Ty Funk

Jenna Carruthers
Jeremy Rivera
Mark Nogalo
Webography
Our group proposal focuses on the initiative to start or further the use of
clean renewable energy sources at Northern Illinois University and the
DeKalb/Sycamore. It is of great importance for our community to start realizing the
importance of these new green energy initiatives because many of the nonrenewable energy sources such as natural gas, coal, and petroleum will not be
available in the future. By starting to create new clean systems that would be
implemented into small areas for basic testing would present some problems in our
time in order for us to figure out how to maximize efficiency of certain systems.
Some of the renewable energy sources that we should start investing in would be
solar cells, hydrogen power engine cells, and wind farms. Even though most of
these projects would require non-renewable energy and major investing, once these
systems become self-sufficient requiring no non-renewable sources to upkeep, the
uses of renewable energy sources will be able to eliminate the use of nonrenewable
resources. There are solutions to these problems that many scientists have done
research on, for example, implementing TiO 2 compound into solar cells by using the
dye-sensitive compound or creating a machine that would be able to forecast the
wind. Yet, we should at least invest in the future generations and help them in the
task of creating such clean energy systems. The sooner we are able to create these
clean energy systems, the sooner human beings will be able to be less dependent
on the Earths own resources, minimizing the stress we have put on the planet. If we
are successful in implementing these systems in the DeKalb/Sycamore area, we

may be recognized as the mecca of clean energy systems and start a worldwide
initiative to eliminate all non-renewable energy systems.

Ty's Sources:
Banister, D. (n.d.). Review: In Support of Hydrogen. Retrieved from
http://www.ulib.niu.edu/stable/23288800?Search=yes
The argument in this review of Tomorrows Energy was to show that Hydrogen
should be used as a main source of energy since it is the most common element in the
universe. We can apply this to our research by showing how efficient of a power source
it is, even though it's not renewable. This is a great supplement for non renewable energy.
David Banister shows his credibility by mentioning he is in the University College
London, he sounds informative and knowledgeable about the subject of hydrogen too.
Banister seems to have the same view on hydrogen as the author he is reviewing, and
helps prove the authors argument by summarizing the findings. However, he should
have gone much further in depth into the article. This article gets a 3/5 from me.
Sheilds, P. (n.d.). Solar Power Saves $500K in Annual Energy Costs. Retrieved from
http://www.ulib.niu.edu/stable/41313561?Search=yes
This article is meant to inform the public of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency's
(IEUA) success in adding a large scale solar power plant to their system. Our research
focuses a lot around solar power and this article gives us a good example of success in
the solar power industry. Patrick Shields is very knowledgeable about IEUA and is the
director of operations there. He also gives some very helpful statistics in his journal. The
entirety of this journal is justified since he has the highest credibility on the company. I
rate this article a 4/5.
Tacke, M. (n.d.). GLOBAL WIND REPORT ANNUAL MARKET UPDATE
2013. Http://www.gwec.net/. Retrieved from http://www.gwec.net/wpcontent/uploads/2014/04/GWEC-Global-Wind-Report_9-April-2014.pdf
This report is trying to push wind energy to be the answer to today's energy
problems. This fits into our research by being an amazing source for wind related data, it
examines all wind energy data and shows graphs, charts, and statistics all over the report.
The authors credibility is justified immediately since Markus Tacke is the CEO of the
wind Power Division of Siemens Energy. The data is well proven since Tacke has all
wind power statistics at his disposal and shows us everything. This article deserves a 5/5
and is extremely useful.

Masson, G. (n.d.). GLOBAL MARKET OUTLOOK For Photovoltaics 20142018. Http://www.epia.org/. Retrieved from

http://www.epia.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/44_epia_gmo_report_ver_17_mr
.pdf
This is a report for solar power, or photovoltaics, and is meant to provide all
information of the solar power market to the public. This fits into our research as said
before, since we are very solar power oriented. The credibility of the author is similar to
the wind power report since it is from the members of the European Photovoltaic Industry
Association (EPIA) and starts with a foreword by the EPIA president, Oliver Schafer. All
data is proven once again by placing many charts, graphs, and statistics in the report. This
is another 5/5 article, being extremely useful.
Chowla, K., & Lins, C. (n.d.). RENEWABLES 2014 GLOBAL STATUS
REPORT. Http://www.ren21.net/. Retrieved from
http://www.ren21.net/Portals/0/documents/Resources/GSR/2014/GSR2014_full
%20report_low%20res.pdf
This is an extremely comprehensive report of the global data for renewable
energy. This is precisely what our research focuses on and can provide much information
on what we want to share. The credibility of this source could be very high since it was
created by a very large group of knowledgeable people. The contributor list is way too
long to list here but includes people from many universities, research groups, and
government organizations. The whole report is proven well since it is packed with great
information including charts, graphs, and statistics. This report is a 5/5 and is my best
source.
Jenna's Sources:
Mann, Michael J. and Reinstein, Todd B. (2011, June). Colleges, Universities, and Renewable
Energy: A Perfect Match. University Business. Retrieved from
http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/colleges-universities-and-renewable-energyperfect-match.
This articles argues that since universities are like small cities based on the amount of
energy they provide students all day every day, they are ideal venues for using renewable
resources. Colleges have so many options when it comes to saving energy and in the long run it
will end up saving the university money. The authors, Mann and Reinstein, establish credibility
by using facts and logic to prove their point. The article does a good job of proving its main
points with facts, but it could have used more to enhance its argument. I would rank this article
as a 3 based on its usefulness.
Stubblefield, Megan. Advantages of Renewable Energy. Love to Know. Retrieved from
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_of_Renewable_Energy.
The main argument of this article is to show the benefits of using different types of
renewable energy. The article focuses on the use of solar energy, wind energy, biomass,
hydroelectricity, methane, and geothermal. This article is relevant because it proves just how
many benefits there are to using renewable energy of all different kinds. The author established
credibility using facts from very credible sources, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

The article does a decent job of backing up its claims, but the author could have used more
statistics to really prove the point. I would rank this article as a 4 because it has a lot of useful
information.
Kats, Gregory. (2006, October). Greening Americas Schools: Costs and Benefits. A Capital E
Report. Retrieved from http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/General/Docs2908.pdf.
The main purpose of this article is to answer the question: how much do green schools
cost, and is greening schools more effective? Schools who have gone green have saved money in
the long run and use less energy every day. This article is relevant because it proves whether the
cost of going green is actually worth it. The author established credibility by using statistics and
findings from schools that have gone green. The article did a good job of backing up its points
with a lot of facts. I would rank this article as a 5 based on all the useful information.
What is Renewable Energy. Conserve-Energy-Future. Retrieved from http://www.conserveenergy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-renewable-energy.php.
The main purpose of this article is to help readers understand the different types of
renewable energy that can be used, such as wind, solar, geothermal heat, and rain. This article is
very relevant because unlike most articles, it talks about the disadvantages of using renewable
energy. These points focus mainly on the cost, the amount of land that is required, and reliability
of supply. The author established credibility by stating facts on the topic. The article did not do a
very good job of supporting its main points because the author does not give any statistics or cite
any other credible sources. I would rank this article as a 3 because some of the authors points
are basic knowledge.
Scheid, Jean. Advantages and Disadvantages of Non-Renewable Energy. Retrieved from
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Non_Renewable
_Energy.
This article focuses on both the advantages and disadvantages of using non-renewable
energy. This information is relevant because it gives us a different perspective when trying to
persuade our audience. The author established credibility by using logos. The author did not do a
good job of supporting its claims because the article has no statistics or testimony from credible
sources. I would rank this article as a 3 because it gives useful information and the article is
written about using non-renewable energy rather than renewable energy.
Shields, James. Roofing: Strategic Advantages of Green Roofs on Campus. Continental Business
Media. Retrieved from http://facilitymanagement.com/articles/green1-1011.html.
The main purpose of this article is to explain what a green roof is and the advantages of
adding them to college campuses. They help restore lost natural habitats, contribute to LEED
certification, and are valuable recreational spaces. The author establishes credibility by using
logos. The author supported his claims well by stating facts from companies who specialize in
environmental protection. I would rank this article as a 4 because it gives a lot of useful
information about green roofs while backing it up with support.

Jeremy's Sources:
Pisauro, M. (2008). Renewable and land use law. Natural Resources & Environment, (23), 3941, 51.
Main point of this journal is about positive aspects of Renewable energy and law
and codes that are involved with renewable energy sources. It also talks about state and
local use of renewable energy laws. This journal can be useful in our research because it
talks more in depth about renewable energy and laws that are need in order to create an
ideal environment for renewable energy to work at its best. The Author establishes
creditability when use facts and statistics to enhance what he is writing about. He also use
facts and statistics in order to show the use of renewable energy and how much of a state
or countrys energy is being used by a renewable energy source.
Sanburn, J. (2015). A burst of energy. Time, 185(8), 34-38.
This article talks about the use of solar energy and mainly focus on solar panels.
The author goes on to talk about the use of solar panels in Los Angeles and how they use
it to help charge and turn on technology. This article is a part of our research and gives us
information dealing with solar energy which is a type of renewable energy source that
can be used almost anywhere in the United States. This author also use facts talking about
the solar panels and how much energy they can produce and how the U.S. has about three
hundred days of sunlight.
Lof, G. (1973). Solar Energy: An Infinite Source of Clean Energy. Annals of the American
Academy of Political and Social Science, 410, 52-64.
This article talks about solar energy and the different types it can be used and
how some can be compete with energy sources used now in ideal locations but other are
not yet ready to compete but should be looked at as a longer term solution. This article
can be useful to research because it talks about solar energy the positive and not so
positive aspects and for the research we need both articles that agree with renewable
energy and articles that do not agree or are just not ready to agree. This articles
usefulness is a 3 because it talks about both sides of the argument but I would have liked
for the author to go a bit more in depth.
Kellet, J. (1990). The Environmental Impact of Wind Energy Developments.
The Town Planning Review, 61, 139-155.
This article talks about the increased awareness of switching
from fossil-fueled energy to renewable sources like wind energy. The
author goes on to use which types of energy we use from year 1983 to
1988. It also goes on to talk about the wind power and how in the UK it
is favorable because of the wind. This is a useful article because it talks
about wind energy and Illinois is a very windy state so use wind energy

as a renewable might be ideal. This article usefulness is a 4 because it

talks about wind energy and the affects its had on a country.
Mark's Sources:
Wu, C., Wu, Q., & Chen, W. (2012). Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells TiO2 Thin Film Preparation and
Conditions in Laboratory. Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 133-137.

The research group of Professor Grtzel at the Swiss Federal Institute in 1991 proposed a
potential idea of a low cost solar cells based on sensitizing organic dyes and materials
used in white paint called Titanium oxide (TiO2). Titanium oxide is regarded as the
cornerstone semiconductor for dye-sensitized nanostructured electrodes for dye-sensitive
solar cells (DSSC). The efficiency of the DSSC depends significantly on the properties of
the nanostructured TiO2 electrodes, therefore improving absorbance efficiency of TiO2
thin film will help increase the electrical energy conversion efficiency of DSSC.
This article fits in our presentation because it discusses a low-cost alternative to clean
renewable energy. It also opens up research for scientists at NIU to investigate how to
improve absorbance efficiency of TiO2 thin film.
Yes, because it discusses the experiment protocol and presents the results along with a
conclusion of what they observed.
The article argues how using TiO2 in dye-sensitized solar cells will improve energy
absorbance in the cells and provides experimental data to support its assertion.
This articles usefulness is a 4 at least because of the details given about solar energy
opportunity.

Jiang, W., Hu, Z., & Yan, Z. (2012). Reliability Assessment of Composite Generation and
Transmission System with Wind Farms. Renewable and Sustainable Energy.

Renewable energy, especially wind energy, has been actively researched and developed in
many countries. However, wind energy systems suffer from a major drawback since wind
resource is intermittent. It is unrealistic to make turbines run continuously at all times. In
this paper, authors consider the feature of sequential and self-correction of wind speed
and build an auto-regressive and moving average (ARMA) model to forecast wind speed.
This article fits in our presentation because it discusses the pros and cons of wind farms
and does not strive to be biased.
Yes the article is credible because it shows multiple equations and results involving wind
farms. Also provides graphs of the experimental data on wind farms.
The article argues that wind farms are very inefficient when no wind is present and
proves it argument very well with statistics and charts.
This articles usefulness is a 4 because it can be used as a reference point to what
challenges and problems we have to start using clean renewable energy.

Li, L., & Zong, F. (2012). The Efficiency Limits of Solar Cells. Renewable and Sustainable
Energy, 1233-1237.

As one of the most promising of the alternative energy sources, there are many
advantages of solar energy: low carbon emissions; abundant and secure supplies; favoring
developing countries; being cheap to run and maintain. Particular attention is given to
efficiency limits for single-junction, tandem solar cells and triple junction solar cells.
This article fits because it talks about how solar cells have limits in collecting energy and
how this problem can be addressed, making the article non-biased
Yes, the article is credible because it shows examples of solar energy junction cells and
shows their efficiency.
The article argues that solar cells have an efficiency limit and the solutions to that
problem.
This articles usefulness is a 3 because it doesnt go too in depth into solar cells but
discusses more in the more complicated subjects relating to solar cell efficiency.

Bibliography
Banister, D. (n.d.). Review: In Support of Hydrogen. Retrieved from
http://www.ulib.niu.edu/stable/23288800?Search=yes
Sheilds, P. (n.d.). Solar Power Saves $500K in Annual Energy Costs. Retrieved from
http://www.ulib.niu.edu/stable/41313561?Search=yes
Tacke, M. (n.d.). GLOBAL WIND REPORT ANNUAL MARKET UPDATE
2013. Http://www.gwec.net/. Retrieved from http://www.gwec.net/wpcontent/uploads/2014/04/GWEC-Global-Wind-Report_9-April-2014.pdf
Masson, G. (n.d.). GLOBAL MARKET OUTLOOK For Photovoltaics 20142018. Http://www.epia.org/. Retrieved from
http://www.epia.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/44_epia_gmo_report_ver_17_mr
.pdf
Chowla, K., & Lins, C. (n.d.). RENEWABLES 2014 GLOBAL STATUS
REPORT. Http://www.ren21.net/. Retrieved from
http://www.ren21.net/Portals/0/documents/Resources/GSR/2014/GSR2014_full
%20report_low%20res.pdf
Mann, Michael J. and Reinstein, Todd B. (2011, June). Colleges, Universities, and Renewable
Energy: A Perfect Match. University Business. Retrieved from
http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/colleges-universities-and-renewable-energyperfect-match.
Stubblefield, Megan. Advantages of Renewable Energy. Love to Know. Retrieved from
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_of_Renewable_Energy
Kats, Gregory. (2006, October). Greening Americas Schools: Costs and Benefits. A Capital E
Report. Retrieved from http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/General/Docs2908.pdf.
What is Renewable Energy. Conserve-Energy-Future. Retrieved from http://www.conserveenergy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-renewable-energy.php.
Scheid, Jean. Advantages and Disadvantages of Non-Renewable Energy. Retrieved from
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Non_Renewable
_Energy.
Shields, James. Roofing: Strategic Advantages of Green Roofs on Campus. Continental Business
Media. Retrieved from http://facilitymanagement.com/articles/green1-1011.html.

Pisauro, M. (2008). Renewable and land use law. Natural Resources & Environment, (23), 3941, 51.
Sanburn, J. (2015). A burst of energy. Time, 185(8), 34-38.
Lof, G. (1973). Solar Energy: An Infinite Source of Clean Energy. Annals of the American
Academy of Political and Social Science, 410, 52-64.
Kellet, J. (1990). The Environmental Impact of Wind Energy Developments.
The Town Planning Review, 61, 139-155.
Wu, C., Wu, Q., & Chen, W. (2012). Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells TiO2 Thin Film Preparation and
Conditions in Laboratory. Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 133-137.
Jiang, W., Hu, Z., & Yan, Z. (2012). Reliability Assessment of Composite Generation and
Transmission System with Wind Farms. Renewable and Sustainable Energy.
Li, L., & Zong, F. (2012). The Efficiency Limits of Solar Cells. Renewable and Sustainable
Energy, 1233-1237.