Summary
Some students in Texas State Technical College’s Solar Energy Technology program are not going far for real-life experience. Students taking the Special Projects in Solar Energy Systems class began earlier this year maintaining and troubleshooting solar panels on the roofs of the on-campus Electronics Center and Kultgen Automotive Center.
(WACO, Texas) – Some students in Texas State Technical College’s Solar Energy Technology program are not going far for real-life experience.
Students taking the Special Projects in Solar Energy Systems class began earlier this year maintaining and troubleshooting solar panels on the roofs of the on-campus Electronics Center and Kultgen Automotive Center.
Daniel Lovell, an instructor in the Solar Energy Technology program, estimates that the solar panels were installed about 10 years ago but had little upkeep. He said taking care of the equipment could add at least 10 more years of usage.
“They have been neglected and are not putting out what they should,” he said.
Lovell will lead students taking the class once a month onto the roofs to work on the solar panels. Class projects will also enable students to get rooftop experience.
“They will know what to do if they get on a work crew (after graduation),” Lovell said.
Students recently donned hard hats and fluorescent work vests as they broke up into groups and worked on solar panels spread out across the roof of the Electronics Center. The midafternoon sun bore down on the students, with some retreating to the shade to take short breaks.
Rylan Jackman, of Waco, is scheduled to graduate in 2024 and is pursuing what is known at TSTC’s Waco campus as the “Triple Crown”: an Associate of Applied Science degree in Solar Energy Technology and certificates of completion in Electrical Construction and Energy Efficiency Specialist.
Jackman said he likes the roof work because it is a real-world application of the degree plan. He said he has enjoyed seeing different styles of solar panels and how to test them.
“It gives you a little idea of what day-to-day tasks are with solar,” he said.
Troy Matthew Young, of Gatesville, is scheduled to finish the “Triple Crown” in December. He said the roof work is a good use of his and his classmates’ time in a non-controlled environment as opposed to controlled time in labs.
“Everyone is interested in what they do and passionate about solar,” Young said. “These are people who want to learn.”
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
