Virginia Energy Efficiency 16 PDH Discount Package 1

This online engineering PDH course provides information on solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, and presents a series of steps that will help you reach a well-informed conclusion about making an investment in solar energy systems.

Solar PV technology is the process that converts sunlight into electrical current when it strikes suitable materials called semiconductors in a device. Sunlight is absorbed by semiconducting materials, such as silicon, releasing electrons from their atoms. The electrons flow through the semiconductor to produce direct current (DC) electricity.

The technologies associated with the building blocks of a solar array project may seem complicated; however, the system design and construction are relatively simple and straightforward. Familiarity with the design and construction procedures is beneficial in becoming a more educated consumer and owner.

This online engineering PDH course provides basic information on wireless occupancy for lighting controls.

Lighting use constitutes about 20% of the total energy consumption in commercial buildings. Adding lighting controls is a simple retrofit option than can save on energy costs while helping to meet agency and federal energy savings mandates. Some energy codes and federal standards require the use of lighting controls.

Studies have shown that adding lighting controls can reduce lighting energy use 10% to 90% or more depending on the use of the space in which the sensors are installed. One study conducted on a university campus found that installing wired occupancy sensors to control lighting in more than 200 rooms in 10 buildings provided an annual cost savings of about $14,000 with a simple payback of 4.2 years.

This online engineering PDH course presents guidelines on how to reduce mechanical system water use in residential buildings. Mechanical systems are frequently utilized to provide heating and cooling for residential properties. They typically fall into two categories: centralized and decentralized systems.

Centralized mechanical systems provide heating and cooling from a central location, such as a mechanical room or utility penthouse. These systems are more common in mid- and high-rise multifamily properties and can include cooling towers, boilers, and steam systems, each of which uses water as the heat transfer medium. As a result, the use of water for building heating and cooling can be significant and using sound management practices is a good opportunity for water savings.

Decentralized mechanical systems treat each unit of a multifamily property as its own space, as if each unit were a stand-alone single-family residence. These systems do not typically use process water, so they are not the focus of this water efficiency management guide.

This online engineering PDH course provides a brief overview of wind turbine technology and its associated components, discusses the financial considerations and the technological improvements that would be required to increase the reliance on wind energy in the future.   

Current turbine technology has enabled wind energy to become a viable power source in today’s energy market. Advancements in turbine technology that have the potential to increase wind energy’s presence are currently being explored through areas of study including reducing capital costs, increasing capacity factors, and mitigating risk through enhanced system reliability.

This online engineering PDH course identifies the opportunities for improving the performance of the heating and cooling system based on the type of system that is in place.

Heating and cooling systems are the largest single consumers of energy in buildings. These systems condition the air within a building so that occupants are comfortable. Heating and cooling systems consist mainly of chillers, boilers, cooling towers, and pumps. There are central heating and cooling systems, and unitary systems that combine heating and cooling. Opportunities exist for improvement to both central and unitary systems.

This 3 PDH online course is applicable to engineers, contractors, designers and other technical professionals who are involved in the retrofit of existing heating and cooling systems.

This online engineering PDH course presents the facts and statistics about the generation and disposition of municipal solid waste (MSW) over time in the United States. It examines the disposing of waste in landfills, recycling, composting, and combustion with energy recovery.

Approximately 262 million tons of MSW was generated in the United States in 2015. Understanding how waste is generated and disposed of is important for managing scarce materials.

This report analyzes MSW trends in generation and management, materials and products, and economic indicators affecting MSW. It also includes a section on the generation of construction and demolition (C&D) debris, which is not a part of MSW, but comprises a significant portion of the non-hazardous solid waste stream.

This online engineering PDH course provides insight on how to estimate the positive environmental effects of green roof installations in cities. This is accomplished by providing a brief introduction to the basic concepts and definitions relating to urban environmental pollution, followed by a case study of the Kansas City metropolitan area.

A green roof—also called a vegetated roof or eco-roof—is a roof with soil and plants placed on top of a conventional roof. Green roofs are growing in popularity, as they have proven to be a cost-effective strategy for creating more livable and sustainable cities. Integrating nature-based solutions like green roofs into the urban landscape has several benefits to the environment, public health, and society.