FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fort Lauderdale, FL (March 7, 2012) – US Solar Institute’s PV-401:Field Training class installed a 60-foot long solar awning as part of a Fort Lauderdale community redevelopment program which began in late February.
The students in US Solar’s February PV-401: Field Training class expected to spend time on the campus roof building the city’s first solar awning, but they did not expect to end up on the front page of the Sun Sentinel’s Local section.
The awning was addition to the campus’s existing roof mounted solar energy system. The improvements make the entire existing systems output 8,560 kW. While most internships involve fetching coffee, making copies, or running errands, US Solar Institute selects unique residential and commercial projects to give students highly relevant, practical, and even a news worthy experience.
Justin Waldorf, a graduate from February’s PV-401 notes, “It was a great experience as a whole. The awning gave us a chance to experiment with a different mounting structure and we got to troubleshoot alignment issues before completing the project.”
In addition to gaining the experience and credentials from participating in the community redevelopment program sponsored by the city of Fort Lauderdale, students in this class were recognized in a small ceremony after graduation. President Ray Johnson commemorated the class with a plaque displayed alongside the new solar awning.
The third phase of the US Solar Institute’s redevelopment project is even larger in scale. US Solar Institute plans to finalize installation of a 15,120 kW addition with the help of students enrolled in the PV-401: Field Training class in April. A select group of PV-401 students will have the opportunity to actually design and install a commercial system. US Solar Institute is currently running what is referred to as “March Madness Specials” where students can take advantage of 25% off the cost of PV-301: Advanced PV Installation and PV-401: Field Training courses.
For more information, please contact:
Ray Johnson
US Solar Institute
Toll Free: (877) 769-7657
Local: (954) 236-4577