A visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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Graduate Research Assistant, Michael Cervantes along with his mentor Dr. Vega visited the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. We have asked Michael to give us a description of his trip and here is what he said along with some pictures of his experience.
"My 3-day trip to NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) was an eventful and exciting one. Throughout my stay in Colorado, I was able to explore the test facilities, interact and learn from many members of NREL, and enjoy the amazing mountain and sunset views surrounding the area. My main goal was to assist my mentor, Dr. Vega, in setting up our new, low-cost camera technology for solar forecasting. This trip was the culmination of months and months of research from building a new camera prototype, developing new software for solar forecasting, and finding new ways to participate in the ongoing push towards the electric grid of the future. The research involved in this project is just the beginning. Our team plans on designing newer cameras and optimizing our software for future collaborations across the U.S. including NREL. This project has taught me much more about the engineering process and how impactful one’s research can be with an excellent team of individuals. Our future outlook is bright and we plan on returning back to NREL in the next few months to verify how well our latest prototype performed. The work involved with The Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute truly proves how collaboration from multiple disciplines can make an impact in today’s rapid growing technological environment."
