Pellissippi State Community College got its first solar array this year thanks to the work of two electrical engineering classes headed by professor Ken Swayne.
Swayne's Applied Electricity class wired the six panels to an inverter located in a classroom in the McWherter Building on the Hardin Valley Campus. Then the Photovoltaics Alternative Energy class installed brackets and the solar panels on the roof of the building.
The panels are expected to produce 324 watts of electrical energy under peak sun conditions.
"The system will be a great learning tool for our technology students," said Swayne. "I am very grateful to the college for supporting this project. I believe any contribution toward green energy production and training is a plus for Pellissippi State and the Knoxville community."
The college has previously installed electric vehicle charging stations on its campuses and also received the 2010 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award for its collegewide sustainability and environmental efforts.
Pellissippi State Engineering Technology students Jeff Station (left) and Anthony Hudson install solar panels on the Hardin Valley Campus' McWherter Building as a class project earlier this semester. Photo courtesy of Pellissippi State.
