UCSC-GEOPATHS SUMMER INTERNSHIP Educational Outreach with Sunbank SolarSimone Wright and James Richards

Abstract:

University of California Santa Cruz, Earth and Planetary Science

UCSC GEOPATHS is an NSF-supported initiative to improve student success in the geosciences, driven by a desire to broaden participation. One component of the program is undergraduate student internship that provide authentic, career-relevant experiences – across all employment sectors – to increase student engagement in the geoscience pipeline.

My GEOPATHS Internship is at Sunbank Solar in Santa Cruz, Ca. Sunbank Solar is a manufacturer of solar water heaters and, while small, is at the forefront of developing new products in the solar thermal space – including a solar hot tub and a new solar thermal controller. Sunbank is focused on changing the paradigm of an often overlooked consumer of energy: water heating. People replace their water heaters when there is an emergency leak. My job is to educate consumers about this technology and therefore get more solar water heaters installed around the country. We’re focused on creating digestible media content to help consumers understand how solar heating works and how they can install a heater themselves. I will share the results of my project and experiences in the program.