Walt Ratterman, in the Galapagos Islands

Walt Ratterman is program director for Green Empowerment, a nonprofit that promotes community-based renewable-energy projects internationally to generate social and environmental progress.

This was the first day of installation work at the Galapaguera on San Cristobal Island, and the class did very well.

In the morning, we started with a class specifically centered on this particular installation. We discussed the panels we are working with and what their specific characteristics are. We used one of the panels to read the manufacturer's labels on the back to see the various ratings of the different voltages and amperages.

Then, we went to work with the panels. Each person was able to measure open-circuit voltages of one panel alone, and then in series with another panel to see the voltages multiply. The weather was cloudy, so we will be able to compare our readings with other readings, hopefully tomorrow.

After measuring the voltages and learning how series connections work, we went back to the classroom for an orientation on the different pieces of equipment present in this system. With a block diagram, we explained the function of the inverter, the disconnect switches, the meters, and the connection into the main panel in the nearby snack bar.

Then we had a class on the physical rack system we were using for the panels. We showed how the racks would be put together, and all the measurements required for building the racks and centering them on the wood structure. We also needed to be sure the rack was square and the proper angle was made with the adjustable L feet.

We then went to work assembling the racks and bolting them to the wood supports. This took a good part of the morning to complete. Once the racks were complete, we went ahead and mounted the panels. We had two rows of nine panels, with each panel being 140 watts.

After the mounting of the panels, we held another class discussing the conduit that connects everything together and the equipment that is to be mounted on the equipment board.

The crew then proceeded to install the conduit from the panels to the equipment rack, and from the equipment rack to the building. Another crew started in with the building of the equipment on the rack. All of the parts and pieces had to be laid out specifically, to facilitate the wiring.

After this work was complete, we had another class, to discuss the specific wiring of the equipment on the rack. We then went back to the field and installed the wiring.

Throughout the whole day, the idea was to do some training and then do some installing of what we learned.

By the end of the day, all of the equipment was mounted, and all of the wiring was run to and between the various pieces of equipment.

Tomorrow, we will have more classes on the wiring design, and why we have chosen the wire sizes we have, with a class on voltage drop calculations. We will then proceed to complete the wiring, test everything, and get the majority of the system completed.