UMaine Offering Class in Renewable Energy, Electricity Production
Contact: David Dvorak, 581-2338; Paul Villeneuve, 581-2271; Aimee Dolloff, (207) 581-3777
ORONO – Students at the University of Maine will have a chance to participate in a new course in the Fall of 2010 that’s all about renewable energy.
Renewable Energy and Electricity Production will introduce the different types of renewable energy technologies and geographical considerations when evaluating renewable energy resources. This unique approach allows students to understand the technologies while assessing the viability of a particular site.
Beyond the renewable energy and resource presentation, the course will cover power plant economics and fuel concerns, comparing costs between renewable energy technologies and conventional fossil fuel plants. The course also will look at the scale and location of electric power producing plants.
Students will learn from licensed professional engineers who have worked in renewable energy fields. Dr. David Dvorak, UMaine mechanical engineering technology professor, is an expert on fuel cell systems and has been developing a graduate program in renewable energy in Iceland. Paul Villeneuve, UMaine Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Technology, has worked extensively in the power generation, supply, and delivery arena and was heavily involved with the first commercial scale wind farm in Maine.
The course will cover more than just the science of renewable energy technologies, also making it appealing to those who are interested in the policy aspects and economic evaluations of renewable energy.
The course is a three-credit offering, but also can be taken as 45 professional development hours or continuing education units.