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

Overview

This course was designed to introduce the basic design concepts for small (residential) wind powered electric generation systems. Wind energy systems are one of the most cost-effective home-based renewable energy systems. Depending on your wind resource, a small wind energy system can lower your electricity bill by 50% to 90%, help you avoid the high costs of extending utility power lines to remote locations, prevent power interruptions, and it is nonpolluting. Small wind electric systems can make a significant contribution to our nation's energy needs.

In 2003, the U.S. wind generating capacity increased by more than 30%. Wind power plants of various size now operate in 32 states with a total generating capacity of 6374 MW of power, enough to meet the energy needs of more than 3 million homes.

The goal of the wind energy industry is to contribute 100 GW of wind electricity to our Nation's energy supplies by 2020. By meeting that goal, wind energy will help secure our Nation's energy future and clean up our environment by displacing about 3 quadrillion BTUs of primary energy per year and 65 million metric tons of carbon equivalent per year.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of fifteen (15) questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course will review the basic operation, limitations, capacities and design of the following solar generating systems:

  · Review wind power resource classifications
  · Review the basic parts of a small wind electric system
  · Review of Hybrid systems
  · Stand alone systems
  · Grid Connected systems
  · Calculation of potential energy output

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).