"Green fever" hits RGC, RVS

The sunshine will be sprouting more "green" in Austin this spring with the building of a new solar panel at Austin Community College's Rio Grande Campus (RGC), as well as at the Riverside Campus (RVS).

With recent approval from the Texas Historical Society (THS), ACC's plans for building and installation at RGC will soon be underway. However, RVS's solar panel will be installed first, since approval with the THS slowed the process down for RGC.

"We haven't received [the solar panel] yet. They're running late at Austin Energy. The overall project is coming along, but things are moving a bit slowly," said Dr. Saad Eways, Physics, Astronomy and Engineering department head at ACC. However, Eways believes RGC will have the panel in the next couple of months. Students enrolled in the summer semester will likely be involved in the process of installation.

Hector Aguilar, chair of the Electronics and Advanced Technology department, said that RVS will likely have its solar panel fully completed in the summer as well. There will be two or more photovoltaic, or PV, structures at the campus, which convert solar energy into electricity. Aguilar said that there will hopefully be arrays (weatherproof solar panels made up of PV cells and modules) located on the back of the campus as well.

ACC offers a two-year associates degree in traditional power, but as of last semester now offers a two-year renewable energy program as well. The program will focus on four main aspects of renewable energy: photovoltaic energy, solar thermal energy, geothermal energy, and wind power.

Wind turbines may be installed at ACC in the future, however, central Texas does not have an abundance of wind, whereas it does have an abundance of sunshine.

The job market for renewable energy specialists in Austin looks promising due to the high number of professional training programs, educational opportunities, and job skills experience opportunities in the area.

"Austin really is very, very good" for interest and involvement in renewable energy resources and programs, said Eways. "Probably half of what the state has is in Austin."

The high-tech industry in Austin, as well as the excellent geographical and climate conditions for renewable energy resources, make it a good place for those looking to enter this burgeoning industry.

John Underwood, professor of Physics, and Eways have been conducting small battery experiments in the lab, using an artificial light source to study solar energy output.

Students will be able to install and uninstall, connect and disconnect the solar arrays as part of the learning process under the program, but the solar panel will not be disconnected completely. The solar energy gained will be used as electrical power in campus buildings.

The job market for those seeking a job in the renewable energy industry is looking good. "It's kind of like a baby industry," said Aguilar, "but like a wave that's building."

There are currently 51 renewable energy companies in Austin employing a total of 2,318 employees, according to Cool Austin Jobs (Dun and Bradstreet, Austin Chamber of Commerce, AngelouEconomics). More and more individuals are worried about the cost of traditional power and about the environment, which will only cause the industry to grow even as energy use increases.

"Millions are concerned in the U.S.," said Aguilar. "People want to minimize damage to the environment."

The solar panels are funded by a grant through Austin Energy's Solar on Schools Program, under the State Energy Conservation Office.

ACC gave 47 scholarships last year to students entering the renewable energy program through the Texas Workshop Association. The program also offers non-credit continuing education courses.

Aguilar and Eways are planning to have a solar energy symposium before the semester ends, with a focus on solar energy, and have invited speakers in the field. The symposium will be open to ACC faculty and students, as well as to the general public. Planned for Friday, May 2, they are in the process of spreading the word to the marketing department of ACC in hopes of making it a professional development credit to encourage faculty to attend.

Aguilar is convinced, "Renewable energy is the future."