Nature Center goes greener
Published 11:08 am Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Southern Minnesota Electric employees Jason Tieskotter, left, and and Matt Horan, install wiring on new solar panels at the Nature Center. They are certified to oversee the project, which is meant to benefit Riverland students in the wind energy program. Steve Vietor, instructor in that program, said he wants his students to be well-versed in all types of renewable energy. -- Matt Peterson/matt.peterson@austindailyherald.com
The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is becoming a little more organic, thanks to the Riverland Community College wind turbine technician program.
Contractors, students, and an instructor from Riverland installed solar panels at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Tuesday afternoon. The students will finish further installations next week and will be able to study data from the apparatus.
Riverland students installed part of a 16 solar photovoltaic panel project at the Nature Center Tuesday. The project, which will provide the Ruby Rupner Auditorium and the Visitor’s Center with power, is more than a year and a half in the making.
“There is a strong educational component in all of this,” said Steve Vietor, Riverland wind turbine tech instructor.
The Nature Center got permission a year and a half ago for the solar PV project but decided to wait to install it. Though the equipment came to Austin this spring, Nature Center staff decided to postpone the installation so Riverland students could learn about solar power.
“You don’t always get the opportunity, the chance to learn about this,” Vietor said.
Vietor said the panels, put in under the guidance of Southern Minnesota Electric contractors, will provide about 3,500 watts for the Nature Center once students finish the installation in coming weeks. What’s more, area students of any grade can monitor how much energy the panels produce, which means students have more to learn about at the Nature Center.
“When we’re all done, the K-12 students will be able to access via the Internet the solar system at the Nature Center and they’ll be able to monitor production of solar energy throughout the day,” Vietor said.
