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Title: Feasibility Study for Photovoltaics, Wind, solar Hot Water and Hybrid Systems

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/929306· OSTI ID:929306

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) located in Albuquerque New Mexico is a community college that serves American Indians and Alaska Natives. SIPI’s student body represents over 100 Native American Tribes. SIPI completed a renewable energy feasibility study program and established renewable energy hardware on the SIPI campus, which supplements and creates an educational resource to teach renewable energy courses. The SIPI campus is located, and has as student origins, areas, in which power is an issue in remote reservations. The following hardware was installed and integrated into the campus facilities: small wind turbine, large photovoltaic array that is grid-connected, two photovoltaic arrays, one thin film type, and one polycrystalline type, one dual-axis active tracker and one passive tracker, a hot air system for heating a small building, a portable hybrid photovoltaic system for remote power, and a hot water system to preheat water used in the SIPI Child Care facility. Educational curriculum has been developed for two renewable energy courses one being the study of energy production and use, and especially the roles renewable energy forms like solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass plays, and the second course being a more advanced in-depth study of renewable energy system design, maintenance, installation, and applications. Both courses rely heavily on experiential learning techniques so that installed renewable energy hardware is continuously utilized in hand-on laboratory activities and are part of the Electronics program of studies. Renewable energy technologies and science has also been included in other SIPI programs of study such as Environmental Science, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Engineering, Network Management, and Geospatial Technology.

Research Organization:
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
FC36-00GO10629
OSTI ID:
929306
Report Number(s):
DOE-GO10629; TRN: US200821%%351
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English