Morrisville State College - RECT
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- Offer Profile
- The Morrisville State College
Renewable Energy Training Center (RETC) provides technical short courses for
individuals seeking marketable skills in renewable energy fields.
The RETC is an alliance of employers, training providers, economic
development partners, and K-12 schools to address long-term and short-term
needs of New York State's renewable energy sector.
Product Portfolio
Renewable Energy Training Center
Renewable Energy Training Center
- The Morrisville State College Renewable Energy Training
Center (RETC) provides technical short courses for individuals seeking
marketable skills in renewable energy fields. The RETC is an alliance of
employers, training providers, economic development partners, and K-12
schools to address long-term and short-term needs of New York State's
renewable energy sector. Course curricula are based upon employer-identified
skill gaps and needs. RETC short courses and MSC college courses focus on
renewable energy resources and systems, including wind, solar, micro hydro,
geothermal and bioenergy/biofuels. Short courses include technical
entry-level training as well as continuing education for teachers and other
professionals. College courses can be taken individually as continuing
education or as part of a degree program in Renewable Energy Technology
A.A.S. or Technology Management B.Tech. (renewable energy option).
The Central New York Region has significant natural capital to fuel a
renewable energy industry, including wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and
bioenergy. These industries require a skilled workforce from local
communities to succeed. The success of these industries will boost the
regional economy and reduce dependence on non-renewable energy resources.
Renewable Energy Technology :: Home
- The A.A.S. degree program in Renewable Energy Technology
prepares students to become entry-level installers and service technicians
for small renewable energy systems, including small wind, solar
photovoltaics, solar hot water, micro hydroelectric, and biofuels systems.
This flexible program is designed to give students opportunities to choose
coursework that supports their intended career path in renewable energy.
Class work in this curriculum focuses on the fundamental mathematics and
science skills required to size, design, install and troubleshoot home-based
renewable energy systems. Energy efficiency and energy conservation are
continually examined throughout the curriculum. Laboratories are "hands-on"
and will require the students to work safely on operational-scale energy
systems, including wind turbines, solar PV and hot water systems, methane
digesters, wood gasification units, micro hydroelectric systems, and home
energy assessment tools.
Because the Morrisville State College faculty members have close working
relationships with local renewable energy system installers, our students
will get cutting-edge technical training that is demanded in this
high-growth job sector.
Technology Management B.Tech. :: Home
- The Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) degree in Technology
Management seeks to allow graduates in specialized AAS program areas to
combine their technical expertise with a firm understanding of fundamental
business functions. Students who have achieved lower division competencies
in a specialized technical field will be able to benefit from upper division
instruction that combines discipline-specific knowledge with relevant
business principles and practices.
By combining this business education with enhanced technical skill sets,
graduates will be prepared to assume positions as front-line supervisors or
as management trainees for a variety of business firms and organizations.
Students in such traditional A.A.S. degree programs as equine, dairy, food
service administration, horticulture, residential construction, aquaculture,
medical office technology, natural resources conservation, video journalism,
wood technology, or diesel technology will thus have the appropriate
preparation to attain entry-level business leadership roles in their
specialized fields.
Alternative Energy Projects
Alternative Energy Projects
- As the U.S. economy and population grow, the demand for
energy will continue to rise. Decreased production of petroleum and
corresponding higher prices, along with stricter federal guidelines for coal
emissions, necessitate a paradigm shift with respect to energy consumption—a
move toward increased reliance on alternative energy produced from renewable
sources such as hydropower, solar energy, biofuels and wind power.
Alternative energy concepts combine two of Morrisville State College’s
historical strengths: agriculture and technology. The college intends to
take the lead in developing leaders, experts and professionals in what will
undoubtedly become a fast-growing, high-demand industry.
Several projects and initiatives have already been completed on campus which
will provide not only educational benefits to students in several programs
of study, but will also serve as energy sources.
10 kW Wind Turbine
- In 2003, Morrisville State College installed a 10 kW wind
turbine at its dairy complex. Power generated by the turbine reduces energy
costs at the complex by an average of $600 per year. In addition, the wind
turbine is used as a real-world laboratory for students inagricultural
science, agricultural engineering and renewable resources degree programs.
At the request of the company which produces the wind turbine, the college
is conducting research which compares the wind performance data in the
geographical area against the productivity of the windmill.
Local farmers may also take tours of the wind turbine and corresponding
equipment and operational data to assist them in determining the feasibility
of using a small wind turbine to assist in powering their operations.
Anaerobic Methane Digester
- Anaerobic digestion can minimize odor, generate biogas,
and allow more effective nutrient use by crops. To realize the potential
energy, environmental, and cost saving benefits of anaerobic digestion,
farmers need information to evaluate the energy, labor, land, and equipment
costs.
The anaerobic digester project at Morrisville State College involves the
design and construction of a hardtop plug-flow digester. The digester
biologically treats dairy manure and other organic waste generated on campus
to produce a stable effluent with improved physical, chemical, and
biological characteristics. In the system, biogas (about 60% methane) is
produced, captured, and combusted to generate heat and power using a 50 kW
engine/generator set. A boiler that runs on either biogas or propane is also
used to heat water during the startup phase of the system and anytime the
engine generator set is not running.
The methane digester system at Morrisville State College was designed by
David Palmer atCow Power, Inc. It is sized to treat manure from around 400
milking cows and generate about 350,000 kWh per year from the recovered
biogas. The project was funded by NYSERDA and the New York State Department
of Agriculture and Markets, with additional support throughU.S.
Representative John McHugh, and from the U.S. Dept. of Energy Office in
Golden, Colorado.
The digester project at Morrisville State College is generating data on the
effectiveness of an internal combustion engine for converting biogas to
energy; allows the tracking and evaluating of project data, costs, and
benefits; and is being used in Morrisville State College's academic programs
to transfer information to others considering anaerobic digestion systems.
Automated Weather Station
- The School of Agriculture and Natural Resources at
Morrisville State College currently operates two fully automated,
self-contained weather stations. The first is located at the College’s Dairy
Complex and has been in operation since 2002. The second was installed in
the Academic Quad and has been in operation since October 2011. Both weather
stations collect weather data which are used in support of various
Morrisville State College projects, including alternative energy projects.
The Dairy Complex weather station provides hourly, daily, monthly, and
annual weather data summary reports, along with historical weather data
beginning from January 1, 2003.
Daily weather data include the following parameters:
- Date
- Day of week
- Average temperature (deg. F)
- Maximum temperature (deg. F)
- Time of maximum temperature
- Minimum temperature (deg. F)
- Time of minimum temperature
- Average relative humidity (%)
- Maximum relative humidity (%)
- Time of maximum relative humidity
- Minimum relative humidity (%)
- Time of minimum relative humidity
- Average wind speed (mph)
- Maximum wind speed (mph)
- Time of maximum wind speed
- Solar radiation (W/m2)
- Rainfall (inches)
- Growing degree days, GDD (deg. F)
- Accumulated GDD (deg. F)
- Reference evapo-transpiration for well-watered grass (inches)