New solar energy courses—spurred by the installation of a new on-campus solar site—will train students for high-tech, high-wage jobs in the exciting, emerging solar industry through innovative teaching and educational partnerships.
Cloud County Community College Goes Solar
Contributed by | RP Construction Services
As part of Kansas’ Cloud County Community College’s Solar Energy Technology program, new solar energy courses—spurred by the installation of a new on-campus solar site—will train students for high-tech, high-wage jobs in the exciting, emerging solar industry through innovative teaching and educational partnerships.
The installation of an on-campus solar site commences new solar energy classes of Cloud County Community College’s Solar Energy Technology program.
The site will service the campus’s energy needs, and will be installed by students enrolled in the program. Historically focusing on wind energy, solar was a natural transition. The program is centered around hands-on training for solar projects, including construction and electrical training for both residential and commercial solar.
“The curriculum blends on-campus, on-line and distance learning, land-lab, and field training opportunities for traditional and non-traditional students,” the college’s website states. This educational program will produce a qualified workforce to serve the emerging solar industry throughout Kansas and the nation.
Founded in 1965, Cloud County Community College is dedicated to delivering high quality, innovative, and accessible educational opportunities and services that prepare a diverse population to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners who can meet the challenges of an ever-changing global community.
Students, faculty, and staff of the college formed an active, volunteer-based group that has named itself the “Go Green Committee,” which has distinguished itself on campus with numerous environmentally-friendly efforts. The college earned a Green Power Partnership, awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a voluntary program encouraging organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.
The 200kw site features LONGi 340W solar panels on Array Technologies’ DuraTrack HZ v3 single-axis solar trackers. Array’s mounting technology keeps the modules following the sun on its course throughout the day, ensuring up to a 20 to 25% increase in energy production over fixed-tilt systems. RP Construction Services Inc. (RPCS), California-based solar construction contractor and Array Technologies’ trusted partner, helped supply the project.
Andrew Clark, Cloud County Community College Renewable Energy Technology instructor and also the project’s construction manager, used his experience as a local solar installer to help students with the installation process and guide them in overcoming challenges posed by snowy weather.
“It was my dream when I started teaching at Cloud to introduce solar to the program offerings,” says Clark. “Once I found out that was possible, I decided the program needed a solar project, so I imagined a small solar array to get their feet wet. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we were going to be able to secure funding for the project and finish it the very next year. It really has blown my mind all that we were able to accomplish in a short amount of time. I have to thank everyone who was involved; they helped make it possible.”
The program hopes to complete the project in a few weeks, celebrating with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The college is excited about increasing its clean energy output, adding 200kW of solar to 75,000kW of existing wind power. The college’s heating comes from geothermal power.
Of the new college slogan, playing on the school’s colors—black and gold—Andrew says, “Our new colors are black, gold, and green.”
About Cloud County Community College
Cloud County Community College was founded in 1965 and serves twelve counties in North Central Kansas. The first campus was located in Concordia, however, services are provided at 28 other sites, including the Geary County Campus in Junction City, Kansas. The college aims to prepare students to lead successful lives and enhances the vitality of local communities.
About RP Construction Services (RPCS)
RP Construction Services supplies, designs, and builds ground mount solar projects using the industry’s gold standard for quality: the Array Technologies DuraTrack® HZ v3 single-axis tracker. With over 550 MW and over 260 projects completed or under construction throughout the United States, RPCS provides full turnkey service and support for the industry’s most bankable and reliable tracker. RPCS’s expert knowledge of Array Technologies’ trackers ensures world-class turnkey project assistance including site layout optimization, ancillary engineering services, tracker and foundation procurement, and complete mechanical installation. The team at RPCS provides reliable support at every step of the project, delivering a level of quality and efficiency that parallels Array’s market reputation.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag
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