Manage the Energy Resources Effectively with Energy Systems Engineering Program

It is an interesting time to be a graduate of energy systems engineering programs such as Centennial College's Energy Systems Engineering Technician offering. That's because there is currently a transformation in the utility and construction sectors as society shifts its view on energy and environment. The area of utility is changing its operating practices to include a range of innovative energy projects using small-scale sources such as wind, hydro, fuel cells, solar, gas turbines and biomass to feed electricity, heat and air conditioning to our homes and businesses. The construction industry, meanwhile, is incorporating green building initiatives that use sustainable, integrated architecture and engineering practices for new buildings. Combining these modern sustainable energy technologies in a manner consistent with our urban environments falls in the hands on those who graduate from energy systems engineering programs.

At Centennial College's offering, the focus is on ensuring students graduate with a unique blend of technical, managerial and entrepreneurial skills that are highly sought after in modern energy and sustainable building companies. Additionally, their knowledge of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, computational fluid dynamics and mechanics applies to industries such as moulding and casting, integrated circuit packaging, heat exchanger/ boiler design and manufacture and petrochemical processing.

Applicants must posses at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. They must also have the credits for compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and Math 11M or U, or 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent.

Once accepted, students of the energy systems technician program spend two years studying a technical curriculum complemented by project management lessons and the opportunity to work on state-of-the-art energy systems. Here are five of the most essential energy systems technician courses in which students will partake.

Energy, Environment and Society: Topics in this energy systems technician course include world and North American primary energy sources; supply, demand and reserves, including fossil, nuclear and renewable energy resources; the laws governing conversion of energy from one form to another; thermodynamic efficiency of heat engines and end-use efficiency; and the fundamentals of electricity generation, transmission and end-use.

Fabrication and Installation: With a project approach, this offering covers vital energy systems technician topics such as metrology, bench work, band saws, drills, mills, lathes, safety, tables/charts, layouts, trade calculations and engineering drawings.

Chemistry Applications and Climate: This courses aims to teach students basic chemistry and environmental issues through evaluating and understanding pollution and its impact on environment, economics, water resources, and climate; corrosion, industrial water treatment and related equipment used for the same purpose; crude oil, its chemical nature, and refining of the components and octane number; and analyzing and evaluating, acid rain, smog, CFC's, depletion of Ozone layer their environmental and economic impact.

Wind and Solar Energy: This energy systems engineering program course involves the description, theory design and operation of wind and solar energy systems. The energy systems presented are wind energy, solar PV and solar thermal systems.

Design Project: An essential hands-on course, this offering sees students work in groups to design a basic mechanical system. Project planning and design are developed during the course of the semester to produce the final drawing package. Time and cost management are emphasized and students apply techniques developed from other mechanical courses to perform detail component analysis and necessary calculations.

Once they have completed the energy systems technician program, students may obtain further education by transferring into year three of the Energy Systems Engineering Technology program.