The Sustainable Energy Fund announced the winners in the 2008 Solar Scholars grant competition, acollaboration with PPL Electric Utilities which provided $180,000 in matching grants to 12 Pennsylvania colleges.

These grants will provide a portion of the funding necessary for each team of professors and students to design and install an electric-producing solar system as well integrate renewable energy concepts and technologies into their college curriculum.

Jennifer Hopkins, President of SEF said of the program, “Renewable energy is a big part of Pennsylvania’s future. The Solar Scholars Conference and in particular, these grants will provide the tools necessary for professors and student to become our solar champions.”

“We’re supporting this initiative as part of our e-power wise energy use campaign,”said Tom Stathos, Director of Customer Strategy for PPL Electric Utilities. “Raising awareness about renewable energy and ways to save benefits customers and helps protect the environment.”

Recipients of this year’s PV solar grants are:

-- Dickinson College (Carlisle), Ken Shultes, Associate Vice President for Operations;

-- Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown), Troy McBride, Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering;

-- Franklin & Marshall College (Lancaster), Dr. Linda S. Fritz, Professor of Physics;

-- Harrisburg Area Community College (Harrisburg), Robert Meyers, Instructor of Industrial Maintenance Technology;

-- Lycoming College (Williamsport), Dr. Melvin Zimmerman, Professor of Biology;

-- Muhlenberg College (Allentown), Jane Flood, Associate Professor of Physics;

-- Northampton Community College (Bethlehem), Leo J. Thielmann, Director of Center for Business and Industry;

-- Penn College of Technology (Williamsport), Wayne Gebhart, Assistant Professor of Electrical Technologies;

-- Pennsylvania State University – Hazleton Campus, Wes Grebski, Associate Professor of Engineering;

-- Pennsylvania State University – Schuylkill Campus (Schuylkill Haven), Thomas J. Cleary, Instructor of Engineering;

-- Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (Lancaster), Bruce Schreiner, Professor of Electronics Technology; and

-- University of Scranton (Scranton), Robert A. Spaletta, Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering.

The Solar Scholars program is a first-in-the-nation solar education initiative that promotes the adoption and integration of renewable energy concepts and technologies into the curriculum of the Commonwealth’s universities and community colleges.

To qualify for a grant, teams of professors and students from 27 colleges attended a weeklong experiential training program this summer. SEF provided education on renewable energy technologies, the electric power industry, solar manufacturing, and energy curriculum.

Following the conference, each team submitted a grant application which described the proposed solar systems and detailed how they would integrate renewable energy into the school’s curriculum. A panel of judges from SEF and PPL Electric Utilities then reviewed the applications and selected the awardees.

Bill Dougherty and Bill Routson, the program’s managers, stated “Due to the outstanding quality of the grant proposals, narrowing the list down to 12 schools was very difficult. They all did a great job.”

Teams submitted a variety of designs including roof-mount and ground mount solar arrays, and systems that adjust the solar array’s position to track the sun. The systems range from 3kW up to 4.8kW, with capacity to produce 47,375 kWh per year. That is enough energy to power 1,500 homes for one day. The solar arrays will have data collection systems so that professors and students can monitor the system’s performance.

The Solar Scholars Program does not end when the grants are awarded as SEF supports the colleges with the final system design, system installation, and curriculum integration as well as marketing and other educational activities related to the program.

Currently 34 Pennsylvania colleges and universities participate in SEF’s Solar Scholars Program.

For more information, visit the Solar Scholars Program webpage.

11/14/2008