RC 431 - Renewable Energy On-Site Lab

3 Credits

Outline Effective Date 2024 Fall
2024/2025

Lab Hours: 45
Course Description:
A hands-on lab component related to the wind, solar, geothermal, and system measurement and control courses are held at the Vermilion, Alberta campus of Lakeland College. This hands-on lab component is a very important part of the diploma program where students work with the equipment and practice many of the essential skills required.

Rationale:
Most of the courses in the Sustainable Energy Technology program are offered on-line. Although the on-line format works well for acquiring theoretical and design skills, there remain physical skills that can only be acquired by hands-on activities. This lab-course builds on the content of previous on-line courses by engaging students in practical activities commonly performed by renewable energy practitioners. This tactile experience with actual renewable energy components and systems reinforces the theory learned and completes the educational experience.

Prerequisites: All first year courses, RC 320 (or RC 327), RC 322, RC 325, RC 326, and RC 430

This course is a cap-stone practical course and as such requires the noted courses as prerequisites covering the theoretical content without exception.
Corequisites: None

Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to

Practice safe work practices around electricity, plumbing, structures, and mechanical systems.
Perform a solar site assessment.
Describe and perform the tasks necessary for maintaining glycol based solar thermal systems.
Perform basic plumbing tasks such as threaded and sweat fit pipe connections.
Describe and comply with fall protection regulatory requirements.
Use test equipment and instrumentation to ensure renewable energy systems are commissioned and working properly.
Make lab-scale batches of high-quality biodiesel from vegetable oil.
Perform the physical tasks necessary to layout and mount -solar pv systems on a roof.
Inspect installed solar photovoltaic - systems for Canadian Electrical Code compliance.
Understand and perform annual maintenance tasks for off-grid solar systems.

Required Resource Materials:
Please bring the following with you:

A copy of your fall safety certificate - from the ASTEC course you completed after registering for this course.
Suitable work clothes for outside work - could be warm, raining, or cold, clothes (hat) should be tight fitting to not catch on anything. Flame resistant coveralls are helpful for some tasks but not mandated.
An old pair of pants for the battery lab
Steel toe work boots. CSA approved, ideally with the Ω symbol for electrically non-conductive.
Work gloves
Eye protection will be provided, but if you have your favorite safety glasses, please bring them.
Hard hats will be provided when necessary.
Clipboard-type notebook with blank paper for notes
Calculator

Optional Resource Materials:
Your favorite multimeter

Conduct of Course:
This course is offered on-site at Lakeland College’s Centre for Sustainable Innovation where students work directly with solar photovoltaic and thermal systems, geo-exchange systems and renewable systems. Before taking this course, students are required to complete an approved on-line fall protection course. RC 431 activities are scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily for one week. A one-hour break is allowed for lunch each day. Each lab activity requires a morning or afternoon to complete and may require a written submission at the end of the period.

Since this is the main in-person component of the Sustainable Energy Technology diploma program, attendance for all lab activities is mandatory to receive credit for this course.

Content of Course:

Solar Site Assessments
Energy Monitoring and Control Systems
Solar Photovoltaic System Installation Techniques and Testing
Biodiesel Chemistry Lab
Biomass - Facility Tour
Off-grid Battery Maintenance
Pipe Fusion Skills
Solar PV Inspections and Canadian Electrical Code
Solar PV Module Characteristics
Solar Thermal System Installation and Inspection
System Design Using Helioscope
Solar Thermal System Maintenance
Workplace and Fall Safety
Wind Farm Tour

Course Assessments:

There are 13 lab activities as well as completion of a fall-safety course. Students receive marks for the labs completed and are graded based on the quality of the tasks completed which includes attention to safety, professionalism, documentation of work, and following instructions and craftsmanship. In some cases, a written submission is required.

Lab Activity	Marks
LA 1.0 Solar Site Assessment	5
LA 2.0 Building Systems Monitoring & Controls	10
LA 3.0 Solar PV Demo Install Lab	15
LA 4.0 Biodiesel Chemistry Lab	10
LA 5.0 Biomass Tour	5
LA 6.0 Battery Service Lab	5
LA 7.0 GeoExchange Pipe Fusion Lab	10
LA 8.0 Solar PV Electrical Inspection Lab	10
LA 9.0 Solar PV IV Curve Lab	5
LA 10.0 Solar Thermal Installation Lab	5
LA 11.0 Helioscope Lab	5
LA 12.0 Solar Thermal System Service Lab	5
LA 13.0 Complete Fall Safety Training Course	5
LA 14.0 Wind Farm Tour	5
Total	100%

Course Pass Requirements:
A minimum grade of D (50%) (1.00) is required to pass this course. Students must maintain a cumulative grade of C (GPA - Grade Point Average of 2.00) in order to qualify to graduate.