The OE in Sustainable Energy provides students with a broad-based educational foundation
based on the two pillars of sustainable energy: energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The program is structured as six credits of foundation knowledge and a minimum of
six credits of electives that allow students to specialize in specific areas of sustainable
energy.
This degree program prepares students for entry-level employment and can serve as
a stepping-stone towards further degrees in science and engineering.
Available courses:
Introduction to Sustainable Energy (required class)
Energy and Society (elective class)
Energy Efficient Building Design and Simulation (elective class)
Home Energy Basics
Utility Lecture Series
Solar Installation Training
Introduction to Small Wind Systems
Basics of Heat Pump Systems
Intermediate Algebra, Mathematics for the Trades, or an equivalent (required class)
About us
Join the clean energy revolution in this cutting-edge program that explores sustainability
and energy conservation solutions that positively impact both rural and urban Alaskans.
Energy use, and cost, impacts everything we do, from home life to community health.
Understanding these connections is critical as we transition to clean energy systems.
Whether you like to program computers, install solar panels, design buildings, retrofit
homes, develop projects or make local policy, this program will give you the opportunity
to apply your skills toward improving energy efficiency and developing local renewable
energy systems.
Classes are available both online and face-to-face. We offer classes as dual-credit
(high school and college) opportunities through the . We also partner with , as well as high school teachers statewide, to deliver additional classes related
to home energy and electric utilities.
Rural Alaskans have the highest energy costs in the nation and are the most directly
impacted by climate change. The sustainable energy program is designed for anyone
seeking to reduce energy costs, help mitigate impacts of climate change, and get involved
in the transition to ecologically sustainable communities using energy from local
and renewable resources.
The Bristol Bay Campus conducts sustainable energy research that is beneficial for
the region and creates opportunities for students. Our research areas include building
efficiency, green energy in mariculture, and responding to climate change. Recently,
students participated in research addressing vacuum insulated panels (a novel strategy
for achieving super-insulated buildings with thin walls), electric powered ferries
and measuring fuel use at oyster and kelp farms. The research conducted by the Bristol
Bay campus aims to create new opportunities within our region while decreasing energy
costs.
A mom’s lifetime learning: Taking a college climate class with her son Tracy Lohman, development director of Trustees for Alaska, recently published a blog
sharing her experience in Climate Change in Alaska, a course taught by Eric Goddard
at the Bristol Bay Campus.
Read more about her experience .
Dr. Thomas Marsik was featured in to explain his collaborative work in sustainable energy to help make Alaska homes
healthier through air exchange without compromising the indoor heat to the outside
temperature.
Our previous assistant professor Mark Mastellar shares more about the Occupational
Endorsement in Sustainable Energy.
Chandler Kemp is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Energy. Chandler grew up in
Haines, Alaska with parents Deb and Chris Kemp. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree
in physics Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University and a Master of Science degree
in energy resource engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining the university
faculty, Chandler managed an energy efficiency services business called Kempy Energetics.
Through Kempy Energetics, Kemp worked with homeowners, fishers and natural gas companies
to find cost effective ways to reduce emissions.
Chandler’s experience includes helping homeowners decrease their energy bills, performing
energy audits of residences, commercial buildings, and marine vessels, implementing
energy efficiency measures, and developing computer models of energy systems. Chandler
has worked closely with Alaska Heat Smart in Juneau and the Energy Solutions Centre
in Whitehorse, Yukon territory to ensure that new homes are efficient and that homeowners
have the resources they need to make informed decisions about their heating systems.
Chandler was the lead developer of the Fugitive Emissions Abatement Simulation Toolkit—a
model of natural gas leak detection systems that is now widely referenced within the
industry and published in Environmental Science and Technology. With partners, Chandler
also developed the first quantitative model of energy use by Alaska fishing vessels
and used the model to help fishers improve vessel efficiency and access federal funding.
Chandler has also published research using machine learning to classify otolith images.
Outside of work Chandler loves spending time with friends, running, and building connections
in the places he lives. Chandler is grateful for the Curyung tribe's land stewardship
and leadership in the Dillingham area and for the opportunity to contribute to his
new community in Bristol Bay.
