Solar Shack

The Austin City Council has declared a renewable energy initiative committing Austin Energy to produce electrical power through solar and wind power. The initiative states that Austin Energy will be producing 100 megawatts of electricity in Austin by the year 2020.

"The City of Austin is committed to solar energy," said Fred Yebra, Director of Demand Side Management at Austin Energy. Austin Energy will be erecting two solar arrays at Austin Community College through their Solar on Schools Program.

Construction at Rio Grande Campus, where solar panels will be installed on the roof, should begin this year. The construction of a solar array at Riverside Campus is already underway in front of the main campus buildings.

The building that will house the power conversion equipment at Riverside has already been built. Austin Energy still needs to install the solar panels and wiring.

"By the end of the semester, you should see an array," said Hector Aguilar, Department Chair for Electronics and Applied Technologies.

The Texas Workforce Commission, through WorkSource Austin, has issued a grant to ACC to develop the new Renewable Energy Technology degree plan and curriculum.

Two new classes are now available at Riverside Campus. Wind Power Delivery Systems and Solarphotovoltaic Systems.

The grant from Texas Workforce Commission gave $628,420 total to the school. "This project is a grand idea. I hope it will be energy-conserving for the school," said Jeremy Gross, an Automotive Technology student at Riverside Campus.

"Colleges and universities from all across the country have been calling me to get information about our renewable energy program," said Aguilar. This semester, the Solarphotovoltaic Systems class was full only 20 minutes after the registration period began.

Students in the renewable energy program use solar panels, power converters and wind turbines in class that were purchased with money from Texas Workforce Commission grant. "We are the leaders in renewable energy education," said Aguilar.

The grant also provides scholarships to students to pay for tuition and fees. Currently, there are 42 students enrolled in the renewable energy degree program attending class on a full scholarship. "We need techs to work in solar power, that's why we got this grant. It's just supply and demand," said Robotics student Brian Capelli.

The demand for continuing education classes in renewable energy is high. There are currently two renewable energy courses offered for continuing education at ACC. The solar power course is offered in three sections, and the advanced solar power course is offered in two. Both courses are full, and there is a waiting list for the next session. As Kirk White, Executive Director of Workforce Continuing Education at ACC stated, "I can't offer enough seats to meet the demand. Solar power is a hot topic right now."