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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Environmental Sciences

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Renewable energy

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

A Retrospective Analysis Of The Impact Of Wind Power Generation On Residential Natural Gas Prices In The United States, Maya Vikstrom Mar 2021

A Retrospective Analysis Of The Impact Of Wind Power Generation On Residential Natural Gas Prices In The United States, Maya Vikstrom

Economics

Heightened concern over the environmental impact and price volatility of natural gas has led to an increased demand for renewable energy. Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity and is the United States’ top renewable energy source. As a substitute for natural gas, wind energy has a direct impact on the demand for natural gas and consequently, the price. Using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the U.S. NOAA, this paper determines a causal relationship between wind generation and natural gas prices because of the random component of weather. Employing …


Characterization Of S-Swcnt/Pf-Pd Dispersions And Networks, Tamara N. El-Hayek Ms., Jeffrey Blackburn, Andrew Ferguson, Tammy Pheuphong Oct 2016

Characterization Of S-Swcnt/Pf-Pd Dispersions And Networks, Tamara N. El-Hayek Ms., Jeffrey Blackburn, Andrew Ferguson, Tammy Pheuphong

STAR Program Research Presentations

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) are being investigated for their use in a wide variety of renewable energy applications. Their unique physical properties contribute to desirable traits such as a high carrier mobility, strong optical absorption and tunable electronic band gap. Unfortunately, due to variability in certain parameters, SWCNTs are limited in their application. The major drawback is that SWCNTs are variable in size and type and typical synthetic methods are not selective. As a result, selective methods must be developed in order to sort these tubes and extract those which are desirable for a particular application. Though there are several …


Testing Predictions Used To Build An Agrivoltaics Installation On A Small-Scale Educational Model, Katie Kinney, Rebecca Minor, Greg Barron-Gafford Oct 2016

Testing Predictions Used To Build An Agrivoltaics Installation On A Small-Scale Educational Model, Katie Kinney, Rebecca Minor, Greg Barron-Gafford

STAR Program Research Presentations

Models are valuable tools for explaining and testing systems. Small-scale models can be especially useful for educational purposes. For models to be useful, they have to accurately depict the larger system that they are describing. A novel man-made system, known as an agrivoltaic structure, is being constructed at Biosphere 2 near Oracle, Arizona. The word agrivoltaic is a combination of agriculture and photovoltaics, or solar farming. My research involved creating a small-scale version of this system for educational purposes. The model of this system tested two predictions: that plants will grow better in the shade of a panel and that …