University of Oregon Solar Radiation & Monitoring and SuNRISE PV Laboratories
Motivating the Next Generation with Solar Electricity
Our children will rely significantly on and be knowledgeable about renewable energy.
Some will be employed in the rapidly growing renewable energy sector of our region’s
economy. A few will do research to help spawn a revolution in renewable energy
technology that will reduce the adverse impacts of energy production and use on our
environment. How do we capture a child’s innate enthusiasm and unleash their
boundless imagination about a challenging but very promising energy future? Our
proposed program builds on our success in developing and implementing the
Photovoltaic Science Experiments Curriculum for high school students and aims to
target upper elementary and middle school students with a more developmentally
appropriate approach.
What the proposal accomplishes:
• Builds solar electric experimental kits with accompanying lesson plans for upper
elementary and middle school students. Creates teacher friendly lesson plans
developed using local teachers, UO researchers, and international experts
• Distributes the experimental kits to local schools and makes the kits available
through the Physics Department science lending library
• Trains and hires teachers to use the solar science experiments and lesson plans
in their classroom
• Makes the curricula available on the UO SRML Website
Children are seeing more and more solar installations during their time in school and
could be intellectually stimulated through learning how solar electricity works and
demonstrating the usefulness of renewable technology.
The solar energy curriculum is an ideal way to segue into physics, chemistry,
mathematics, and engineering. Working with teachers, we would design and build
hands-on experiments for the students. The teachers would help create the teacher
friendly lesson plans and would guide the students through the experiments.
The next generation will be dealing with technologies that we haven’t dreamed of and
this solar energy curriculum will provide basic scientific understanding and motivates
them to think of the technologies that run their iPods and PlayStations.
The study of sciences is one of the most interesting endeavors ever undertaken by
mankind. Help us inspire these young people to pursue careers in science and
engineering.
Find out more about the University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory
and the SuNRISE PV laboratory at: http://solardata.uoregon.edu and
http://camcor.uoregon.edu/sunrise/
Motivating the Next Generation with Solar Electricity
A proposal to develop, deploy and distribute Solar Electricity Experiment Curriculum
To:
Eugene Water and Electric Board Greenpower Grant Proposal
From: Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory and SuNRISE Photovoltaic Laboratory
University of Oregon
Project Summary
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Build solar electric experimental kits with accompanying curricula for fifth and
sixth grade students.
Distributes the experimental kits to 4J middle schools and makes the kits available
through the Physics Department science lending library
Trains teachers to use the solar science experiments and curricula
Makes the curricula available on the UO SRML Website
Provides equipment for solar module testing
Solar energy, giving youth a brighter,
sunnier future. Young man intrigued
by a solar toy.
Motivating the Next Generation with Solar Electricity
A proposal to develop, deploy and distribute Solar Electricity Experiment Curriculum
By the time they are adults all of our children will rely significantly on and be
knowledgeable about renewable energy. Some will be employed in the rapidly growing
renewable energy sector of our region’s economy. A few will do research to help spawn
a revolution in renewable energy technology. Yet they are bombarded daily with reports
about the adverse impacts of energy production and use on our environment. How do we
capture a child’s innate enthusiasm and unleash their boundless imagination about a
challenging but very promising energy future? Our proposed program builds on our
success in developing and implementing the Photovoltaic Science Experiments
Curriculum for high school students and aims to target fifth and sixth grade students who
need a different approach.
1. Teaching elementary - middle school students about solar electricity
Solar electricity is being generated today and will be making a significant contribution to
the energy mix in the future. The children that are going through school now will be the
generation that will be using solar electricity. In order to provide them an understanding
of how solar energy works and the issues involved with the use of solar energy it is
imperative that we teach them about solar energy technologies.
Some schools have installed solar electric systems (photovoltaic systems) on their roofs
and use these systems in their science and technology curricula. In 2011, we developed
the Photovoltaic Science Experiments Curriculum (PSEC) for high school science
students that complement the lessons being taught utilizing the solar electric systems that
are installed on their school and provide exciting class room opportunities to learn about
the science behind solar electricity. This PSEC (see
http://solardat.uoregon.edu/LessonPlans.html) have turned out to be very popular and
have been downloaded more than 24,000 times off our Website in 2012.
The need to create a Solar Electric Experiment Curriculum (SEEC) for elementary and
middle school students became apparent when people started to use the PSEC for
younger students. Some have devised novel ways to use the experimental kits and have
made requests that we develop a SEEC target to a younger audience. For example, at one
gathering, the presenter had the younger students act as “clouds” shading and unshading
the solar cells that were attached to propellers. When the students shaded the solar cells,
the propellers slowed down noticeably. The students enjoyed “controlling” the speed of
the propellers and this experiment was used by the teacher to demonstrate that the amount
of power generated by solar cells is dependent on the amount of sunlight striking the
solar cells. Simple experiments that have student participation can enhance the teacher’s
ability to explain new concepts to the students. We plan to give participating 4J middle
school teachers a solar electric experimental kit for use in their classroom along with the
suggested curriculum. Additional kits will be made available through the department of
physics science experiment “lending” library.
This project puts together a team of teachers, educational experts, and scientists to pool
ideas develop solar electric experiments and associated curriculum that can stimulate
elementary and middle school students, teach them about solar electricity, and provide
them with an interesting and exciting school experience. The target for these solar
electric experiments will be fifth and sixth graders with auxiliary curriculum that could
be used for a broader range of students.
2. Background
For more than thirty-five years, the University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring
Laboratory (UO SRML) has supplied high-quality, reliable information on the
Northwest’s solar resources for the purpose of planning, designing, deploying, and
operating its solar energy systems. In collaboration with business and government, the
goal of the lab is to help the region leverage its solar energy potential and provide sound
information for those interested in deploying solar technologies.
The Support Network for Research and Innovation in Solar Energy (SuNRISE) provides
technical support for university research groups and solar businesses who are interested
in the development and production of next generation solar cells. The SuNRISE
Photovoltaic Laboratory is also actively involved in educating a quality work force for
the solar and semiconductor industry through the UO Graduate Industrial Internship
Program. This program has placed hundreds of students in Oregon’s high-tech industry,
including solar manufacturers.
The College of Education aide educational efforts and works with teachers to provide the
best curriculum. Their contribution to the project will ensure that the curriculum is
targeted to the appropriate age group and is structured in a manner that will facilitate its
use by the teachers.
Students in a freshman physics seminar are
measuring the DC current with the lamp at
different heights from the solar cells
Professor Tyukhov’s class using a photovoltaic lab
kit.
Professor Tyukhov has been involved in designing and building solar experimental kits
for students for many years and is a leading expert on implementing the use of these
experimental kits. He has collaborated with the Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory
in the development of the photovoltaic science experimental curricula and will contribute
his experience and creativity to the project.
This proposal brings together the expertise of all groups to help empower the next
generation with the knowledge and motivation central to the proper implementation of
solar electric technologies.
3. Benefits to EWEB customers and the citizens of Eugene
There continues to be an emphasis on the national and local scene to provide quality
scientific education to students in order that they can compete in the world market that
they will face. There have been projects to put solar electric systems at schools and use
these systems to provide an educational tool that teachers can use in their science
curriculum. While there has an emphasis of installing complete solar electric systems,
the curriculum to use these systems and to explain how solar cells work has been lacking.
In 2011, we developed the photovoltaic
science experimental curriculum for high
school students that have been used in
the 4J school district. These
experimental kits give students hands on
experience that greatly enhances the
educational experience. We put the
curriculum on our Website and in 2012,
these lesson plans were downloaded over
24,000 times. These lesson plans along
with auxiliary lesson plans on our
Website were downloaded over 86,000
times during 2012. Certainly there is an
interest providing sound information on
solar electricity.
Picture of the photovoltaic science experiment kit we
created for use in high school classes around Oregon.
A considerable amount of interesting chemistry and physics can be taught by using solar
electric experimental curricula. Solar energy is a topic of interest to students and gives a
realistic basis to the science being taught. Students who go through this program would
have a better grasp of how solar electricity works and the issues being faced by the use of
solar technologies.
Solar companies are interested in locating in areas with good schools and having a
workforce familiar with their technology. As these students move through middle school
and high school they will have a better chance of being familiar with solar technologies
and will provide a better educated workforce for renewable companies interested in
moving to Eugene. In addition, students often pass on to their parents what they are
learning in school and this will encourage parents to learn more about solar technologies.
4. Project tasks and timeline
There are a number of faculty and staff at the university who are teaching about solar
electric technologies and realize the importance of having elementary and middle school
students know more about science and renewable energy. The project team will consist
of faculty in the science and education departments, local school teachers who will use
this lesson plans and experiments that are put together and an international expert from
Russia who originally develop the PSEC experiments for use by Russian students and
have has developed a variety of science kits that can be utilized by students of every age.
During spring, the group will meet and discuss their ideas for the lesson plans and
determine what sort of equipment will be needed to implement these ideas. As the same
time, a selection of elementary and middle school teachers will be selected to participate
in the project. These teachers will input their experience and help us better design the
program. In addition they will help formulate the lesson plans into a format that teachers
can readily use. There are strict criteria that have to be met and explained before new
educational material can be utilized and it is critical to have teacher who routinely do
such tasks to provide the guidance that makes the lesson plans and the kits useable.
During the summer the solar electric kits will be designed and acquired along with
completed draft of the solar electric lesson plans.
A workshop on use of the kits and the lesson plans will then be held and the teachers will
be encouraged to use the information in their classroom. Feedback from the teachers
who use the plans will then be used to improve the lesson plans and finalized lesson plans
will be made available on our Website. The solar electrics will also be made available to
EWEB when for their visits to the classroom to teach about electricity and for other
educational community projects where EWEB participates.
3.0
The Solar Radiation Monitoring
Laboratory runs a reference solar
monitoring station on the roof of Pacific
Hall on campus. Students have taken
tours of the laboratory and this activity is
expected to continue. Evaluation of the
performance of photovoltaic modules is
also performed at the laboratory, and we
are one piece of equipment away from
being able to make real time, high quality
current voltage plots of photovoltaic
modules. This proposal contains funding
for this piece of equipment. Current
voltage plots, better known as IV curve
Current (A)
5. Additional help in developing
the experimental curriculum
2.0
1/26/2013
11:00:01
E = 988.9 W/m2
Tpv = 26.4C
Pmp= 43.63 W
Vmp= 17.94 V
Imp= 2.432 A
Voc= 21.78 V
Isc= 2.638 A
FF = 75.9%
1.0
0.0
0
5
10
15
Voltage (V)
20
25
Current-Voltage plot of photovoltaic module
taken with the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory PV test facility currently stationed
at the University of Oregon for the next year.
traces are used to characterize the performance of photovoltaic modules. Adding this
synergistic piece to the project will able us incorporate the IV curve information into
curriculum and to demonstrate to those taking a tour of the solar monitoring laboratory
how solar modules are tested.
The solar cell acts like a battery and the IV curves demonstrate how the modules perform.
Inverters change the DC current from the solar modules into alternating current and
operate at voltages and currents to get the maximum energy out of the solar module.
Demonstrating the IV curve tracing during class tours will provide a demonstration that
cannot be easily performed in a classroom but is vital to the understanding of how a solar
electric system works.
We also have a spectral radiometer that can be used to show the spectral distribution of
incoming radiation. This instrument has also been used in our experiments to show the
different spectrum produced by florescent and incandescent lights. Comparing the
spectral distribution of incandescent and florescent lights show that considerable output
of an incandescent light is mostly in the infrared and not in the visible region of the
spectrum. This demonstrates why florescent light are more efficient than incandescent
lights.
In addition a paper will be prepared for presentation at a conference on the use of the kit
and the lesson plan.
6. Project reports and milestones
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Project starts with the selection of three teachers who will participate in the
program.
Midterm report will be and the beginning of fall with a demonstration of the
experiment using the solar electric kits and the draft of the associated curriculum.
Final report will include a paper on the project, a listing of teachers attending the
workshop on the SEEC and a copy of the finalized curriculum.
7. Relationship of project to Grant Proposal Criteria
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Augments the usefulness of photovoltaic systems installed on the roof of schools
Provides equipment that can be used for evaluating the detailed performance of
photovoltaic arrays
Creates an educational package on solar electricity for elementary and middle
schools
Has clear objectives that are easy to monitor
Curricula will be put on our Website that attracts considerable use from the
educational community
Project will support elementary and middle school students with experimental
science curriculum that does not receive sufficient funding
8. Attachments
Resumes of key staff
Frank Vignola – Director University of Oregon Solar Energy Center. Dr. Vignola is a
Fellow of the American Solar Energy Society. He has worked for over thirty years at the
University of Oregon to provide the information for the deployment of solar technologies
in Oregon. He operates the Pacific Northwest solar resource monitoring network and has
conducted research to improve solar monitoring instrumentation and developed
curriculum and built solar cell lab kits to teach student about solar electricity. He has
published over sixty articles on solar resource assessment and maintains a solar resource
information website that has over 100,000 users annually. In 2012, solar energy lesson
plans were downloaded over 85,000 from the website.
Igor Tyukhov – is Associate Professor of UNESCO Chair for “Ecologically clean
engineering” at the Moscow State University of Mechanical Engineering (UMech),
Institute of Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering. He received his
Ph.D. in semiconductor physics from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, Moscow,
Russia in 1979. Since 2000, professor Tyukhov has be a member of the Organizing
Committee of the All-Russian Youth School on Renewable Energy. In 2003, he was a
visiting Fulbright scholar at the University of Oregon and Oregon Institute of
Technology. In 2007, professor Tyukhov developed lab equipment for solar energy
educational program under a UNESCO grant and in 2009-2010 he developed a program
for photovoltaic monitoring with schools in Moscow, the Ryazan region, and the Kaluga
Region.
Josh Peterson – Teaches a course on energy and the environment at the University of
Oregon, where solar power is a main topic of discussion. His past research areas of
expertise are varied and include plasma physics, space weather, and more sustainable
energy use. In these fields he is both an experimentalist and a computational physicist. He
is currently working at the Solar Resource Monitoring Lab at the University of Oregon,
where he analyzes the wavelength-dependent nature of the sunlight using data taken by
the spectroradiometer. These measurements are being used to check the performance of
photovoltaic (solar electric) modules.
In his four years of teaching, he has focused on developing strategies for conveying
difficult ideas to beginning students. He has accomplished this by relating the concepts of
the course to experiences in the students’ everyday lives, making the material both
relevant and enjoyable. Josh Peterson is eager to work on Solar Electric Experiment
Curriculum project. Giving useful tools to teachers is of utmost importance. This includes
not only giving schools the experimental kits necessary to make the measurements, but
also developing a useful set of lesson plans that give guidance to the teacher and to the
students.
Mark C. Lonergan – Professor of Chemistry. Professor Lonergan is the co-director of
SuNRISE and a member of the technical leadership team of Oregon BEST. He is
currently funded by the Department of Energy to study new concepts in organic solar
cells. He has published over forty peer-reviewed articles, primarily in the area of organic
semiconductors.
Rich Kessler – Adjunct Research Assistant for the University of Oregon Solar Radiation
Monitoring Laboratory (UO SRML). He has worked on a wide range of data monitoring
projects for the past 20 years. For the last 10 years, he has been responsible for designing,
constructing, and maintaining solar radiation monitoring stations for the UO SRML. A
number of these stations evaluate solar electric system performance. He also is
responsible for maintaining the data collection stream from the field sites and analysis of
the incoming data.
9. Previous support from EWEB
The UO SRML and SuNRISE are not currently receiving support from EWEB. EWEB
has given support the UO SRML from 1975 through June 30, 2011.
10.
Proposed Budget
Personnel
Frank Vignola
Richard Kessler
Josh Peterson
College of Education
Mark Lonergan
level of effort
0.06
0.5
0.21
0.08
.05 (summer)
$3,513
$2,051
$10,354
$8,274
$1,512
Total Personnel
OPE
$25,709
$13,946
Total Personnel & Fringe
$39,655
Travel
$2,170
Equipment
$12,500
Experimental kits
Project
supplies/workshop
$12,000
$1,122
Consultants & Contracts
Igor Tyukhov
k-12 Teacher
k-12 Teacher
k-12 Teacher
Total Direct Cost
F&A Basis (30.7%)
Total Indirect Costs
Total Project Cost
$3,000
$3,000
$3,000
$3,000
$79,447
$66,947
$20,553
$100,000