Students to Conduct Solar, Wind Feasibility Study

Elmira, NY (12/13/2019) — Beginning in Term II, environmental science students at Elmira College will implement a solar and wind feasibility study for the College campus.

Thanks to funding received from a private funder, the project features a solar-powered weather station that has the capability to monitor weather quantities crucial for gauging solar and wind power feasibility such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, dew point, atmospheric pressure, rainfall, and solar radiation once an hour for approximately a year.

"Bringing the research weather station to Elmira College provides a direct route for students studying in the environmental and physical sciences to actively apply classroom knowledge in an engaging research project," according to Philip Kovac, assistant professor of chemistry at Elmira and project developer. "Centered around the goal of assessing the potential for solar and wind power generation on the Elmira College campus, students will participate in proposing sites for weather monitoring, data analysis, weather systems modeling and the presentation of project findings."

Students will work with publicly available National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data to learn the steps involved in converting raw weather data to convey potential solar and wind electricity output, giving them the skills necessary to identify favorable weather patterns for optimal renewable-energy generation.

"Working directly with their professors throughout the project, students will supplement coursework in environmental science, chemistry and mathematics and gain hands-on marketable skills in computer programming, data analysis, physical model building and energy analysis," said Kovac. "By acquiring such skills, students will prepare for careers or advanced education in environmental science, climatology, data science, the energy sector and other related fields."

After the weather data has been collected and analyzed, students will present their results outlining the potential of renewable power generation on campus to College administrators, as well as at local and national scientific conferences.

"This project could be the impetus for a much larger enterprise involving the design, construction, and potential implementation of solar panel arrays and/or wind turbines on and around campus in the future," said Kovac. "Moving toward renewable energy sources could significantly lower operating costs, and more importantly, place the College and the city of Elmira, as a whole, on the map as working to combat climate change and improve the health and well-being of its residents."

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