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

为了满足美国各地基于可再生能源的发电和配电行业的短期和长期就业市场需求，新泽西理工学院(NJIT)、莫里斯县学院(CCM)和行业合作伙伴将合作开发可再生能源系统培训(REST)实验室和相关课程，供准备成为技术人员的学生使用。首席调查组还将举办教师发展研讨会。通过该项目，将培训一批新的STEM毕业生，他们将受到高度需求，并能够迅速融入价值数十亿美元的可再生能源电力行业。该项目将通过提高对可再生能源和太阳能光伏(PV)技术的认识，并从社会文化、环境和经济角度阐明此类技术的开发和利用挑战，从而显著提高全国STEM教育。它还将极大地有助于丰富伙伴机构的本科生群体的长期多样性。该项目的主要目标是为学员提供太阳能光伏系统集成、安装、启动、调试、保护和故障排除方面的功能知识和理解。REST实验室的设备还将用于Capstone高级设计和本科生研究项目。将开发便携式可再生能源培训包，用于向K-12学生进行推广和示范，这将增加第一代、少数群体和其他服务不足和代表性不足的人群进入STEM领域的机会。将开发一个在线多媒体培训包，供美国各地大学和学院的所有远程学者免费使用。该项目的传播结果和出版物将在该项目的网站上公布，并将为其他机构开发类似的可再生能源实验室和课程提供明确的路线图和指导方针。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.