September 13, 2011
Conservation, energy efficiency, Environment, green business, green living news, renewable energies, solar power, Solar Power For Your Home, sustainability

Solar Energy College Brings Green Technology to Life

Okanagan College Students Learn Renewable Energy With Solar Power

Students at Okanagan College got more than a new building when the school opened its Centre of Excellence in Penticton, British Columbia. They also gained a working renewable energy laboratory powered directly by the sun.

The college installed a 260-kW solar power system on the rooftop of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation. At the time, the project ranked among the largest solar installations developed in Western Canada. (The Green Living Guy)

SkyFire Energy developed the system using 1,106 Conergy P solar modules. Together, the panels were expected to produce approximately 292,500 kWh of electricity each year. (The Green Living Guy)

Solar Energy College Helps Push the Building Toward Net Zero

The solar installation played a major role in Okanagan College’s ambitious sustainability strategy.

The college designed the Centre of Excellence to move toward energy neutrality over a full year of operation. During sunny summer months, the photovoltaic system could generate more electricity than the building needed. Therefore, excess electricity could flow back to the grid.

However, winter brought shorter days and reduced solar production. During those periods, the college could draw electricity from the grid.

That seasonal balance demonstrated an important principle of renewable energy. A building does not necessarily need to produce exactly as much electricity as it consumes every hour. Instead, designers can evaluate energy production and consumption across an entire year.

The project also supported the college’s effort to meet demanding sustainability goals involving net-zero energy and water consumption. (The Green Living Guy)

The Solar Energy College Became Part of the Classroom

Perhaps the most important part of the project involved education.

Okanagan College did not simply install solar panels and walk away. Instead, the school incorporated the photovoltaic system into its trades and technology programs.

Students could study how solar electricity works in a real building. Apprentice and entry-level electricians could monitor electricity production, examine the equipment and learn how the solar array connected with both the building’s electrical infrastructure and the municipal power grid.

That approach turned the campus itself into a teaching tool.

Students could look at the roof and understand that sunlight was helping power their computers, projectors and classrooms. Consequently, renewable energy became something they could see and measure rather than simply study in a textbook.

Students Supported the Sustainability Investment

The project also attracted support from the Okanagan College Students’ Union.

Students contributed to fundraising efforts surrounding the Centre of Excellence because they recognized the college’s commitment to sustainability and renewable energy education. (The Green Living Guy)

That involvement mattered.

Large sustainability projects work best when the people using the building understand why the technology exists. In this case, students became participants in the school’s clean-energy strategy instead of simply occupying a building equipped with solar panels.

Solar Energy College Helps Lower Energy Costs Needed for Workforce Development

Solar power also offered Okanagan College another significant benefit: lower long-term electricity costs.

Once installed, photovoltaic panels can produce electricity without purchasing fuel. Therefore, every kilowatt-hour generated on the roof can reduce the amount of electricity a facility needs to purchase from the grid.

Yet the educational value could prove even greater.

Electricians, technicians and building professionals increasingly need experience with solar power, energy management and grid-connected electrical systems. By placing that technology directly on campus, Okanagan College gave students exposure to equipment they could eventually encounter in the workforce.

That creates a powerful connection between clean energy and skilled trades education.

A Solar Showcase for Western Canada

The Penticton climate and the Centre of Excellence rooftop made the location well suited for solar generation. Moreover, the project’s size made the campus a visible example of what institutional solar power could accomplish.

SkyFire Energy viewed the installation as both an energy project and an educational demonstration. The company expected students trained around the system to carry that knowledge into the growing solar industry throughout British Columbia and Western Canada.

That may ultimately be one of the project’s strongest legacies.

Solar panels can reduce emissions and electricity costs. However, putting renewable energy technology on a college campus can accomplish something more. It can train the people who will design, install and maintain the next generation of clean-energy systems.

Conclusion

Okanagan College showed how a solar installation can deliver more than electricity.

The 260-kW system helped reduce grid electricity demand while supporting the Centre of Excellence’s energy-neutral ambitions. At the same time, its 1,106 solar modules provided students with direct access to a functioning renewable energy system capable of generating roughly 292,500 kWh annually. (The Green Living Guy)

Most importantly, the project connected sustainability with education.

Students could study solar technology while sitting inside a building partly powered by it. Electricians could learn from an operating photovoltaic system instead of relying only on classroom theory. Meanwhile, the college could demonstrate how clean energy, green building design and workforce development can operate together.

That is exactly where renewable energy education becomes powerful: when the campus itself becomes the classroom.