Advancing Concentrated Solar Power Education
MIE Professors Hameed Metghalchi (PI), Yiannis Levendis, and Emeritus Associate Professor Gregory Kowalski were awarded a $265,000 grant to create “An Educational Program on Concentrated Solar Power and Heliostats for Power Generation and Industrial Processes” from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)’s Heliostat Consortium. This educational program will be developed during the two-year project and then become part of the Northeastern curriculum for undergraduate and graduate engineering students.
The Educational Program shall develop educational, research, and student outreach opportunities in heliostat and CSP technology. The developed educational opportunities shall include a full credit (4 credit at Northeastern University) CSP semester university course for graduate and undergraduate students and short courses to train industry practitioners. The developed research opportunities shall include heliostat-focused capstone experiences and MS and BS thesis projects for interested undergraduate and graduate students. Outreach opportunities shall include research, education, and professional experience for students, including events to target interested freshmen and underrepresented student communities. Developed course and research project materials shall be made publicly accessible online to support future CSP and heliostat resources, training, and education development.