Solar Fiesta, Cha Cha Cha

I've been heads down for a month trying to keep up with my 5 classes. It's a skill I never really had, and what little of it I had, I seemed to have lost along the way. However, the "shut up and study" school of homework has been working for me. 

I got caught up this week, and even got a couple of days ahead so I could take most of Friday and Saturday off to attend the Solar Fiesta in Albuquerque (to be called ABQ from now on).

The first photo is the San Juan College Solar Roller.

The Solar Roller is a complete mobile Renewable Energy package, featuring solar PV panels on the roof and battery bank inside. A wind turbine on a pole mount can be tucked inside for travel, and a small scale closed-loop Solar Domestic Hot Water set up complete with hot water tank. Don't forget the solar oven. The UNM booth next to us borrowed power from our battery bank to run their booth. In their defense they are a brand new program and haven't had time to get their own van together yet.  

(Since I know someone will ask... No, I have not tried driving down the highway with the turbine facing forward to see how much power I can generate. I'm not saying I won't try it, I just haven't had the chance.)

A bunch of students joined the professors at the San Juan College booth to talk to people that stopped by. It was cool to see people stopping by to say "I want solar hot water. How do I get it? Who do I pay?" The public here is using renewable energy and seeing the payback. Since we are a school and not in business, we could give an impartial opinion. 

I also met some graduates of the program I am in. They are busy making a living, and have more work regionally than they can handle. A guy I met when he was a student last year, came over and was talking the talk like a well seasoned pro. 

 

Carl and Tom, our Renewable Gurus. Carl is an engineering professor at San Juan that started the RE program. Once Carl had grown the program enough, Tom left his solar installation company and joined the RE program. (Carl and Tom - you can forget that comment I made about driving down the highway with the wind turbine facing forward.)

Stephen and Daniel playing nice with the electric bike - a brand called the Ego. Zips along at 25 mph, and comes with two key switch settings "Go Far" or "Go Fast".