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OCC Program Considers Energy for Today…And Tomorrow

OCC Professor Debra Rowe teaches courses in alternate energy…and practices what she preaches. At home, Dr. Rowe uses passive solar heating to warm her home, as walls of south-facing windows let in heat and light, and insulated drapes retain that heat inside at night. At school, this ardent advocate for a healthy environment helps others learn about all types of renewable energies and how to incorporate them into their own homes, or into the homes and offices they build or manage for others in a costeffective manner. Fossil Fuels: Non-renewable and Harmful Dr. Rowe explains that for more than a century, most of our energy has come from burning fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas. But those fuels won’t last forever, especially the way Americans consume and waste them. “The United States uses four times as much energy per person as France, and more than twice as much as England, Germany and Japan,” Dr. Rowe explains. “And much of that non-renewable energy is just wasted by actions such as leaving building lights and exhaust fans on when buildings are empty, or using furnaces and boilers with inefficient combustion.” The fossil fuels we depend on also contribute to global warming as they pollute the atmosphere with the gases they emit when burning (see http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf for more information). For example, to provide a year’s worth of electricity for one home, up to 6,000 pounds of coal needs to go up in flames. That process releases 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), 60 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 40 pounds of nitrogen oxides - all of which cause acid rain – into the atmosphere. So what can we do about this? That’s just one of the things Dr. Rowe has been teaching her OCC students for nearly 24 years. Renewable energy sources: a better idea OCC’s alternate energies classes focus on harnessing energy from renewable sources – sun, wind, water, underground (geothermal) heat and growing plants – in order to have a sustainable environment that will meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Energy management, energy efficiency and energy conservation are all covered

Using the right materials can help make a home energy efficient. Photo courtesy of the Photographic Information Exchange. Harnessing the power of the wind provides a renewable energy source. Photo courtesy of the Photographic Information Exchange.

Debra Rowe, PhD, teaches courses in alternate energies at OCC.

Dr. Rowe’s courses are housed within OCC’s Environmental Systems Technology Program. In this program,students can earn certificates in air conditioning, heating and refrigeration. Or they may choose to pursue associate degrees in applied science in heating/ventilation/air conditioning/refrigeration, facilities management, or a special interest option that allows students to customize their degree to fit an area of particular interest, such as alternate energies or “green” building. Other students choose just to enroll in a few courses – like Energy Management, or Solar and Other Renewable Energies - to enhance their existing careers, change careers or satisfy their personal interests. “The average age of students in alternate energies classes is 39,” Dr. Rowe says, “but we see them all the way from age 18 to retirees. There are builders and architects, homeowners and small business owners. They are all people interested in helping the environment by learning about renewable energies, energy efficient design, ‘green’ construction and sustainable development.” OCC’s alternate energies program is one of the oldest – if not the oldest – in the country, Dr. Rowe says. And it’s gained national recognition: “We’ve had students from Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arizona.

Requests to share our curriculum have come from England, Australia and Tanzania,” she says. Most recently, OCC’s curriculum has been used to develop a model degree program in energy technology for community colleges throughout the nation.

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The fossil fuels we depend on also contribute to global warming as they pollute the atmosphere with the gases they emit when burning. Alternate Energies and “Green” Building: Growing Fields “The fields of alternate energies and environmentally friendly ‘green’ building are exploding,” Dr. Rowe says. “Our students have found employment in many areas: as energy managers for universities and corporations; environmental health officers; commercial assessors; property managers; energy specialists; energy management system programmers; solar and wind energy designers or installers; home designers; and builders and contractors.” Patty Clair falls into the last category. The Ortonville resident and owner of Sunflower Construction completed her degree in alternate energies at OCC in 1998, and today is a “green builder.” She’s involved in constructing modular homes and in rehabbing older homes in Oakland County and in Detroit to make them “energy efficient and healthy.” And she’s especially interested in working with older adults and individuals with limited incomes. “Green” building techniques are becoming more and more the standard, Clair says. They include such practices as recycling what you can from a home being renovated; and not using paints, chemicals, adhesives and materials that are toxic, since homes are more tightly constructed nowadays and don’t allow those toxins to escape through nooks and crannies. She advocates using wool carpeting rather than synthetics, and avoiding certain types of laminate floors that emit gases. Clair says that many physicians and allergists will refer patients to “green” builders who can help solve in-home problems such as eliminating mold that may have moisture and venting problems as sources. She’s happy to answer questions people may have about “green” building and can be reached at pattyclair@yahoo.com or 248-895-9513.

Solar panels collect the sun’s rays and turn them into energy and heat for businesses, factories and homes. Photo courtesy of the Photographic Information Exchange. A solar panel Dr. Rowe installed outside the main entrance to OCC’s Royal Oak Campus powers the sound system that plays music at the entrance.

OCC grad and “green” builder, Patti Clair, builds modular homes and rehabs older homes to be healthy and energy efficient.

OCC: Educating the Community on Renewable Energies In addition to teaching, Dr. Rowe also reaches out into the community. Two years ago, using grant funding from the Energy Office of the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services, she developed a free program on renewable energies. The program even included portable solar collectors that pack into suitcases for easy transportation and display. Another solar collector, funded through the same grant, stands at the entrance to OCC’s Royal Oak Campus and powers the sound system for music heard at the entrance, as well as other educational displays on campus. In October 2002, Dr. Rowe spearheaded the Midwest Green Building Conference and Expo at OCC’s Auburn Hills Campus. The event, attended by more than 200 individuals, was cosponsored by the Small Business Association of Michigan, the Michigan Association of Home Builders, the Michigan Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the State of Michigan ENERGY STAR Program, The Green Building Alliance and many other organizations involved in “green” design, construction and operation. “There is such tremendous interest in this area and a tremendous demand for people who have knowledge about alternate energies, environmentally friendly building materials and sustainability – ensuring that there are sustainable ecosystems as well as materials for future generations to use to build and to meet their energy needs. It’s really gone mainstream,” Dr. Rowe says.

Dr. Rowe edited a book authored by John Richter and funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, administered by the Michigan Energy Office. The book, titled Michigan Renewable Energy and Efficiency Success Stories, shares ideas about such renewable energy ideas for the home as using passive solar design, incorporating solar heating, and producing electricity using the sun and wind. It also gives practical tips on being energy efficient - like using fluorescent rather than incandescent light bulbs, wrapping hot water heaters in insulating blankets, and buying appliances with the Energy Star label awarded by the U. S. Department of Energy.