Renewable Energy Labs Prepare Tomorrow’s Green Workforce

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Wind Energy Safety Course "High Tower Rescue"

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Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design, today announced that it has installed an array of new laboratory equipment, further positioning the school as the premiere destination for renewable energy education.

Ecotech now has seven computer labs, nine clean energy labs and 11 lecture classrooms, including labs that focus on electricity, electronics, solar, wind and safety, as well as one outdoor solar residence lab.  All labs offer progressive equipment to facilitate practical learning of basic and advanced electronics, the fundamentals and applications of wind and solar power generation and safety skills.  Electricity, electronics, power, solar and hydraulics labs contain Lab-Volt® systems.

“We have invested heavily in the best equipment to ensure that our students learn on similar technology to what they will be using after graduation,” said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute.  “We intentionally waited to buy and install this last round of equipment until our students were ready for that level of curriculum and we are pleased to announce that we’ve met that milestone.”

Some highlights of Ecotech’s labs include:

•    Students studying wind technology are now taking courses in the wind safety lab, which includes a 25-foot climbing/safety training tower so students can use the actual harnesses that they would use to go up and down a real wind turbine.  This helps simulate a significant element of a career as a wind or solar technician.  The wind program lab equipment also includes a Lab-Volt® nacelle/pitch system, variable frequency drive and cranes and rigging trainers.

•    Many classes are utilizing top-notch computer simulation software, in which students can engage in activities in multi-dimensional formats.

•    A PLC (programmable logic controller) lab, which teaches students the most important fundamentals of manufacturing.

•    Five brand new Lab-Volt® indoor/outdoor moveable solar / wind energy training systems.

•    Other lab features include integrated circuit boards, a variety of motors, high voltage education and safety programs, programming software, controlling systems, hands-on wiring, electricity education through a variety of modalities, and much more.

Ecotech Institute’s new campus opened in January 2011 and was built with sustainability in mind.  It boasts eight small wind turbines, a Vertical Axis wind turbine, 12 polycrystalline rooftop photovoltaic solar panels, two solar trees and much more.  In the lobby, Ecotech boasts a cutting-edge dashboard that measures to-the-minute energy savings and aims to garner about 8-10 percent of its energy usage from on-site generation.  Learn more about Ecotech’s sustainable energy campus at http://www.ecotechinstitute.com/ecotech-location.cfm.