 |
| |
 |
PCEI’s Community
Outreach Specialist Jim Ekins teamed up with the UI Upward Bound
Engineering Class, lead by Aaron Kraft, to design and construct a
solar-powered rainwater pumping system. This Upward Bound class,
comprised of 10 high school students from economically disadvantaged
households in which neither parent attended college, spent a month
studying regional energy and water issues. They in turn assisted with
the solar pumping system's implementation. Rainwater collected from the
roof of PCEI’s Danielson-Perrine House is captured in a 1600-gallon
cistern. The pump project uses a 64-watt solar panel to run a 12-volt
pump, connected to a smaller tank located close to our Pantry Garden
for watering the garden. The garden, in turn, produces fruits and
veggies for the PCEI Backyard Harvest Program, which donates hundreds
of pounds of fresh produce to 9 local food banks. PCEI is honored to
have this project on our Rodeo Drive Campus. Kudos to all the students
working in temperatures in the 90’s to finish the project!
|
|
We use a 64-watt photovoltaic panel to charge a deep cycle battery. This
in turn runs a 12-volt, 7-amp pump with a capacity of pumping 4.0
gallons a minute. |
Pumphouse
This project dovetails with PCEI Watershed Technician AmeriCorps
member's CAP project, the installation of the lower 1600-gallon cistern
and an associated workshop on rainwater capture and would be the first
step in a much greater planned rainwater catchment and use system for
PCEI.
|
Download the Project Report
Click here to download the project
report, 1.15Mb |
|
|
