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Final Paper
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An ongoing project of the Engineering for Development program at Mercer University focuses on applied research and education that aims to improve environmental practices at the household level in Macon, Georgia (including water and energy efficiency; re-use and recycling; and use of renewable energy technologies). It is intended to improve the local environment while saving households money over the medium- and long-term, with key aspects incorporated into Mercer University’s environmental engineering curriculum. This paper focuses on sustainable design and implementation of low-cost renewable energy technologies (specifically low-cost solar photovoltaic and geothermal heat pump systems), and use of these technologies in academic teaching. Social Marketing (‘marketing behavior change’) is central to the design and implementation of the project. A low-cost ’Solar Self-Supply’ starter solar photovoltaic kit was designed, constructed, and tested as part of a senior capstone engineering class. This affordable, expandable system encourages local households to take advantage of recent drops in prices in photovoltaic panels, as well as partial federal subsidies for the entire cost of solar household systems. System design, construction, and testing results are discussed, as are project implementation strategies. Also, initial plans to design low-cost household heating and cooling systems using a geothermal heat pump and manually drilled well(s) are discussed.
Author(s):
Michael MacCarthy
School of Engineering
Mercer University
United States
Gabriel Ramirez
School of Engineering
Mercer University
United States
Kyla Semmendinger
School of Engineering
Mercer University
United States
Andrew Kelley
School of Engineering
Mercer University
United States