Students from UMECIT Santiago visit the PANASOLAR V photovoltaic project on an academic tour of the Environmental Audit program.

On April 12, 2025, students of the Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Management at UMECIT's Santiago campus conducted an enriching field visit to the PANASOLAR V Photovoltaic Project, located in the community of San Bartolo de La Mesa. This activity was carried out as part of the Environmental Audits course, coordinated by Professor Esequiel Abrego.

The PANASOLAR V project, owned by PANASOLAR CLEAN POWER, SA, has a capacity of 9.99 MWac and 14 MWp of peak power, distributed across 23,333 photovoltaic modules of 600 W each. All the energy generated is injected into the national distribution grid via a 4 km 34 kV overhead transmission line, which connects to ETESA's San Bartolo substation.

During the day, the lead engineer provided a comprehensive technical explanation of the design, installation, and environmental challenges faced during the project's execution. The students took a comprehensive tour of the plant, inspected the photovoltaic infrastructure, identified environmental impacts during the construction phase, and learned about the mitigation measures implemented on site.

This experience allowed for the consolidation of theoretical learning in a real-life setting, enhancing the ability of future professionals to analyze and audit environmental processes from an applied perspective.

In addition to the technical component, the visit included a continuous assessment process that encompassed planning, coordination with the company, field observation, teacher feedback, and self-assessment. This traceability allowed for detailed monitoring of each student's learning and highlighted the importance of academic internships as a bridge between theory and the productive environment.

UMECIT reaffirms its commitment to solid, high-quality environmental training, which integrates teaching, research, and engagement with the productive sector to develop professionals capable of addressing the sustainability challenges in Panama and the region.