San Antonio College Library

This video tells the story of the direct relationship between form and energy. Why do our houses and buildings look the way they do? While we have all come to understand that form follows function, to explore this question fully, we need to look at our homes and buildings in the context of energy cost and supply. As buildings use 49% of all primary energy we create, the Passive House building approach can have an immediate effect on Carbon Emissions,...

This film follows Vienna University of Technology engineering and design students to California to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy's international competition to construct the best energy-autonomous, sustainably built house. Nineteen of 150 university teams are selected to construct a model outside Los Angeles, where they are judged on disciplines including comfort zone, appliance function, hot water production, energy efficiency, home...

This video version of David Johnston's acclaimed seminar provides practical information about building in ways that are energy conscious, healthy and environmentally responsible. Green building movement leader David Johnston' approach has been embraced by municipalities, homeowners, building professionals and sustainability advocates nation-wide. His current book, "Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time," has been hailed as the definitive...

NewsHour correspondent Miles O'Brien examines power grid reliability in a neighborhood near Austin, Texas, that uses "smart grid" technology to track and control its energy consumption. Origina?

In 1990 European physicists set out to test the limits of cost-effective energy efficiency. The result was the first passive house, a four-unit townhouse that combined heavy insulation, airtightness, and heat-recovery ventilation to achieve reductions of up to 90% in the energy required for heating and cooling. This program introduces the passive house concept-popular in Europe, but slower to catch on in the States-and showcases some beautiful examples...

The global demand for energy is ever-increasing; however, the ability to fairly meet this demand now and in the future is rapidly diminishing. This episode tackles the pressing issue of what can be done to break away from dependence on imported liquid transport fuels. Viewers will find out what research scientists in New Zealand are doing in the field of new energy technology and what discoveries have been made in their search for alternative energy...

Starting with Francis Hauksbee's 1705 Royal Society demonstration, in which he produced static electricity and a nascent form of neon lighting, this program looks at the origins of our understanding of electricity and how it could be harnessed. The film profiles many of the scientists and "natural philosophers" who first studied electricity, including Stephen Gray, Pieter van Musschenbroek, Luigi Galvani, and several others. Viewers learn about Benjamin...

"Taking viewers to the crossroads of aesthetic, functional, and sustainability issues, this program looks at aspects of design that can have negative ecological consequences. Students learn about eco-friendly design and the use of life cycle assessments by architects and product designers to ensure that their work has minimal environmental impact. Sustainable design techniques are investigated through case studies of a 'zero energy' home which makes...

This film introduces electric car pioneer John Wayland. "Once you've had a taste of electric power you never want to go back," he says; "it's nice to know that we are going down the road free from dependence on foreign oil." He adds proudly: "We run on American-generated electrons." His garage full of sleek lithium-powered electric cars is a far cry from the boxy electric cars of the 1980s. For John, the electric car is not only a thrilling ride into...

Renewable energy resources often compete with food crops for arable land and contribute to ecological problems. On the other hand, they are especially suitable for developing and emerging economies. This film looks at successful biomass examples in India, Ecuador, and Indonesia.