Welcome to the Future

Energy is the ability to do work? We’ll cover Heat (thermal), light (radiant) motion (kinetic) energy with a focus on electrical and chemical energy. We’ll make sure you know the difference between stored (potential) energy and working (kinetic) energy. If energy can neither be created nor destroyed what DO we do with energy?!

Now that we understand the different types of energy its time to understand what electricity is, how it is measured and how we convert electricity. If volts x amps equals watts does that mean watts divided by volts equals amps? Single phase, three phase, low voltage high voltage we cover it all!

How is the grid set up? Transmission lines, substations, power plants and how does this distributed energy factor in? When you flip a switch and light turns on what just happened? And how does it keep happening? We’ll wrap with the future of the electrical grid, micro grids and how renewables, storage and the electrify everything movement is impacting the future of electricity and energy

Its quiz time.

Now that we know the fundamentals of energy how do they apply to how we build and maintain buildings? We use a lot of energy to condition buildings and the most sustainable use of energy is to use less!

Energy Efficiency is the first step to sustainable use of energy. How do we calculate whether adding more insulation, air sealing or changing out mechanical systems is the best use of resources compared to using the ones we’ve already got? How does the deployment of smart homes and business play into energy efficiency?

Lets make sure everything makes sense and if you have questions nows the time to review!

We’re ready to tackle the technology that will save the planet. Renewable energy. How does a solar panel work? What about wind turbines? Can a shining sun or windy day create enough electricity to power the modern world? We’ll also take on some myths and misinformation and show what the world powered by renewables looks like!

Storage is coming online across the globe and its allowing us to do a number of things including create virtual power plants with distributed generation, manage spikes in demand for electricity evening out the performance of the grid and reducing how much infrastructure we have to build out to power our modern world.

Now we’re getting into the weeds. If this technology is sooooo great why is it taking so long to deploy? In the grand scheme of things we’re deploying renewables faster than any other technology before it. Its upsetting the business case of utilities and the infrastructure thats been built out over the last 130 years. Sales and incentives, financial modeling, interconnection and permitting are how we actually deploy renewable energy

Finally we cover how these systems get installed, whats a homerun in solar? How do all the wind turbines connect together to the grid? How do they get those poles up installed out in the ocean? Finally once these technologies are installed what is needed for long term care, operations and maintenance?

Final lessons - lets make sure it all stuck!

Depending on where you live the policies of how we’ll deploy renewable energy and make this transition vary greatly. We’re going to teach you how to review your local authorities having jurisdiction and how they treat renewable energy and what you need to be able to work in the field. What’s on the dockets and what do state leaders have planned for future deployment. Technology and policy collide!