Collaboration with industry to promote energy conservation and education

Abstract

The cooperation between academia and industry exposed Architectural Engineering students to a unique learning opportunity. The project addressed student learning and exposure to research while concurrently addressing energy conservation. The collaborative project allowed the expertise of University of Nebraska professors and students to be utilized in combination with the Omaha Public Power District's (OPPD) financial and customer base support. The relationships built enriched student learning by providing real world engineering experiences. The students refined their research, communication, and presentation skills by interacting with and presenting engineering solutions to a wide range of professionals, engineering students, and the community. The students worked closely with professors to prepare professional documents, analyze data, and develop future research plans. Student interaction with the community also provides real world interactions in a business environment. The University of Nebraska in conjunction with OPPD is investigating residential energy consumption and behavior change as a result of visual and digital real-time energy and cost information. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect on household electricity consumption and determine if real-time feedback will aid residential customers in reducing their energy usage. The educational benefit of this research grant provides students with real life work experiences in research and offers an outlet for learning about energy conservation strategies and concepts. Additionally, the study will provide the utility critical information necessary in projecting the future capacity needs for peaking power plants. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2009.