Renewable Energy Systems Training (REST) Laboratory Development and Workforce Training

To meet the immediate and long-term job market demands of the renewable-based power generation and distribution industries across the U.S., New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), the County College of Morris (CCM), and industrial partners will collaborate to develop a renewable energy systems training (REST) laboratory and an associated curriculum for students preparing to be technicians. Faculty development workshops will also be conducted by the team of principal investigators. Through this project a new class of STEM graduates will be trained who will be in high demand and able to quickly integrate into the multi-billion dollar renewable energy power industries. This project will significantly enhance STEM education nationwide by increasing awareness of renewable energy resources and solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies, and by illuminating the development and utilization challenges of such technologies from socio-cultural, environmental, and economic perspectives. It will also greatly contribute to the enrichment of the long-term diversity of the undergraduate student bodies at the partner institutions.

The main objective of this project will be to provide trainees with functional knowledge and understanding of solar PV systems integration, installation, startup, commissioning, protection, and troubleshooting. The equipment in the REST laboratory will also be used for capstone senior design and undergraduate research projects. A portable renewable energy training package will be developed for outreach and demonstration to K-12 students, which will increase access to STEM fields among first-generation, minority, and other underserved and underrepresented populations. An online multimedia training package will be developed which will be accessible for free to all remote scholars from universities and colleges across the U.S. The disseminated results and publications of this project will be publicized on the website of the project and will provide a clear road map and guidelines for other institutions to develop a similar renewable energy laboratory and curriculum.