Solar energy has been growing at an exponential rate over the past decade, and worldwide installed solar electric capacity is expected to more than double again by 2020. Madison Area Technical College and the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE) have been on the forefront of this trend, developing and teaching solar energy education courses for STEM students. Solar panel performance is unfortunately limited in the field when panels become soiled over time, reducing their electric output. In this student initiated experiment, solar panels were treated with a nanoporous silica/titania metal oxide thin film coating to impart self-cleaning properties. Panels from an operational 1.6 kW solar array were coated in the field to model a real-world application process. The system incorporated module level micro-inverters to monitor the power output of individual panels. The system was installed in July, and coatings applied in October, 2017. Data collection and analysis is ongoing. Through this research project, students learned the fundamentals of solar photovoltaic technology, aspects of solar system design, safe installation procedures, and principles of data analysis.
Dr. Walz completed his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in Environmental Chemistry and Technology, while conducting electrochemical research on lithium-ion batteries with Argonne National Laboratory and Rayovac. His studies also included research with the University of Rochester Center for Photo-Induced Charge Transfer. Since 2003, Dr. Walz has taught chemistry and engineering at Madison Area Technical College.
Dr. Walz is the Director and Principal Investigator for the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE). With funding from the National Science Foundation, CREATE seeks to advance renewable energy education nationwide by supporting faculty and academic programs in renewable energy.
Dr. Walz is an alumnus of the Department of Energy Academies Creating Teacher Scientists (DOE ACTS) Program, and he is an instructor for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Summer Institute, providing professional development for middle and high school teachers. Dr. Walz has been recognized as Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and as the Energy Educator of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education.
Joel Shoemaker is a Wisconsin state-certified Master Electrician with over 18 years of experience with photovoltaic systems, and currently serves as a Co-Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE). He has been teaching at Madison Area Technical College for the past 12 years. In 2011, the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards and the Wisconsin Apprenticeship Advisory Council recognized Shoemaker as a Centennial Educator. He has taught solar photovoltaic trainer programs offered by CREATE and Solar Energy International and led the inception of Madison College's STEM Educator Solar Institute for high school and community college teachers. Shoemaker will spearhead the design and construction of a model energy storage lab facility at Madison College that will be integrated into the existing solar energy installation lab and used for teaching about the interaction of these complimentary technologies.
Ashley Scholes is a Madison College student working towards a transfer degree in mechanical engineering as well as the renewable energy certificate. Her interest in renewable energies came from an opportunity to become involved with a photo-voltaic system on Madison College campus. As a recipient of the JB Straubel Engineer of the Future Award in 2017 she has been grateful to focus further on her studies.
Hao Jiang received the Ph.D degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA, in 2018.
He was a Research Assistant at the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC), his research interests include modular multilevel converter, integrated power converter, and energy harvesting converter for renewable sources.
Jessica Silva is the construction solutions laboratory director for Azelis, a specialty chemical distribution company. She specializes in formulation concepts using the Azelis line of construction additives and admixes for the mortar and concrete industry. Previously, Jessica worked as the principal scientist for the startup construction consulting company Concrete Process and Science (CPS). Before joining CPS Jessica was the Senior Scientist for CalStar Products a masonry products company specializing in the use of supplementary cementitious materials. Early in her career she performed numerous research projects for the Federal Highway Administration and through the University of Wisconsin-Madison including the use of nanomaterials for use in construction materials.
Currently Jennifer Sanfilippo, MS, LAT is an athletic trainer and coordinator of Badger Athletic Performance within the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously she worked for the Water Chemistry and Engineering Laboratory specifically with nanoporous thin film coatings for numerous applications.
Some of her patented work on nanoporous thin-films for self cleaning glass applications lead to other applications with packaging, plastics, batteries, and solar panel materials.
Walter Zeltner, Ph.D., co-founder of Microporous Oxides Science and Technology, L.L.C. (MOST), is a physical chemist with over 30 years of experience in synthesizing suspensions of nanoparticulate oxides and in studying the catalytic, photocatalytic, and photoelectrocatalytic properties of these materials while working with Prof. Marc Anderson at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and for MOST. He prepared the mixed silica-titania suspension that was used to coat the solar panels for this study.
Dr. Marc A. Anderson received his BS and MA degrees in
chemistry. Between his MA and Ph.D. degree programs, the Viet
Nam Conflict interrupted Dr. Anderson’s education. During this
time he served as an Officer in the Chemical Corp of the USArmy
and was stationed at Edgewood Arsenal, Md. Here, Dr. Anderson
served as the Chief Officer Responsible for Agent Response and
also worked in the “Super Toxic” Laboratories in the area of Binary
Agent production. After returning to Civilian life, he completed his
Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins and
joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in Civil and
Environmental Engineering. Prof. Anderson is now retired but previously served on the faculty of the Materials Science Program and was the Chair of the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program. Although retired from UW Madison, Prof. Anderson serves as a the head of the Electrochemistry Diviision of Imdea Energia in Madrid Spain.
Prof. Andersons research efforts focus on
the preparation, characterization and utilization of nanoparticulate
oxides. These particles are on the order of 2-10nm in diameter
and are typically used in the form of thin films cast on a variety of
supports for a large array of applications. These applications
include: ceramic membranes for gas and liquid separations; high
surface area electrodes for use in fuel cells, batteries, capacitors
and solar cells; nanoporous films for use in sensors to be
employed for the detection of target species in both the gas and
liquid phase; and photocatalysts for the destruction of organic
compounds in the water we drink and the air we breathe. In this
last area, Dr. Anderson is considered one of the foremost world-
class experts in photocatalysis. Dr. Anderson’s has more than 25
patents and over 250 scientific papers.
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