The Department of Technology at Illinois State University offers a bachelor's degree program in renewable energy. With a focus on the significant and influential social, technical and economic issues that accompany the emerging alternate energy industry, the program prepares students for jobs in the areas of solar and wind energy, biofuels, and regulatory and governmental agencies. Students in the program can focus on one of two different tracks. The technology track encompasses information pertaining to the physical laws and resources constraining current energy systems, the electrical and physical principals of renewable energy systems, and the methods of analyzing solar and wind data. The other track is the policy-making and economics track, which entails a focus on applying business, economic and technical management principals to the energy field, writing programs for control networks, and explaining and defending arguments regarding energy, political, and social issues.
Located in Portland, the Oregon Institute of Technology offers a Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy Engineering. Students in the program benefit from the advanced resources, innovative technological equipment, and experienced instructors, who are highly respected in the field for their excellent research contributions to the energy industry and for their superior teaching abilities. With an emphasis on chemistry, physics and math, the curriculum for the program addresses relevant topics such as photovoltaics, wind power, biofuels, energy management and auditing, green building, renewable transportation systems, and fuel cells. Graduates of the program are eligible to obtain employment as field engineers, manufacturing engineers, renewable energy system integrators, designers for components, and government inspectors.
Lawrence Tech is a school located in Southfield, Michigan, that provides an alternative energy engineering undergraduate certificate program for prospective alternate energy professionals. The courses incorporate lectures, lab assignments and research projects into the program. The classes students must take include power electronics, alternative energy fundamentals, philosophy, society and energy, fuel cells and hydrogen, biofuels and biomass energy engineering, and solar and wind energy generation.
Located in Phoenix, Arizona State University is nationally recognized for its many elite renewable energy programs that equip students with the required knowledge and necessary skills to achieve successful careers in many different areas of the energy industry. The school's bachelor's program in alternative energy technologies trains students to apply fundamental engineering technology principals to design and develop innovative energy systems. The program consists of lessons and labs that pertain to subjects such as electronics, design, science and math, engineering science, alternative energy systems, humanities, communication, general education, electrochemical energy, applied photovaltics, and hydrogen generation storage.