A lifelong love of science led Scott Peck to become a middle school science teacher, where he shares his passion, hoping to inspire the next generation of scientists. While teaching engineering and technology education, he hopes to encourage curiosity and a desire to create systems that promote a more sustainable future. To help his students further investigate energy production, Scott built a solar generator with a Battle Born Battery. Through the demonstration of the solar generator, students witness the power of renewable energy first-hand.

Through the Lens of Discovery | An Early Fascination with Science

Barely visible to the naked eye, a minuscule sample portion is carefully sandwiched between two thin, rectangular pieces of glass. Once fastened to the stage, the flip of a switch illuminates the slide, highlighting the outer edge of the sample. Looking through the lens, the viewer spins the knob as the sample moves upwards towards the lens, suddenly coming into focus. Each intricate line of the cells that make up the sample is displayed, bringing the once faint smudge on the glass to life.

Mesmerized by the elaborate cell structures, Scott Peck recalls falling in love with science in his grandmother’s classroom when he was just a little kid. Teeming with excitement, her classroom was full of objects that transported Scott to another world. Microscopes, test tubes, and spectrophotometers beckoned, offering a glimpse into the inner workings of life itself. “Surrounded by captivating scientific models, I found myself drawn into a world of wonder and discovery.”

Scott’s love for science only continued to grow as he got older. Throughout high school, his exceptional science teachers fueled his passion. From biology and chemistry to physics and human anatomy, Scott discovered that he eventually wanted to pursue a career in science. His love of discovery and desire to continue learning more has only strengthened since high school.

Further education kindled a desire to share his passion for learning about science with others. Specifically, Technology Education courses about Transportation Systems, Construction Systems, and Energy and Power significantly impacted Scott’s life. “These classes ignited a spark within me, propelling me toward a career in education.” Ultimately, Scott determined that he wanted to spend his career sharing his love of science with the next generation of scientists and innovators.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers and Innovators

For the past 16 years, Scott has been a science teacher in New York. Although he’s passionate about all forms of science, he specializes in teaching technology education and engineering.   Known to his middle school students as Mr. Peck, he teaches an Energy and the Environment course. “In this class, students are challenged to think big and move toward the future as they explore sustainable solutions to our energy needs and investigate the impact of energy on our lives and the world.”

When Scott began teaching this course in the fall of 2023, he was looking forward to the opportunity to share his knowledge and excitement for creating a more sustainable future. While this is only Scott’s second year of teaching this class, he’s already inspired by his students’ excitement for the different possibilities of renewable energy. Scott loves witnessing the students’ curiosity and engagement as they see their experiments in action. “Their thoughtful questions spark meaningful discussions, reinforcing my belief in the power of education to shape a brighter tomorrow.”

An Investigating Energy unit was added as a new course in the school’s Engineering curriculum as a core piece of the Energy and the Environment class. A fundamental understanding of energy and its various sources is essential for any future engineer or scientist. Additionally, students can explore non-conventional and renewable energy sources by investigating energy. This allows them to begin thinking of ways to employ these energy sources in their lives, leading to a more sustainable future for all.

Students Investigate Solar Power with a Solar Generator

Recognizing the importance of students investigating energy, Scott decided to dive deeper into the subject matter with a hands-on experiment. Particularly fascinated by renewable energy and the potential for utilizing solar power, he wanted to explore the functionality of solar generators with his students. “To me, they represent not only a brilliant innovation but also a glimpse into the future of sustainable energy solutions.”

By creating a hands-on solar generator, Scott was hoping to teach students about the possibilities of solar power and allow them to experience it for themselves. This lesson would include teaching students how each component of a solar generator works and the math used to calculate what a system needs based on its application. “Additionally, this project serves as a practical demonstration of fundamental electronics concepts, offering students insight into the workings of electricity and its measurement.”

While students will take away essential knowledge about renewable energy, “the primary objective of this lesson is to instill in students the importance of embracing the courage to pursue their ideas.” Failure is a natural part of the learning process when searching for a more efficient and innovative way to do something, such as utilizing solar power. Scott hopes that through trial and error and the eventual success of creating a solar generator, he can encourage students to continue trying new things despite potential failure.

Building A DIY Solar Generator Powered by Battle Born Batteries

After deciding to build a solar generator for his class, Scott began extensively researching how he would do it. Diving into research on solar generators, he quickly discovered that “lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries would be ideally suited to this application.” The solar generator would need reliable and sustainable energy storage to get the most out of the solar power coming in. A low-maintenance battery with a long lifespan would be necessary to ensure peak performance. Through extensive YouTube and online forum research of battery options, Scott came across Battle Born Batteries.

With 3,000-5,000 deep discharge cycles, Battle Born Batteries last up to 10 times longer than lead-acid batteries. Additionally, the 50Ah 12V Battle Born Battery needed for this application only weighs 22 pounds, offering 1/5th the weight for the same amount of usable power, making it perfect for a portable solar generator application. Combined with accessories from Victron Energy, including a Pheonix Pure Sinewave Inverter, a SmartSolar MPPT 75/15, and a SmartShunt, Scott’s solar generator has everything it needs to operate.

While designing the solar generator, Scott faced a few challenges. After arduous research and compiling all the necessary components, he had to determine the best way to efficiently organize them within the container that would hold all the parts. Focusing on creating a clear visual representation of the generator’s functionality to show his students, Scott worked hard to design a layout that optimized the space and offered enhanced student learning. Once the solar generator was complete, Scott began using it for in-class demonstrations.

Illuminating the Minds of Future Generations with Solar Power

Bringing the solar generator outside and plugging in two 30-watt solar panels, Scott takes “the opportunity to walk the students through the functionality of each component within the generator, emphasizing the purpose behind the installation of the two circuit breakers and the on/off switch. With the setup complete, I connect a fan to demonstrate the system’s capabilities and share real-time data from the VictronConnect app with the students.”

Walking through the information output by the VictronConnect app, the students learn how to calculate watt hours and determine how long their battery can power an incandescent light bulb vs. an LED lightbulb and how long it will take to recharge. Then, Scott walks them through Ohm’s law to determine the difference in performance between higher and lower voltage systems.

Scott is continually amazed by his student’s learning and reactions to the hands-on solar generator experiment throughout the unit. “I feel the enthusiasm displayed by my students following this lesson shows a genuine interest in alternative and renewable energy sources. I hope this activity will serve as a catalyst, inspiring some students to consider pursuing careers in the renewable energy sector.”

Due to the long life of the Battle Born Battery and other components within the solar generator, Scott expects it to continue serving engineering students in his school district. He plans to continue using the solar generator demonstration for the rest of his teaching career and then pass it on to the next teacher when he retires. Scott hopes to keep inspiring students to be curious about renewable energy and find ways to create a more sustainable future. He’s confident his solar generator will have an enduring legacy while shaping future minds.