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Energy for the World: A Classroom without Walls

Energy for the World
Professor Richard D’Amato leads his “Energy for the World” course in a way possible only on Semester at Sea: an open-air lecture aboard the MV Explorer on the Kiel Canal in Germany.
Insolation
Topics of the class included insolation, the total amount of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area during a given time.
Open-air Notes
Students Christine Rudberg (left), from Bethel University, and Adolfo Yanez (right), from Universidad Iberoamerican, take notes during the class.
The Sky is the Limit
“In our class we are talking about renewable energy sources. We have talked about wind and solar energy. Around the Kiel Canal there are quite a few wind turbines and a few solar panels to look at,” said Rudberg.
Solar Heating History
The history of solar heating was another topic of discussion as scattered clouds passed overhead.
A Semester at Sea
Left to right, students Wesley Amoling, from Bentley College, Claudia Hammerschmidt, from the University of California Santa Barbara, and George Doub, from Rollins College, participate in the class. “You appreciate the Semester at Sea experience more because you’re not just stuck in a classroom, you’re actually outside learning about it,” said Hammerschmidt.
Class on the Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal, a waterway connecting the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, served as the backdrop for Professor D’Amato’s lecture.
Topics
  • Science

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