
08/13/2024
Our 2022 Intro to Engineering course helped to design a solar power system that was recently installed on College East. Looks kind of nice, doesn’t it?
Posted • Students Engineer New Solar-Powered EV Charging System at Hope
The students in Hope’s introductory engineering course have helped shape the campus through an applied-learning class project that will have a lasting impact.
They developed a system for collecting solar energy to power four charging stations for students who have electric vehicles. It was installed this summer and went live earlier this month.
The students worked in about 20 small groups spread across multiple course and lab sections, each team devising a concept and determining the potential benefit, technical specifications and projected cost. They then shared their proposals amongst one another, and all of the students chose their favorites based on considerations such as impact and practicality, with the top vote-getters receiving a closer look and additional refining en route to the final choice.
The funds used to purchase and install the solar panels and chargers at College East haven’t come from the college’s operating budget but were donated specifically for student-focused sustainability efforts by Hope alumni Dr. Anne Deckard ’73 Hiskes and Dr. Richard Hiskes ’73, whose careers have included teaching and administrative roles at the University of Connecticut and Grand Valley State University, and who have long been interested in creation care and environmental justice.
**Are you a Hope student with an EV? Contact Campus Safety for information about our new EV permit.
Read the full story here:
https://blogs.hope.edu/stories-of-hope/uncategorized/solar-powered-ev-charging/