Photovoltaic System Optimization through Undergraduate Engineering Clinics

At Rowan University students have been introduced to Photovoltaic System Design, through the Clinic Experience, at both the residential and commercial scale.The Clinic is a project based learning approach based on the Medical School Model [1] .These experiences have included the initial feasibility assessments and continued all the way to system installation, and now include the oversight of operation and maintenance of multiple systems.Rowan University is located in the state with the second highest number of installed Photovoltaic modules in the country and still short of its 2021 goal of 2.12 percent of energy from solar PV [2] .With this installed goal far away, but completion deadline rapidly approaching, the answer may lie in large solar farms.The challenge put forth to Undergraduate Clinic Students this fall is how to optimize Photovoltaic System Designs.Where other undergraduate students are learning the basics of PV, Rowan University Students have potentially had multiple years of experience with PV and are now ready to answer the questions that will shape the future of the industry.Areas of work this semester include, but are not limited to, novel racking design, increased by-pass diode implementation to reduce the effects of shading, and possible novel ballasting systems to lower installation costs and reduce work related injuries.This diverse and broad ranging project will be tackled by an equally diverse team of engineers from all four of the College of Engineering's Disciplines (Chemical, Civil and Environmental, Electrical and Computer, and Mechanical).Clinic Description At Rowan University every undergraduate engineering student is required to participate in four years of the Engineering Clinic.This educational approach borrows from the Medical School Model, where students spend the early part of their education in a structured classroom environment learning the fundamentals of their discipline.Once a solid medical, or in this case engineering, foundation has been laid students are ready to put their knowledge to use.The concept of applying knowledge learned in the classroom is by no means unique, but Rowan University's uniqueness is the stage at which these applications of engineering fundamentals are applied.Many engineering curricula culminate in a Senior Design during the final semester, or possibly beginning in the fall of the senior year, and ending in the spring with the final report.By the final year of a student's education only a fraction of the many lessons possibly gained from such a project are achieved.By this time a student has taken to many regimented classes which result in a sluggish ability to draw on that knowledge when finally given a unique problem.The next issue with such a late Design Project is the student may be already looking beyond school at employment possibilities, after years in a classroom the doer personality of many engineering students just want to start doing!The Senior Design Project is not without some educational merit, it does represent the first time the engineering student may do something that more accurately represents what an engineer does.Clinic Advantage Where Rowan University differs substantially is their implementation of this "Design Project ", or The Clinic, at the beginning of the junior year.Exposure to a "Real Project" at this point allows a student to see multiple projects instead of just one for a semester during their undergraduate degree.It also allows the individual to develop their professional identity, as well as a portfolio of project experience, prior to graduation.These two qualities are unique to Rowan University Graduates, which allow them to easily differentiate themselves from other degree holders, from other engineering schools.In this competitive job market it is no longer enough to just have a strong collection of course work.Candidates must also be able to show a track record of project