“Off the Grid,” a solar power initiative was awarded on Thursday, Oct. 1 to Chesterfield Career & Technical Center @ Courthouse (CCTC). Dominion Virginia Power presented an Educational Partnership grant for the electricity class’ proposed Green Energy Shack, which is an existing structure in the courtyard of the school.
The structure will be removed from its traditional electrical source, and the students will then replace the former power source with a self-sustaining solar power system that can run a small refrigerator, stereo, computer, lights and television.
Students will install hardware such as an inverter to convert the DC electricity to clean, usable AC electricity produced by the solar panels. To produce the electricity they will learn how to connect the batteries to the solar panels so the batteries can be charged, and they will learn how to properly maintain and service the batteries in a safe manner.
The Construction Division at CCTC @ Courthouse will take leadership of “Off-the-Grid” Solar Panel Initiative.
