Students Bring Solar Power To Campus

By Christine Loftus

The eight solar panels hang conspicuously upon the brick surface of the Mechanical Engineering Building (MEB) of the University of Washington (UW), glinting with a silver-blue sheen which clashes with the traditional architecture.

High visibility, however, was exactly the point, explains Nathan Miller, recent graduate from the UW mechanical engineering (ME) department. Like a billboard without words or images, strategically placed in sight of high-traffic walkways, the panels serve to grab attention. The impact, Miller hopes, will generate awareness of the promise of solar energy, one passerby at a time.

In 2002, then a junior in the ME department, Miller led a small group of students in applying for the funds and equipment which now constitute the MEB photovoltaic (PV) project. Half of the panels were mounted on the roof of the building, where the sun's rays are most direct, and the other panels were placed with visibility in mind.

Down in the lobby of the building, the project is showcased in a prominent glass display case. A large computer screen contributes both images and information. A continuous PowerPoint presentation outlines the history of the project and teaches some basics about solar power as well as renewable energy in general; it also provides a live-update summary of the amount of energy being generated by the solar panels.

By the students, for the students

The solar panel system was made possible by donations from the Seattle City Light Green Power Program, the UW Student Technology Fee, and UW Facilities Management, but it was the initiative of a group of undergraduates which made it all happen. Miller believed it was imperative for the UW to make more progress in the area of renewable energy technologies. "With this project, the UW has an unprecedented opportunity to increase the quality and depth of its alternative energy education, and the UW has a long way to go in this regard," he wrote in his proposal.

Several other students assisted Miller, including Stephen Mordue, Sean Conner, Jeff Schneble, Scott Siekawitch and Chris Quam, all undergraduates from various departments at the UW. ME graduate student Brian Polagye wrote the PowerPoint presentation and links for the lobby display. They worked outside of the structure of any formal university course: "Surprisingly, this project was not directly related to any course, and no credit was received," Miller recounts. "I was honored that the other students were willing to give up time for my project when they already had full course loads."

The effort and sacrifices brought concrete results. "The panels wouldn't be here without the students," observes ME professor Philip Malte, who served as a faculty advisor to the students and who has taken over responsibility for the project now that they've graduated.

Malte says that their success is a testament to power of student-led initiatives. Also, it's a beautiful example of the bridge between traditional education and real-life applications. "That's education at its best," he explains. "When they can take what they've been learning about and apply it and make things happen."

The enthusiastic cooperation and dedication of several other individuals was instrumental, as well: Jack Brautigam of the Seattle City Light Green Power Program, Mike Nelson of the WSU Energy Office, Dave Fields of UW Facilities, and the UW electrical shop. UW Facilities installed the panels.

Education, in the broadest sense of the word

According to both Malte and Miller, one of the main purposes of the project was to strengthen UW's educational program in the area of renewable energy technologies.

"I wanted to create an opportunity for UW students to get hands-on experience with renewable energy," explains Miller. "Professor Malte teaches courses on the topic, but this would allow a photovoltaics 'lab' where students could, say, modify the mounting angles of the panels and see how the output changes instantly, or track the output of the panels over long periods of time."

Before the panels were installed, students in ME or any other department could only learn about solar energy in theory; now, they can design their own experiments and manipulate the panels directly. Malte incorporates the rooftop "laboratory" into curriculum for two of his undergraduate courses.

At UW, there is a significant demand for coursework that addresses environmental sustainability. "Students are extremely interested in learning about renewable energy. A lot of students want to take such classes," says Malte. His courses focus predominantly on the engineering aspects of solar power, even though he feels that aspects of policy, social impact, and economics are also critical: Malte suggests that students of the humanities and social sciences bring balance to the way renewable energy is taught.

The necessity for community-wide education about solar energy and other renewable sources is increasing as world energy demands continue to climb. Malte thinks that such education should be directed at misconceptions about the feasibility of renewables: "People need to be aware and to have enough education to tell the truths from the falsehoods. It's a matter of being realistic, so not to be led down a path of impossible dreams."

Miller hopes to dismantle one specific misconception about solar energy in the Pacific Northwest: "I wanted to help dispel the myth that Seattle is too rainy for solar power to make any sense. Admittedly, dollar for dollar, you will get more output from a system in Arizona, or even Eastern Washington. However, few people realize that parts of Germany, which is the country most aggressively installing PV, get even less sun annually than Seattle."

Future directions and extensions

Both Malte and Miller hope that this project contributes momentum toward a larger movement for green energy at UW. "I'd like to see the UW College of Engineering, and the ME department in particular, make a commitment to renewable energy," says Miller.

Malte thinks there's no time to waste in educating future engineers about renewable technologies. He believes that within five to ten years the invention of new photovoltaic materials will revolutionize the entire field. Lightweight, flexible plastic solar panels would be much easier to use, predicts Malte. "You could roll out a sheet of plastic solar panels on your roof, just like a carpet."

More importantly, the future generation of solar panels should be much cheaper. Currently, solar power simply cannot compete, on an economic level, with fossil fuels. If cheaper materials can close the cost differential, the solar industry will surely blossom, and institutions like the UW could provide the future engineers and policy makers who will help make it happen.

Christine Loftus is an adjunct instructor of chemistry at Seattle Central Community College and has studied science news writing at the University of Washington.

Images

Top: The energy generated from the MEB solar panels is displayed in concrete images, continually updated in real-time. Software is the product of a California company called Fat Spaniel Technologies. Image: Fat Spaniel Technologies

Middle: Half of the solar panels were placed on the side of the ME building, in direct sight of walkways to both the UW football and basketball stadia. Image: Philip Malte