NCC Going Green with New Solar Panels
By Mallory L. Vough
August 19, 2009
As part of a green initiative, Northampton Community College (NCC) recently installed a 15-unit array of solar panels just south of the Gates Center on Green Pond Road in Bethlehem. The panels, which generate 3 Kilowatts of power, will save the College energy and model the use of solar power. This installation was made possible in part by a grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund's Solar Scholars Program.
Ten feet high and 24 feet long, mounted six feet above the ground, the array connects via underground wiring to the NCC panel and on to PPL's grid. They are tilted on an angle to maximize the effectiveness in absorbing the sun's rays as the sun changes its positions with the seasons. The panels will face due south, absorbing the sun's rays for environmental-saving conversion to electrical power.
During a press conference on August 19 in front of the newly installed panels, Jennifer Hopkins, president of the Sustainable Energy Fund, praised NCC for a "can-do" attitude.
"One of the joys of my job is that I get to learn about the various ways schools are integrating renewable energy into their curriculum," she said. "Many unique programs and ideas have developed over the years. Northampton has taken the Solar Scholars program a step farther."
Students in two new courses, to be introduced this fall, will benefit most from the solar panel array. A 60-hour credit course, Solar Voltaic Systems I, is now a requirement for the Electrical Construction Technology Associate Degree program. A non-credit course, Solar Electric Systems 1, will be available to the public with one prerequisite, a basic electricity class.
Hopkins praised Nick Wilgruber (left, flipping the "on" switch), a biological science major at NCC, who interned at Sustainable Energy Fund over the summer.
"His first hand knowledge and passion of renewable energy proves that the students of today have a true understanding of sustainability; the ability to meet our needs without compromising future generations to meet their needs," Hopkins said.
Eventually, content about the solar panels' energy generation will be monitored and displayed on the NCC Website.
Mark Connolly, an energy engineer with Atlantic Energy Concepts, set up a small computer display to show how much energy is being generated. By 12 p.m., the use of the solar panels prevented 14.1 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere, which is the equivalent to driving 23.6 miles. The numbers slowly increased as the day went on.
Paul Pierpoint, vice president of community education and dean at NCC's Fowler Family Southside Center in South Bethlehem, discussed green initiatives at Northampton Community College.
"This is not NCC's first endeavor into green technologies and green practices," he said. "For nearly 15 years, NCC's Electro Technologies Applications Center has been helping Pennsylvania manufacturers significantly reduce their air pollution and energy use."
NCC has also moved to single-stream recycling, established an Environmental Task Force and the College is the first in the Lehigh Valley to use 100 percent recycled paper, according to Pierpoint.
"Today is another big step in NCC's effort to be the community leader in creating the green workforce for tomorrow and in showing the way for all of us to be better stewards of our plant," Pierpoint added.
The College's Green Team, which was created in 2008, will seek new opportunities to offer training and degree programs as they relate to alternative energies and jobs. Members of the team include:
Tom Barnowski, director, Emergency Services Training Program
Michele Pappalardo, director, Center for Technical Training and Business Services
Barbara Canfield, Interim Assistant Dean, Business and Technology/Director, Tech Prep
William Heins, program manager, materials and weld training
Gail Mrowinski, associate dean, community education
Daniel Phillips, Program manager, HVAC/R
David Schweiger, director, hotel and restaurant administration
Judy Rex, director, Center for Healthcare Education
Jack Schreiber, assistant director, technical programs
Paul Pierpoint, chair, Vice President, Community Education/Dean, Southside Center