely on diesel or gasoline backup generators, which emit greenhouse gases and particulate pollutants inside and in close proximity to homes, businesses, and community markets.

In 2019, scientists at the Schatz Center built a model to assess backup generator use around the globe. In this talk, project leads Peter Alstone and Nicholas Lam share their recent findings about the global impacts of backup generator use on human health, economies, and the environment. The findings shed light on the opportunity for small, solar-based systems to increase energy access in underserved communities by replacing dirty backup generators.

Nicholas Lam is a research scientist at the Schatz Center. Nick’s work focuses on the welfare impacts of clean energy transitions in low and middle income countries. Peter Alstone is a faculty scientist at the Schatz Center, and an assistant professor of environmental resources engineering at Humboldt State. Peter’s research areas include distributed energy systems and energy access, for both on and off-grid environments.

How to attend

We’re holding this semester’s Sustainable Futures Speaker Series online via webinar — visit our speaker series page for the schedule of upcoming events. Talks will be given from 5:30-7:00 pm on Thursday evenings (Pacific). Each lecture will be streamed via Zoom with closed captioning, and will be followed by a Q&A discussion period. All events are free and open to the public.

• REGISTER for this talk

About the series

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 Energy Research Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State. For Spring 2020, we’re bringing our ongoing series online via Zoom with closed captioning. Please visit schatzcenter.org/speakers for the full lineup. Questions? Email info@schatzcenter.org.

Seabird species may be at risk for collision with, or displacement by, offshore wind turbines. Existing seabird distribution models describe the density and species composition in the California Current, and are used to identify hot spots for seabird activity. However, these models do not describe the three-dimensional distribution of flight behavior above the sea surface. Understanding flight height is key to accurately modeling the risk of direct interactions between seabirds and offshore wind turbines, and is the focus of our latest offshore wind feasibility study.

Seabird flight height is known to vary as a function of species and wind speed — so this study will integrate data-driven existing 2D species distribution models, species-specific seabird flight heights as a function of wind speed, and the latest wind resource data, to make a 3D probability map of seabirds in space. This will allow us to model the risk of different turbine designs and power outputs, for locations offshore California and southern Oregon.

Our two-year project will kick off in the summer of 2020, and is being funded through a $500,000 grant through the California Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC). H. T. Harvey & Associates ecologists will synthesize 2D seabird species distribution data from records on more than 120 ship-based and aerial surveys spanning the period of 1976-2016 and provide flight-height data for all offshore species occurring in the study area, as well as contribute to model development. The Schatz Center will use the seabird model to evaluate the relative risk of seabird impacts and power production potential at sites off California, to optimize the design and location of potential wind farms.

• Learn more about our offshore wind feasibility research for the California north coast.
• If you’d like to receive emails about our offshore wind research and details on related webinars and presentations, please send us an email at windstudies@schatzcenter.org.

How to attend

We are glad to announce that the remainder of this semester’s Sustainable Futures Speaker Series will be going online via webinar… visit our speaker series page for the schedule of upcoming events! Talks will be given from 5:30-7:00 pm on Thursday evenings (Pacific). Each lecture will be streamed via Zoom with closed captioning, and will be followed by a Q&A discussion period. All events are free and open to the public. Questions? Please email info@schatzcenter.org.

April 9: Amanda Baugh

Amanda Baugh is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at California State University, Northridge, who specializes in the study of religion, race, and environmental values among diverse American groups. She is the author of “God and the Green Divide: Religious Environmentalism in Black and White” (University of California Press, 2016).

• REGISTER for this talk

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

Join us in Nairobi on February 18-20, for the annual Global Off-Grid Solar Forum & Expo. Five members of the Schatz Center’s off-grid team will be participating in the conference: Arne Jacobson, Nicholas Lam, Kristen Radecsky, Kim Thorpe, and Kaileigh Vincent-Welling.

On Thursday, February 20, Schatz Center Director Arne Jacobson will join Lauren Boucher, Ari Reeves, and Elisa Lai of CLASP for a session on quality assurance for modern off-grid energy. Building on the foundation laid by Lighting Global Quality Assurance, CLASP and the Schatz Center are expanding the QA program to cover a broader range of off-grid solar products. The program will also achieve a major milestone this year, with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) publishing quality standards for off-grid solar products. The session will explore program changes upcoming in 2020, and invite feedback from participants on QA product data and services.

Later that day, Schatz research scientist Nicholas Lam will join Robin Gravesteijn of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and Joyce Nkuyahaga of the Uganda Solar Energy Association for a panel on digital inclusivity for energy access in Uganda. This session will explore pay-as-you-go strategies for financing electrical access, and whether energy access in turn expands financial inclusivity.

• Learn more about our quality assurance for solar products.

On December 19, the Yurok Tribe celebrated the installation of a new, 28 kW solar photovoltaic system on the Tulley Creek Transportation Building, and announced plans to install a second, 24 kW system on the Tulley Creek Firehouse.

This first system is supported by a Solar Accelerator Fund Grant from GRID Alternatives and Wells Fargo. The second will be supported by a Cornerstone Grant from the Charitable Foundation of the Energy Bar Association.

These two systems are early project goals identified in the Tribe’s newly created Strategic Energy Action Plan, and together are a first step toward fulfilling the Tribe’s Energy Vision:

“To make sure all Tribal members living within the Yurok Ancestral Territory have access to reliable, affordable, modern, cost-effective energy services. In addition, the Tribe seeks an energy program that promotes energy self-sufficiency, environmental sustainability, use of local renewable resources, job creation, and economic opportunity for Tribal members.”

Yurok Tribe Energy Vision

About 40% of families in the Weitchpec and Pecwan districts do not have access to grid electricity, and must rely instead on generators for their electricity supply. The Yurok Strategic Energy Action Plan outlines a strategy for the creation of a tribal energy program to provide residents with clean, affordable energy. This plan was developed by the Yurok Tribe in collaboration with the Schatz Center, and supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Learn more about the Yurok Tribe’s strategic energy efforts…

Fishing communities are facing a variety of challenges including declines in participation, reduced access to fish resources, aging physical infrastructure, gentrification, competition from foreign imports, the “graying” or aging of their fleets, and a host of environmental stressors. These factors can represent threats to the continued viability of individual fishing communities. Such communities are clearly in need of tools that will enable them to plan strategically and to be more proactive in charting a sustainable future. This presentation will describe efforts to engage two California north coast fishing communities — Eureka and Shelter Cove — in a bottom-up planning process called Fishing Community Sustainability Planning. The presentation will describe the planning methods conducted in each port and the outcomes, highlighting how strategic planning can help communities build social and political capital and begin a process of community transformation.

Laurie Richmond is an Associate Professor in Environmental Science & Management at Humboldt State. Her research focuses on the human dimensions of marine and coastal issues. Prior to coming to HSU she worked as a social scientist for NOAA Fisheries in Hawaii. She has been conducting research in collaboration with coastal communities for over a decade and has worked with communities in Alaska, the Western Pacific, and California. She is a newly appointed member of the State of California’s Ocean Protection Council Science Advisory Team.

Sustainable Futures Speaker Series

Our visiting 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.

Fall 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.

California faces a forest management crisis, as severe drought, wildfire, and pest infestation worsen in the face of climate change. ​If managed properly, bioelectricity could help support sustainable forest management while advancing California’s renewable energy and climate goals. However, there are also legitimate concerns surrounding the climate and air quality impacts of these systems as they exist today. New research from the Schatz Center is shedding light on the net environmental impacts of using forest residues for bioenergy — and is supporting policymakers in deciding whether, and under which circumstances, these systems should be promoted.

Dr. Kevin Fingerman is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Management at Humboldt State University. His research employs life cycle assessment, geospatial analysis, and simulation modeling tools to evaluate the broad-based impacts of bioenergy and transportation energy systems. He has also worked extensively on the water/energy nexus and on bioenergy policy. Prior to joining HSU Kevin worked in Rome for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. He holds MS and PhD degrees from UC Berkeley’s Energy & Resources Group.

Jerome Carman is a graduate of the Environmental Systems master’s program at Humboldt State University (HSU), where he focused on energy systems engineering with an emphasis on thermodynamic analysis. Jerome has a diverse background: complimented by a bachelor’s degree in physics, he has published work in both high energy particle physics and atmospheric physics. Over the past seven years his professional career has focused on state and local government planning and policy, specializing in climate action planning, greenhouse gas life cycle assessment, and low carbon transportation.

Sustainable Futures Speaker Series

Our visiting 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.

Fall 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.

On Thursday, November 14, staff from Lighting Global will participate in a webinar on Sustainable Energy for Powering Household and Community Lighting Needs in Humanitarian Settings. This is the third of a four-part series on sustainable energy in humanitarian settings jointly organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, energypedia UG, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

Representatives from Lighting Global and Oxfam will discuss which quality solar products are on the market for household use, and how humanitarian actors can assess which lighting solutions for households and communities are needed. In two case studies, Practical Action and Mercy Corps will share their experiences from a community needs assessment in Rwanda, and from delivering quality solar products in Afghanistan.

The webinar will be held on Thursday, November 14 from 3-4:30 pm CET / 6-7:30 am PST (check your local time), and is free and open to the public.

• Click here to register
  
• Learn more about this webinar series