The eLearning Center for B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.

Overview

The geothermal energy potential beneath our feet is vast. This tremendous resource amounts to 50,000 times the energy of all oil and gas resources in the world, and geothermal energy is clean; it represents a promising solution for the nation and the world as we become ever more concerned about global warming, pollution, and rising fossil energy prices.

Increased development of geothermal energy gives people the potential to gain better control of their own local energy resources and use a secure, safe, domestic source of energy. Today's U.S. geothermal industry is a $1.5-billion-per-year enterprise involving over 2800 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation, about 2000 MW of thermal energy in direct-use applications such as indoor heating, greenhouses, food drying, and aquaculture, and over 3,700 MW of thermal energy from geothermal heat pumps. The potential for growth is substantial.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of sixteen (16) questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course will review the geothermal principles, present and future applications, and various design criteria:

  · Comparison between ThermaLock ® and Portland cement concrete
  · Comparison of life cycle costs for various materials and coatings
  · Review of Enhanced geothermal systems - EGS design concepts
  · Review of subsurface temperature potentials
  · Review of Binary- cycle geothermal power plant design concepts
  · Review of flash or dry steam geothermal plants design concepts
  · Review of Extreme Acoustic Telemetry (XAcT) systems
  · Review of Mud Pulse Telemetry systems
  · Review of the Low Emissions Atmospheric Metering Separator (LEAMS) system

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.

Please Note: Continuing Education credits for this course are awarded as PDH (Professional Development Hour Credits).