By Susan Breedlove sharing info from Arielle Rocca, Educator and Cofounder of CCA
Twelve students of the Community Connected Academy program (CCA) of Henry High School participated in a class titled Introduction to Solar Electricity in which they learned about clean energy and careers in renewable energy. They spent a part of each day for two weeks in this internship program out in the community engaged in hands-on activities and projects.
Their mentors were Joaquin Thomas and Keith Dent of the organization Just B Solar. Keith is a tradesman who led the installation of the Community Solar Garden on the roof of Shiloh Temple on Fremont Avenue and West Broadway. About 40 households receive energy from that project including the writer of this article. The focus of the experience with Henry High was for students to get hands-on experience and knowledge that will help them decide if they want to go into pathways associated with green careers.
The first week of the internship was at the 1200 Plymouth Avenue building in Near-North where students learned the basics of electricity, energy and solar panels. They formed small groups building and wiring model houses. The second week the participants learned how solar energy is harnessed and transferred into electricity. They built a ground mount outside the building with solar panels.
The next step is in a planning stage for the credentialing of a course for the NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) to be a NABCEP PV (photovoltaic) installer. This course will be for those students serious about careers in engineering trades related to renewable energy and solar electricity. The NABCEP PV Installer Specialist certification provides a set of national standards with skills and experience for solar installation.
Note: Photovoltaic (PV) essentially means electricity from the energy of the sun and is derived from the words “photo” with the Greek meaning light and “voltaic” meaning voltage. A solar panel consists of multiple PV cells, the amount will depend on the output voltage and current required of the solar panel. (Info from Google search.)