|
contents | news | |||||||||
| University selected for Solar Scholars program Sunny days on campus will mean more than Frisbee games and sunbathing on the quad. They will also mean that electricity is being generated by solar panels installed as part of the Solar Scholars program. Bucknell University is one of six Pennsylvania schools selected for a pilot program by the Sustainable Energy Fund of Central-Eastern Pennsylvania. The program offers undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity for hands-on study, training, and research in the application of photovoltaic solar technology, as part of an overall academic curriculum in renewable and sustainable energy. One of the modular residence halls in Bucknell West will be outfitted with solar panels. New lighting and a special energy efficient refrigerator will be installed to help make the residence as energy efficient as possible. Four students recruited to live in the modular unit will be responsible for transmitting real time data on energy generation and usage which will be streamed live to the Bucknell website as well as to SEF. The Solar Scholars program provides each school with an Internet-based curriculum on solar power and other clean energy methods. The program also financially supports the attendance for two students at an intensive training and certification workshop on applied photovoltaics. The students are responsible for designing, building, operating and maintaining the solar power system. The Solar Scholars mission is to create innovative applications of solar technology. The first round of six schools selected to pilot the program includes Bucknell, Clarion University, Mercyhurst College, Messiah College, Pennsylvania State University, and Villanova University. The goal of SEF is to have a solar installation on each of the Commonwealth's 152 campuses by 2008. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Construction News :: home page |