TVA Promotes Research and Development of Solar Energy
September 23, 2002
TUSKEGEE, Ala. – The Tennessee Valley Authority is sponsoring an engineering team from Tuskegee University in its quest to win the Solar Decathlon, which will require solar decathletes to design a home powered entirely by the sun.
“Through Green Power Switch, TVA is a leader among Southeastern utilities in its support of solar power,” said TVA Director Skila Harris. “This competition will further the development of solar technology while giving the next generation of engineers hands-on experience with advanced renewable energy. We at TVA share the Tuskegee team’s commitment to exploring the potential of solar energy, and we are enthusiastic in our support of this learning experience.”
The Tuskegee team, comprising 10 architecture and engineering students, designed and built a solar home on campus. The home will be completely dismantled and reassembled in Washington, D.C., for the 10-day national competition September 26 to October 5. Dr. Ben Oni, professor of Electrical Engineering, is the team’s advisor.
In addition to the house, a home-based business and the transportation needs of the household must also be solar-powered. Only the solar energy available within the perimeter of each house may be used to generate the power needed to run the house.
The students will be available to give tours of their solar home on Tuskegee’s campus on September 13. On September 16 and 17, the house will be dismantled and transported on TVA trucks to Washington.
“Through its membership in Advancing Minorities’ Interests in Engineering, TVA identified four Historical Black Colleges and Universities that it will target for future diverse engineering recruitment; Tuskegee University is one of those schools,” said TVA President and Chief Operating Officer Ike Zeringue. “Tuskegee is a leader in African-American graduates in the fields of chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering.”
Tuskegee University was founded in 1881 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Its enrollment is 3,000 students. Tuskegee is the only Historical Black College or University competing in the Solar Decathlon.
The decathlon is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and private-sector partners BP Solar, the American Institute of Architects, Electronic Data Systems, and Home Depot. For more information, see the DOE Web site.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power producer, and its power system is self-financed. It provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve 8.3 million consumers in seven Southeastern states.
Media Contact:
Lucha Ramey, Knoxville (865-632-8385) or TVA News Bureau, Knoxville (865-632-6000)
