Renewable Energy Technologies

Catalog description

This course will discuss both the need for and the specifics of energy conservation and renewable energy technologies. Passive solar design for reducing energy requirements will be covered, including solar water heating and solar cooking. The main renewable energy power systems will be discussed, including solar photovoltaics, wind and hydro. Electrical theory will be covered, as well as inverter technology for converting system output from DC to standard AC power. Both battery- based and grid-tied batteryless systems will be discussed. Students will have an opportunity to design a renewable energy system to meet the needs of a simulated home environment.