PGE Grant Awarded to OIT for Student Renewable Solar Energy Project

Not only is April Placencia majoring in Renewable Energy Engineering, she is making a major difference for David Douglas High School.

The Oregon Institute of Technology junior received a $9,000 grant from Portland General Electric to design and implement a monitoring system for a combined solar and wind power installation for the high school. OIT, PGE and David Douglas High School are working together on the project that is expected to be complete by June of 2010.

David Douglas High School has a history of using renewable energy to power the now-defunct David Douglas Express, a light rail system that was once used to transport disabled students between buildings. Unfortunately, vandalism, theft and forces of nature in the forms of shade and wildlife led to the eventual abandonment of the light rail and its renewable power. The solar panels and wind turbine, however, should still function upon reinstallation and with some fine-tuning.

Placencia's project proposal aims to resolve three issues: remounting of the existing photovoltaic panels and reinstalling a wind turbine at David Douglas High School; designing and installing the monitoring system; and designing and installing the "human- machine" interface, which will provide the interactive features of the system.

PGE is interested in tracking the performance of the combined installation.

"We'd like to congratulate April Placencia for earning this important renewable energy research grant," said Wayne Lei, director of research and development, PGE. "This small-scale system could provide important data on how solar and wind can complement each other in offsetting their generation intermittency. The more we learn about how solar and wind can work together will better enable us to integrate them onto the grid."

Placencia's goal is to monitor, at a minimum, temperature; wind speed and direction; air pressure; solar energy; alternating and direct current and voltage; and three-phase power and kilowatt hours. Measurements will be taken and data analyzed in accordance with international standards.

David Douglas students in the Industrial Engineering Systems class will use the human-machine interface as a teaching tool for understanding how power output is affected by different physical factors.

And Placencia? Though her project is a year-long capstone experience and a requirement for graduation, she also expects to gain experience in solving engineering problems, and looks forward to working successfully with both PGE personnel and David Douglas staff and students. She's also left the door open for a future OIT student project, in the potential for expanded software controls in the human-machine interface.

"I am looking forward to using the skills I've learned at OIT to renovate this energy system, but mostly to help young people realize that their classes in science and math can help them make a difference for the planet," Placencia said. "I am grateful to PGE for their support."

Placencia received the Pride of OIT award in 2009 for her outstanding efforts in the areas of student government and sustainability. She is the Portland Senator for the Associated Students of Oregon Institute of Technology (ASOIT).