Binghamton University engineering students install solar-powered charging station on campus
The senior engineering students will unveil their design with remarks from the team lead, project advisor and capstone project coordinator.
Binghamton University students from the Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments will be unveiling a solar-powered charging station at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 8. The students designed the station, located in the center of campus, for their senior capstone design project.
The system consists of a single solar panel attached to a biaxial slew drive which is then mounted on top of a 10-foot-tall pole. The panel rotates, allowing it to track the sun from morning until night. This increases the power generated by keeping the panel focus on the sun’s position.
Students will be able to charge all their electronic devices at the station. Benches surround the solar panel for convenience and comfort.
The students involved in the project are Jack Biederman, Jennifer Donohue, Daniel Sidoti, Jay Johnson and Nicholas Paniza. The project has been overseen by Assistant Professor Tara P. Dhakal from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Dhakal is an expert on solar power and the director of the Center for Autonomous Solar Power (CASP).
The solar charging station has been installed on the spine in front of the John Arthur Café in the Fine Arts Building.
During the unveiling, the student lead on the project, Biederman, will give some remarks on the design and building process. Dhakal will speak more generally about the future of solar power and lecturer Jack Maynard will give a few remarks on the value of the Watson Senior Design Capstone Projects.