One Small Cabin, Many Learning Opportunities The Renewable Energy Cabin is an online laboratory for students in the Renewable Energy and Conservation Program. Online students have access to the lab via the internet. The Energy Cabin operates completely off-grid, using solar voltaics, solar thermal and wind energy for heating and electricity. Once the physical structure of the energy cabin was built, researchers developed a custom-built data acquisition system to provide real-time system information on a live website that can be accessed by renewable energy students and the public. Instant readings of weather conditions, energy systems performance, building heat loss and energy consumption are all available at the click of a button. Data collected over many seasons and years can be used to perform an economic analysis of the system. The system was designed to be flexible to allow reconfiguration for future applied research projects. Rob Baron, instructor in the renewable energy program, says, “While anyone can access the information, and see the changes in energy production between sunny and cloudy days, my students can also use the data for deeper studies, comparing outputs
The Renewable Energy Cabin
to product claims in the renewable energy industry.� Students can test the behavior of the equipment in real-life situations and determine ways to improve efficiency.
Alberta Association of Colleges & Technical Institutes provided funding for constructing and equipping the Renewable eCabin.
Visit: www.lakelandecabin.ca
Research Partnerships: The Sky is the Limit! The Renewable Energy Cabin is already home to a new data collection device as part of a partnership with Athabasca University. Dr. Martin Connors, Canada Research Chair in Space Science Instrumentation and Monitoring, installed an all-sky meteor camera and magnetometer at the Renewable eCabin as part of a Western Canada-wide study to aid meteorite recovery and to study aurora effects.
A Celebration of Research and Innovation at Lakeland College
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