The Florida Solar Energy Center, in Cocoa Florida, focuses on research in the area of solar energy in addition to educating the public, students and practitioners of the research conducted. On arrival to the Center we were greeted with a warm Trinidadian welcome by Mr. Patrick Robinson, an engineer who does work primarily on the solar collectors. The primary theme of the visit was centered around awareness in promoting innovation in alternative energy. Mr. Robinson commenced by explaining the two primary means by which solar energy can be utilized which are solar collectors and photovoltaic systems. Solar collectors are basically non electric water heaters while photovoltaic systems are used to produce electricity. At the research center, products are tested and approved for usage.
Students of the IIEM all showed interest in implementing solar energy in their business models. Some are in the initial stages of implementation while others are currently using photovoltaic systems. The class is now more aware of the benefits of these systems as the simplicity of their implementation was demonstrated. A realization of the government’s role in promoting alternative energies was noted.
Rebates has been a critical factor in the promotion of wide spread use of renewable energy ,a currently implemented model is shown on the DSIRE website (http://www.dsireusa.org/). The research center brings awareness by providing 1-2kW systems to about 90 schools throughout the Florida state. As some of the IIEM students are passionate in the initiative of jump starting renewable energies in Trinidad and Tobago, we implore you to give the mentioned websites a quick read. For those of you who are thinking about implementing photovoltaic systems we shall relay the basic technical information given to us to you the future practitioner. Solar panels which are currently found in three types, mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and thin film amorphous are used to convert sunlight into electricity are listed from most efficient to least above. But what does efficient mean? This specification can be interpreted as the more efficient the less area the modules utilize. Batteries are a critical part and definitely the weakest point in the
system. A deep cycle battery bank can end up costing more than the panels themselves and hence should be properly maintained. The inverter converts the DC battery bank power to usable AC current which can be a better a quality of power compared to the electrical grid. Lastly the charge controller protects the batteries from overcharging. With respect to sizing the system, this can be found on, http://www.pvwatts.org/. We have relayed the technical aspects and the ways to promote the alternative sources of energy, but why should you invest in such a system? This was answered by an educational video at the end of the session. We have a responsibility to protect our future and with the world’s current state , young entrepreneurs have to start now to support and sustain a stable environment. Questions have to be asked in our daily activities like where does our electricity come from, what is the carbon footprint of my hand lotion warmer? When you discover the upstream and downstream effects of our activities you will be conscious of your actions and possibly realize that some of our activities are non-value added. Starting now , it is as simple as changing your light bulbs to compact fluorescents and using gas stoves instead of electric ones or really questioning yourself, “Do I really need this hand lotion warmer?”
Overall this was a most enlightening visit for all of the IIEM and I’m proud that Mr. Robinson is representing Trinidad and Tobago at the Florida Solar Energy Center. This visit concludes our International Study Tour, we were definitely proud to represent our nation and eager to return home to inform and implement some practices that have seen during our packed 10 days. To all of our families, see you guys in a few hours.
Author: Daryl Hosein
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