ME 538 Design of Solar Systems and Wind Power
This course covers the design and engineering of renewable energy systems. To establish the user demand, the residential and commercial energy use for heating, AC lighting, as well as washing and cooking, are first reviewed. Low energy European homes are compared to current designs. The process of estimating available wind and solar energy is presented with example calculations. This provides the basis for designing the wind and solar renewable energy collection systems. The trade-off of designing systems with large energy collection or using a more economical system utilizing combination wind, solar and energy storage is presented. In addition to land-based renewable energy systems, the design of offshore wind farms and the installation logistics is covered. The students will complete a renewable design as an individual or team project.