news-record.com

The Board of Trustees for Alamance Community College approved on Monday an “Alternative Energy Technology” program that would begin this fall and train students in the concepts of environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and wind-solar-hydro power systems. This program still has to be approved by the State Board of Community Colleges. (Read some background on the state community college system's Code Green Initiative.)

According to a press release, the certificate program would require students to complete 12 to 18 credit hours and possibly include the following courses: 

• Photovoltaic Systems Technology: Understanding systems that convert solar energy into electricity;
• Wind & Hydro Power Systems: Understanding the technologies associated with converting wind and water into a viable energy source
• Thermal Systems: Understanding forced convection, heat flow and exchange, elements of thermal system design and maintenance.
• Intro to Sustainability: Maximizing renewable energy resources and reduction of environmental impacts.

Discussions are underway with several UNC campuses to identify courses that can transfer into existing university energy-related programs. Short-term certificate programs in these courses are also being developed.

Dr. Barry Weinberg, the college's executive vice president, also announced that ACC will install a field of solar panels that would produce energy and serve as hands-on learning for the green program.