Story of German renewable energy on display through May 7

Academic West at Western Washington University will be a hub for learning about the progress Germany has made with renewable energy beginning on April 20, 2015.

“RENEWABLES: Made in Germany” is a 26-poster display detailing the innovative renewable energy practices Germany has used over the past decade. The Western Washington University Institute for Energy Studies will be hosting the display beginning on April 20, 2015. The posters are located in the skybridge and the lobby of Academic West.  An opening reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. April 24.

The full-color posters are on loan from the Consulate General of Germany. Information on solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, bioenergy and renewable energy in buildings and remote areas will be on the displays.

“The display shows the wide range of different renewable energy technologies and applications,” Joel Swisher, director of the Institute for Energy Studies, said in an email. “It shows some of the important connections between renewable energy and buildings, transportation and rural development.”

In the last decade, Germany has been the global leader in the development of renewable energies, such as solar power and making the shift from fossil fuel and nuclear power toward renewable sources, Swisher said. Today, Germany produces more solar power than any country, is third in the world in wind power and produces about a quarter of its electricity from renewable sources, while the United States produces about 14 percent. These advancements are occurring in large part due to Germany’s massive investment in solar power coupled with government policy measures. These are driving down the price of solar equipment worldwide and making them more affordable for other countries, Swisher said.

Faculty from the Institute for Energy Studies will be at the opening reception to discuss modern renewable energy technologies, and explain the new courses and degrees in energy that will be coming to Western next fall. The Institute now offers a Bachelors in Arts in Energy Policy and Management, minors in Energy Science and Energy Policy, and an energy concentration in electrical engineering.

Swisher hopes that this display will be a learning experience on multiple levels:

“First, that renewable energy and energy efficiency are already an important part of our existing energy system. Second, that there is vast potential to do much more with renewable energy, and Germany is showing us the way in some areas. Third, that there is a wide range of different types of opportunities to advance the progress of renewable energy as a way to reconcile the world’s needs for economic development with environmental sustainability.”

“RENEWABLES: Made in Germany” is free and open to the public. The posters will be on display until May 7, 2015.