HOPE, Ark. — Earlier this yr, the College of Arkansas Hope Texarkana acquired approval from the College of Arkansas System Board of Trustees To place in a one-megawatt photo voltaic array and photo voltaic studying lab on the Hope campus to combine Proper into a mannequin new Certificates of Proficiency in Solar Power Know-how.
The photo voltaic energy scholar lab is beneath enchancment now, and the certificate program begins this spring On the Hope campus.
Laura Clark, vice chancellor for Teachers, said there Are not any completely different packages like this in Arkansas.
“As quickly as we checked, The one nearest packages have been in Missouri and Texas when we started this program,” Clark said. “Particularly since our program Goes to have A third-celebration credential, it makes it very distinctive.”
This effort by The school to push a Solar energy program comes as Solar energy is rising in popularity Inside the state, after passage of Act 464 of 2019 — which permits third-celebration financing of photo voltaic tasks. That is useful to tax-exempt organizations and authorities entities, like schools, that completely differentwise Wouldn’t qualify for federal tax incentives for placing in photo voltaic panels.
“We see it as a future demand,” Clark said. “We’re making an try To primarytain forward of the workforce want. Do You’d like to Search round, (photo voltaic arrays) are Starting to pop up All by way of the place. So, the factor that is lacking is — the place are The staff coming from? A lot Of these photo voltaic corporations are having to traInside Their very personal staff on The biggest Method To place in these panels.
“So, what we’re hoping to do is current a workforce so the place, not solely do our scholars have good jobs, however photo voltaic in our space is elevated as a Outcome of That is the Strategy to The Prolonged time period.”
The 9-credit rating-hour Certificates of Proficiency in Solar Power Know-how curriculum is adopted from Solar Power Worldwide, The worldwide chief in offering classroom curriculum and lab teaching in photo voltaic energy.
Through the use of the SEI curriculum, UAHT will Discover your self to be an accredited teaching supplier for the North American Board of Licensed Power Practitioners. This certificate currents The required teaching To place in, assemble, primarytain and function photo voltaic electrical methods. The certificate is designed as An factor of The path to ending the Affiliate of Utilized Science in Power Utilized sciences diploma at UAHT.
“This makes (scholars) extra employable, and it reveals credibility to This technique,” Clark said.
Programs for the photo voltaic energy technology certificate embrace: Photovoltaics Systems, Solar Electric Design and Set up Lab.
UAHT created The primary Power Plant Know-how program Inside the state, offering a quantity of pathmethods in Power Plant Operations and Upprimarytain. In 2018, UAHT modified its curriculum To vary The primary goal from …….
Source: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/2021/nov/16/university-of-arkansas-hope-campus-roll-out-solar/
