Solar Panels Complete AOSS Sun-Earth Exhibit
In 2008 when Rick Kohrs and Margaret Mooney applied to the Baldwin Endowment fund to acquire the first Wisconsin-based 3-D weather globe, they simultaneously asked Madison Gas and Electric (MG&E) to support the acquisition of solar panels that could power the spherical display system.
Mooney and Kohrs envisioned an exhibit that models the Sun-Earth system with energy from the solar panels powering 3-D displays of Earth animations. MG&E sent a check within weeks! The SSEC weather globe was installed on the first floor in 2009. However, getting the solar panels installed on the roof took a while longer.
Considerations included a southward exposure on stands sturdy enough to withstand high winds while propping the panels above the roof wall without taking up too much space. Don Thielman worked with MG&E and H&H Electric to iron out the initial details. Hanging the solar panels off the side of the building was contemplated but the University wouldn’t approve this configuration.
In 2010 Mark Werner took up the torch and saw the project through to completion. The frames were designed by Edge Consulting Engineers of Prairie du Sac, WI, and built by the UW Physical Sciences Lab. The solar panels were finally installed in June 2011!
Along with modeling the essential Sun-Earth connection, this exhibit provides an excellent opportunity to teach about renewable energy, the electromagnetic spectrum and remote sensing topics. The exhibit further paves the way for instructional programs around global and regional climate change. And while the size of the solar array (1kW PV) was calculated based on the electricity needed to power the 3-D globe (6 days a week for 10 hours a day), the electricity from the panels goes directly into the Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science Building, meaning that any extra electricity generated will have the added benefit of reducing our collective carbon footprint.
