The short courses offered by REN! are still under development at this time and will be offered starting in 2023. Please check this website for updates and/or subscribe to our Newsletter List.
The courses presently under development include:
- Basic Energy Science: An introduction to fundamental concepts of energy such as definitions and basic relationships of force, work, energy, and power; units and unit conversions for these quantities; different forms of energy; first and second laws of thermodynamics; and applications of these concepts to renewable energy and energy storage systems.
- Electricity & Electronics Fundamentals: An introduction to the fundamentals of electricity including concepts such a charge, voltage, current, electrical power, resistance, and impedance; electrical and electronic components; DC and AC circuits; applications of these concepts to renewable energy and energy storage systems.
- Introduction to Photovoltaics: An introduction to one of the most important renewable energy technologies, including the nature of photovoltaic cells and how they work; different types and efficiencies of PV cells; the history of PV; the different components of PV systems and how they operate; system cost and cost trends; siting issues; issues with environmental factors such as temperature and snow; integration of PV systems with energy storage; etc.
- Fundamentals of Clean Energy Advocacy: A thorough introduction to clean energy policies, including the institutions that create and regulate energy policies and how to work with them, clean energy policy mechanisms, the different types and nature of utilities; the history of clean energy policy; etc.
These courses will be interactive: They will be taught live via Zoom, so that questions can be asked during presentations. Follow up consultations, as one-to-one or in groups, as needed, will occur after course presentations conclude, that is, during the week following the presentations, to help participants resolve remaining conceptual gaps and to finish up homework. Certificates of Completion will be awarded after consultations wrap up, about two weeks after the start date of each course, to participants who attend the courses and complete the homework assignments with a passing grade.