MARIN ACADEMY RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE​
STUDENT BLOGS
INVESTIGATION INTO ENERGY USAGE AT MARIN ACADEMY CAMPUS
Energy Audit and Strategic Plan to Achieve "Net Zero"
CRUNCH TIME!
APRIL 22, 2019
It's the last week of class for seniors! That means this week will be spent trying to make as much progress as possible in analyzing my data. I have run into a few roadblocks in doing so, so it's not as streamlined and quick as it could be, but I will get it done as soon as possible. My next step is to draft my final product and fill in the blanks with research and data that I have collected.
GETTING ORGANIZED
MARCH 23, 2019
This week I finished consolidating all of the miscellaneous spreadsheets into ones with data from each month. I have started calculating the total usage per month from each data sheet. After I finish those, I am going to move onto calculating the monthly total for each meter individually. This will be helpful because, with a map of the different meters on campus, I can better understand what buildings/areas are consuming the most energy.
SWIMMING IN DATA!
MARCH 15, 2019
No major updates to report this week! I have spent most of my time sorting through data. The 53 spreadsheets of PG&E data contain information from either a month or a few days of data collection, gathered at 15-minute intervals. That translates to an overwhelming amount of data, but I am working through it little by little. My objective is to combine the monthly data and any miscellaneous days into one spreadsheet so that I can take the average electricity usage per month.
MEETING WITH DANA!
MARCH 9, 2019
On Tuesday, March 5th I met with Dana Armanino at the County of Marin. I had a few clarifying questions about my process for analysis; especially after gaining access to a plethora of data. One of the most helpful suggestions she gave was that month-by-month data would be most useful in analyzing energy usage trends at MA (as opposed to 15-minute increments from PG&E). We also talked through the different "green plans" that I will propose in my final product. I am going to try and reach out to contacts who may be able to help me manage the data using pivot tables.
WEEKLY UPDATE
FEBRUARY 17, 2019
I have been out sick this week, but I still managed to make some progress on my project! I was able to request and download all of the PG&E energy use data since 2016. Since there is so much information, the PG&E website split it into 53 separate excel files; my next move is, therefore, to try and combine all of the data into one file that can be sorted, searched, and used to create charts, graphs, and other visuals.
I have been out sick this week, but I still managed to make some progress on my project! I was able to request and download all of the PG&E energy use data since 2016. Since there is so much information, the PG&E website split it into 53 separate excel files; my next move is, therefore, to try and combine all of the data into one file that can be sorted, searched, and used to create charts, graphs, and other visuals.
DATA ANALYSIS ON THE MIND :)
FEBRUARY 10, 2019
I had a call with Kate this week. In preparation for my Data Presentation, we talked about my end goals for the project (and how those might have shifted after my meeting with David Kunhardt). We also went over some options for analysis that would achieve the goals I set. Those include cost-benefit analyses of the different options the school has for becoming more sustainable in their energy consumption. She suggested that I present the data using a comparable unit; meaning, I would need to convert energy usage (natural gas or electric) into total carbon emission to compare.
SUCCESS (MOSTLY) WITH PG&E DATA
FEBRUARY 3, 2019
Last week Mike Joyce was able to combine the two remaining accounts onto one online access for PG&E. I am going to start requesting historical data, but it will all go through Mike’s email so I might want to consider trying to work around that (so I don’t bombard his inbox).
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I have a call with Kate this week, and I will be filling her in on all that I have accomplished this calendar year, as well as discussing what methods of analysis I should use. I hope to get access to one of the sets of bills from PG&E by our call so we can use it as a reference in knowing what data we have. If that is not possible, I have a list of the data fields included in the historical data, so we can reference those.
WEEKLY UPDATE
January 27, 2019
This week has been fairly uneventful. All the contacts that I am working with are pretty busy, as am I, and I have not been able to schedule any meetings this week. I did schedule some for mid-February so I look forward to those calls or in-person meetings.
NEW YEAR, NEW PROJECT GOALS?
January 10, 2019
Some of the contacts Leslie Allen gave me responded. I set up a meeting with one of them, David Kunhardt, over break. We met on December 27th and went through the many questions I came up with while looking at the bills on the 20th. He gave me some ideas for my project; namely, that going MCE Deep Green would solve MA’s electrical energy sustainability. He suggested that I look at ways to decrease our gas usage instead. I am going to look into that as a possible route for “solutions,” but my collecting and analysis of the data will not change as far as I know.
FILES AND SPREADSHEETS AND BILLS, OH MY!
December 21, 2018
I did not end up meeting with Kate Ringness before the break, but I spent a few hours looking at PG&E bills on December 20th.
The bill data will take a lot of time to move into a useable format, but it might be possible to import the info directly into excel. Doing this would be very helpful because I could jump to analyzing the data much quicker. I talked to Mike Joyce that day about combining our PG&E accounts onto one online login, which would make the transferring of data easier as well.
END OF SEMESTER 1 SENIOR YEAR
December 11, 2018
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After our meeting, I followed up with Leslie about the possible contacts she offered. She has not connected me with all of them or provided their contact information, so as an immediate action step I need to reach out to all of them.
I am planning to meet with my mentor, Kate, tomorrow to discuss methods in preparation for looking at the bills. I scheduled a block of time to look at them the day after finals are over. I plan to compile those in a way that can be later presented and I hope that my meeting with Kate will help me narrow down what I need to look for and focus on in the abundance of information the bills offer.
MEETING WITH LESLIE ALDEN AND NOV. PROJECT UPDATE
November 30, 2018
My progress in November includes writing drafts of the introduction and methods for my manuscript. The methods are still in development and writing it reminded me that I need some guidance on what I should be looking for in the data. To gain some insight into my process and methods, I reached out to Kate as well as Leslie Alden.
I met with Leslie in person to talk about my project. Leslie works at the County of Marin as a policy aid and district representative. She also founded Drawdown Marin, an organization whose goal is to help Marin switch to using more renewable energy. To learn more visit https://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/sustainability/climate-and-adaptation/drawdown-marin Not only did Leslie give me a window into her organization and plans for the near future, but she also mentioned many people I can reach out to who can provide valuable insight to my project.
OCTOBER PROGRESS REFLECTION: BILLS!
Written November 3, 2018
In October I have gotten access to school’s PG&E bills as well as the solar panel tracking website. Met with Mike Joyce about the bills and identified some of what I need to look for on the individual statements. I also drafted an email to MA’s head of school, Travis Brownley, to set up a meeting and I reached out to Leslie Alden at the County of Marin.
METHODS AND QUESTIONS
September 20, 2018
In trying to determine/pin down the methods for my project, I'd struggled to find scientific papers that outlined specific procedures that people have used to conduct thorough energy audits. I have been trying to find “model institutions” or best practice examples to base the goals of my project on and I have also encountered difficulty in that respect. I plan to Kate to get some advice on the methods and specifics of my project. Some questions that I have for her/things I need to figure out and address are:
-What data should be qualitative and what should be quantitative?
-Should I include a budget and how?
-Should I/how would I look at how changing small parts of a system would impact its overall sustainability and energy usage?
-How should I organize the data from the bills?
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From what I know now, I need to look at the bills and compile that data into a chart or representation of our yearly energy consumption for the past few years. Then I need to project what the school needs to change to achieve my goal of net zero for the school based on how much change occurred after the first round of solar panels. After that could estimate how long that would take and look at the cost of the solar panels and what it would cost to install more (enough to achieve my goals).
I have been learning a lot about managing data in Excel, which is pertinent to my project. I found that I am, in fact, able to download all of the account data from the PG&E website. I am waiting to hear from Mike Joyce regarding combining the last two accounts into the online login we have already created.
My action steps for this week include sending out a lot of emails! I need to reconnect with all the contacts that Leslie Alden gave me, as well as talk to Kate about my progress in the new year.
EXCEL IS A BEAUTIFUL THING
January 20, 2019
STARTING OFF YEAR TWO OF MARC INDEPENDENT RESEARCH!
September 16, 2018
So far this year I have spent most of my time trying to get organized and pin down the timeline for the rest of my project. I have been trying to get in touch with my mentors to get some feedback on my goals and questions regarding my project. My action steps include looking at Marin Academy’s the bills from the past few years and compile that data into a chart or representation of our yearly energy consumption. I then need to project what possible changes can/need to made to achieve my goal based on how much change occurred after the 1st round of solar panels. After that I need to make an estimate of the timeline of how long that would take, both ideally and considering what is realistic. Then I need to look at the cost of the solar panels and what it would cost to install more (enough to achieve my goal of net zero).
GOALS FOR SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM + REFRAMED PROJECT
May 8, 2018
In the time since I last updated this blog, I have solidified my idea that I will be performing an energy audit on the Marin Academy. This goal, hopefully, is something that I will be able to accomplish by the end of the 2017-2018 school year (or science symposium, which is the culminating project for science classes in junior year).
The information that I acquire from the audit I perform will allow me to decide a “plan of action” for making MA’s energy usage more efficient.
PRESENTATION REFLECTION & POST-MINICOURSE CHECK-IN
March 9, 2018
The presentation that we had before minicourse went reasonably well. It was clear in my preparation that I need to do more reading to improve my understanding of the methods of creating a microgrid. That said, the presentation made me feel more confident in the project I chose and the positive impact it may have on my community.
After a week away on minicourse and with only a short time before spring break, I need to get organized and develop a more clear research plan; we have been working on in class (experimental plan). At this point, my course of action is to contact the resources at my school regarding energy consumption data and plan a meeting with them, as well as Stori.
NEW IDEA FOR PROJECT MISSION STATEMENT
February 25, 2018
In my research, I will investigate the fluctuating output of power from solar plants throughout the day due to the position of the sun and weather conditions. I plan to use computational engineering to help me determine and predict what type of storage would best suit the needs of various solar plants in Northern California.
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I have since shifted my project to a more local topic: sustainability and energy usage at Marin Academy. I plan to conduct an energy audit of the MA campus
CALL WITH MIRIAM MAKHYOUN
February 4, 2018
This past Friday, February 2nd, I spoke with Miriam Makhyoun about narrowing down the scope of my project. We discussed shifting my project to being more of a longitudinal study about the productivity of solar energy in Northern California, specifically at Marin Academy. She suggested that I might acquire the data from the solar panels we have at MA and the electricity needs of the school to determine how much solar energy would need to be generated to support the needs of the school. Additionally, the data would be used to find out what type of storage MA would need in order to supply power to the school at times when the sun doesn’t shine or produce enough energy for the school. Essentially, my new goal would be to come up with a way to create a micro-grid at Marin Academy.
NETWORKING!
January 29, 2018
In the past week, I have made significant progress in making connections that will benefit my research progress. I contacted Jenna Famular, who connected me to Miriam Makhyoun, both of whom seem very knowledgeable in the field of solar energy.
Course of action: plan a call with Ms. Famular and Ms. Makhyoun within the next two weeks so that I can narrow down my project and pinpoint some of my experimental methods.
NEW TOPIC!
January 22, 2018
This past week I spoke to my uncle and physics professor, Lee Riedinger about a different possible topic that I could focus on. We discussed researching the variability of solar energy collected. In my research I would focus specifically on solar plants (a few specific ones) in California in order to analyze the energy patterns. Hopefully, I will be able to use computational engineering to help me analyze the patterns and predict what type of storage might be needed in the future, or simply what the storage needs are.
Course of action: I am planning to reach out to Jenna Famular, a community affairs organizer for Marin Clean Energy (MCE) to inquire about researching local solar plants.
PRELIMINARY SEARCH: REEVALUATING
January 11, 2018
At this point in my research, I am reevaluating my topic of focus because my prior subject, molten salt energy storage, may not be feasible to perform in a high school lab.
Course of action: this weekend I am going to have a call with my uncle, Lee Riedinger, who is a physics professor and heads up a graduate research program. I just listened to a podcast interview featuring Joanna Lewis about the development of China’s wind-power sector. I plan to look into this topic more to see if I am interested in creating a project and if it is possible to do so in the time frame I have.
