Solar Energy Systems Design using Immersive Virtual Reality: A
Multi-Modal Learning Approach
Abstract
As the demand for renewable energy sources continues to increase, solar
energy is becoming an increasingly popular option. Therefore, effective
training in solar energy system design and operation is crucial to
ensure the successful implementation of solar energy technology. To make
this training accessible to a wide range of people from different
backgrounds, it is important to develop effective and engaging training
methods. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool
for enhancing solar energy training and education. In this paper, we
present a unique approach to evaluating the effectiveness of an
immersive VR experience for solar energy systems design training, using
a multi-module approach and a detailed analysis of user engagement. To
better understand the effectiveness of this VR experience, we divided
our experiment into several scenes and employed a range of sensors,
including eye-tracking and wireless wearable sensors, to accurately
assess users’ engagement and performance in each scene. Our results
demonstrate that the immersive VR experience was effective in improving
users’ understanding of solar energy systems design and their ability to
perform complex tasks. Moreover, by using sensors to measure user
engagement, we identified specific areas that required improvement and
provide insights for enhancing the design of future VR training
experiences for solar energy systems design. Our study highlights the
potential of immersive VR as a tool for enhancing solar energy training
and education, with implications for both research and practice.