{"id":1203,"date":"2022-01-31T20:08:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T20:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/together.louisiana.edu\/?p=1203"},"modified":"2022-01-31T20:10:08","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T20:10:08","slug":"university-to-break-ground-on-louisiana-solar-energy-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/together.louisiana.edu\/impact-stories\/university-to-break-ground-on-louisiana-solar-energy-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"University to break ground on Louisiana Solar Energy Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette owns and operates one of the largest outdoor solar testing facilities in the southeastern United States. The 4,200-panel solar field encompasses 6 acres, a symbol of UL Lafayette\u2019s status as a national leader in sustainable and traditional energy technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UL Lafayette will further cement that reputation on Thursday, Feb. 3, when it breaks ground on the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab. The 4,500-square-foot building will be located next to the solar field at University Research Park on Eraste Landry Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lab will serve as a hub for solar research, technology development, instruction, training, outreach and workforce development. It will house solar testing equipment, a classroom, interactive learning applications, a seminar room with audio-visual equipment, a conference room, and a visitor\u2019s center with visual displays and informational kiosks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Louisiana Solar Energy Lab will be an essential component for educating the next generation of engineers in solar energy, enabling applied and long-term operational research and testing,\u201d said Dr. Ahmed Khattab, dean of the College of Engineering<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s noteworthy, given Louisiana\u2019s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, meaning for all carbon dioxide emissions, the same amount must be removed from the atmosphere. At the same time, however, Louisiana is among the nation\u2019s top states for energy usage, greenhouse gas production, and energy production generated by a range of traditional and renewable sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe College of Engineering has adopted a comprehensive approach to energy education that encompasses conventional energy, renewable energy and environmental sustainability. This approach is essential to addressing today\u2019s energy demands and future consumption needs,\u201d Khattab said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Louisiana Solar Energy Lab at UL Lafayette will be an indispensable part of that equation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University alum Georges Antoun, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from the College of Engineering in 1988, is the driving force behind the solar lab. That\u2019s thanks to a $1 million lead gift, coupled with his role as chair of the college\u2019s Dean\u2019s Advisory Council. Antoun offers guidance and expertise in a range of areas, including strategic planning. He also coordinates student mentoring efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t a place in the country that is looking at traditional generations such as oil and gas and renewable from a strategy perspective,\u201d Antoun said. \u201cWhy not the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to champion and lead that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His assessment is built on experience. Antoun, who also holds a master\u2019s degree from the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, is chief commercial officer for First Solar. The global company has developed, engineered, constructed and currently operates many of the world\u2019s largest grid-connected photovoltaic power plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antoun\u2019s gift is part of the largest comprehensive fundraising initiative in UL Lafayette history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together: The Campaign for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette<\/a> aims to raise $500 million. The campaign\u2019s priorities include the creation of \u2013 and support for \u2013 research, learning and teaching spaces where students and faculty work side-by-side in practical settings to address contemporary challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Louisiana Solar Energy Lab is one such space. Research findings and expertise that emanate from the lab will be widely disseminated \u2013 to industry professionals, public officials and others responsible for furthering the development of commercial-scale use of solar technology in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its far-reaching impact on industry will rest on its capabilities for \u201ctesting many applications and many technologies and from multiple vendors for solar,\u201d Antoun explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Louisiana Solar Energy Lab\u2019s development was overseen by Dr. Terrence Chambers, a mechanical engineering professor who directs the University\u2019s Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt will be one of the premier facilities in the southeastern U.S., and will further solidify the University\u2019s solar program among the best in the nation,\u201d Chambers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond research, testing, training and industry collaboration, the facility will enable the University to expand its solar energy courses and curriculums. The College of Engineering has a minor in renewable energy built around sustainable and solar energy courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University also offers professional development training courses <\/a>for people who work in sustainable industries. Chambers envisions more programs \u2013 including undergraduate and graduate degrees \u2013 being added because of the establishment of the solar energy lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents and faculty members \u2013 as well as industry partners \u2013 will be able to conduct research in the lab and receive instruction in its classroom, then walk right outside and perform learning exercises directly on the solar equipment. That\u2019s an important and rare capability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find more information on Together: The Campaign for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caption:<\/strong> UL Lafayette will break ground Thursday on the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab, a 4,500-square-foot hub for research, technology development, instruction, training, outreach and workforce development. The lab will be next to UL Lafayette\u2019s 6-acre solar field at University Research Park on Eraste Landry Road. Submitted rendering<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette owns and operates one of the largest outdoor solar testing facilities in the southeastern United States. The 4,200-panel solar field encompasses 6 acres, a symbol of UL Lafayette\u2019s status as a national leader in sustainable and traditional energy technologies. UL Lafayette will further cement that reputation on Thursday, Feb. 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