Renewable Energy and the Solar Tilt Kit

From our partners at KEEP

At Wisconsin’s K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP), renewable energy has been a cornerstone of what we do for a long time.

Many KEEP energy lessons, kits, trainings and partnerships focus on ways renewable energy can be used in schools and school communities to build a better future.

Over the past couple of years, perhaps nothing has been more emblematic of KEEP’s renewable energy education efforts than our Solar Tilt Kit. It’s been our most popular kit since its debut in August 2022. It has traveled to classrooms and conference halls throughout the state through our kit lending program and professional development trainings.

The kit is a way for students and educators to develop an understanding of how solar panels can be used to generate electricity and how a variety of factors like the angle of the sun, the angle of the solar panel and cloud cover can impact the amount of electricity generated.

The first version of the kit was built around a small solar panel mounted in a tiltable stand. Combined with various accessories, alligator clips, multimeters, light bulbs, compasses and KEEP’s Solar Tilt Kit lessons, the full potential of the kit as a teaching tool is unlocked.

With the introduction of the second version of the kit in August 2023, KEEP also launched its companion Solar Load Kit. This kit includes a variety of loads (or appliances) that can be run off the solar panels and batteries. Students follow KEEP’s inquiry-based companion lessons to experiment making simple circuits to run fans, lights and water pumps.

Formal and non-formal educators are welcome to borrow KEEP kits for use in their classrooms. Request the Solar Tilt Kit from our kits page. Kits can be reserved up to one year in advance. Reserve early to make sure you get the dates you need! Contact our Student Resource Specialist Heather Phelps at hphelps@uwsp.edu with any kit questions.