Crowder College, Environmental Sciences, Alternative Energy, Solar

Solar Program
Solar Houses
Solar Cars - American Solar Challenge, Solar Rayce
Solar Bikes - Solar Bike Race

Solar Energy Degrees

Solar Energy Panel

The Alternative Energy Program – Solar provides engineering and science students with a unique applied foundation in solar technologies and applications. The program emphasizes learning through classroom and applied research projects. The curriculum below is the result of a cooperative agreement between Crowder College and the School of Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla); cooperative programs are available at Missouri State University and Pittsburg State University. Students in the Alternative Energy - Solar program include Alternative Energy, Engineering, Science, and Technology majors.

AA Solar Degree [PDF] | AAS Solar Degree [PDF]

Certificate (non-degree) Active Solar Technician

This certificate provides students with a unique applied foundation in solar technologies and applications. The program emphasizes learning through coursework and applied research projects. The certificate allows students to move directly into the alternative energy workforce installing solar hardware and systems.

Students must earn 20 hours for this certificate.

Active Solar Technician

Solar Houses at Crowder College

Solar House Awarded 6th Place
One of two solar houses at Crowder College. Photo by dwclaborn used with permission.

The Solar Decathlon is a competition to design, build and operate the most effective and attractive house powered solely by the Sun. The solar houses at crowder were built for the competition which takes place in Washington DC.

"To promote solar energy as a viable alternative, the U.S. Department of Energy along with several building product manufacturers and other groups sponsored the Solar Decathlon, an event that pitted J4 teams of architecture and engineering college students against each other to see which could design and build the most energy-efficient, aesthetically pleasing house powered entirely by solar energy. The students were charged with using existing products and materials, and the houses were limited to S00 square feet."; - Stephani Miller

"We point out that our solar system costs about the same as a new SUV. That brings home the fact that you can choose to spend your money in ways that better the planet."

In terms of electricity, the students used a trailer that Crowder students built for the 2002 Decathlon competition—which houses an on-board battery system run off a PV panel—to power their tools during assembly on the National Mall.

For their flooring, trim, and cabinetry, the students are used hardwood from the Pioneer Forest in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks. Pioneer is the only forest in the state certified for responsible and renewable forest management by the Forest Stewardship Council.

View our Photo Journal 2005 Crowder College Solar Decathlon Project

Articles about the Solar House(s)

Department of Energy the 2005 House [PDF]
EERE People's Choice Award for 2002 House [PDF]
2005 House Find Permanent Place at Crowder College, Joplin Independent [PDF]
Solar Challenge - Showcasing Solar Homes [Online Article]
Solar Article "the pluckiest of the competitors is Crowder College, a community college in Missouri that came in sixth in 2002"
Outside Related Web Links

http://www.solardecathlon.org/
Solar Decathlon Links to Crowder College Highlights

Solar Decathlon Team

Bright Ideas

The students who participated in the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon learned a lot about constructing energy-efficient homes. Here are 10 suggestions the university teams have for everyone involved with building houses.

* Use foam insulation instead of fiberglass. The expanded foam allows you to seal off all the gaps in the house.--University of Missouri-Rolla

* SIPs (structural insulated panels) are amazing because of their high R-values and super-tight construction. And they arrive waiting to be pieced together, so you save construction time and there is less waste.--University of Maryland

* Geothermal heat pumps are the most efficient way to heat and cool a house.--University of Virginia

* By using a radiant floor, a solar hot water system heats both the living space and the water for domestic consumption. The payback period is much quicker for solar hot water than for photovoltaics.--University of Maryland

* One of the easiest things is to place windows on the south side of the house. And by adding shades, you almost don't need an HVAC system. --University of Missouri-Rolla

* It's crazy how much people spend each year on incandescent lights. Use fluorescents.--University of Virginia

* Adding energy-efficient appliances makes your whole system more efficient.--Texas A&M University

* Choose your appliances and lighting wisely. Lighting and appliances are used on a daily basis, so the savings add up over the life span of the products.--University of Maryland

* Solar electric panels can be beautiful and can be incorporated into any home design.--Auburn University

* Solar panels are great, but without energy efficiency first, they're not going to help.--Crowder College

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

The North American Solar Challenge - Solar Rayce

11 Days in July | 2,500 Miles | 4,000 Kilometers | 35 Colleges | One long Route

In 2008 the race route took competitors through Neosho Missouri. Crowder College organized and sponsors both the Solar Race and the Solar Bike Race.

"We're always looking for a route and a race that challenges people's imagination"

Outside Related Web Links

The Solar Bike Rayce USA

The Solar Bike Rayce is sponsored by Crowder College and is an international closed course solar bike rayce held in the heartland of America. The objectives of the event are to stimulate interest in science and technology and to raise awareness of alternative energy sources.