Solar Panel Design and Construction

For my mechanical engineering senior design project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I was partnered with the Grow Academy, a local juvenile rehabilitation center in Oregon, WI, to implement solar panels at their site. The project aimed to help the Grow Academy become more sustainable by using solar energy to power some of their farm equipment while also providing additional educational resources to the students there. After creating digital energy models of the site, my team and I designed and installed a solar panel system including battery storage, surge protection with circuit breakers, weather protection, and DC to AC energy conversion circuitry. We installed underground conduit and provided power to the on-site chicken coop heater and fish pond pump. Our system included educational features, such as energy production monitoring over time, to inspire learning and responsibility for the students.