Feb 5 2008
Bucknell University's Solar Scholars will lead three solar energy workshops designed to teach solar energy basics.
The Saturday workshops will be held Feb. 16, March 1, and April 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bucknell University Environmental Center. The workshops are free and open to the public as well as Bucknell students, faculty and staff and students from regional colleges and universities. Pre-registration is required.
"Attendees can expect to learn the basics of designing, siting, and installing a small-scale residential solar array," said Jess Scott, a Bucknell senior and member of the campus Solar Scholars program. "They can expect to learn how solar energy works -- from the time the sun hits a solar panel to the time a light bulb turns on in their home."
Scott, the student organizer behind the recent Focus the Nation teach-in, a daylong effort to focus attention on global climate issues and potential solutions, said that participants can expect to "come out of this workshop with an understanding of solar energy strong enough to play an integral role in the design and installation of their own array."
Among the topics that will be discussed at each of the five-hour workshops are how to determine the correct type and size of solar system, the steps of installing and operating a solar system at a home or small business, solar cost analysis, battery and wiring basics, and system comparisons.