Solar skills on the rooftop of the world

Thirteen student volunteers from the photovoltaics and solar energy degree at UNSW will soon be applying their skills on the rooftop of the world, Nepal. The second-year engineering students will travel to Nepal to install photovoltaic systems, which produce electricity from sunlight, in community buildings in several rural Nepali villages.
Working with the Himalayan Light Foundation, a Nepal-based non-government organisation, the students will contribute to HLF's Solar Sisters program, which focuses on improving women's livelihoods by providing affordable solar lighting systems to community buildings used for handicraft production, educational programs and meetings.

As well as donating their time and expertise, the students are raising money for their travel expenses and for the purchase of the six photovoltaic systems that they will install. While in the Nepali villages, the students will also evaluate the effectiveness of solar systems already operating there.

The students are supervised by an academic but have total responsibility for the planning, management and execution of the project, which is part of their course assessment.