Three Mechanical Engineering BTech students (Riaan Opperman, Stephan de Beer and Jarred Hempel) have been tasked with installing solar and wind power to a computer lab in the "E" block of the North Campus. They have run the project from concept stage all the way through to installation. Progress has been brisk and we hope to power up 1/4 of the lab on green power by early January. 1000W of PV is being installed as well as horizontal and vertical axis turbines. MPPT solar and wind charge controllers will feed 1000Ah of lead acid battery storage. A 2kW inverter with data logging and network interface will complete the package. Live data will be available on a web portal showing how the system performs. The system will serve as a pilot project for the NMMU to test the viability of green powered buildings and will provide the man in the street with real unbiased data on which to base purchasing decisions for green energy components.
A pic is attached showing the team constructing the PV mounting framework. More pics to follow soon as the various components are installed on the rooftop.
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