Curriculum
The Solar Energy Technology Associate Degree is a two-year, four-semester program. Upon graduation, a student will have completed 66 credits.
FIRST SEMESTER
10-442-150 Machine Fabrication 1
1
10-480-101 Energy-Intro Renew & Sustain
4
10-620-100 Fluids 1: Basic Pneumatics
1
10-620-101 Fluids 2: Basic Hydraulics
1
10-660-101 Digital 1: Logic
1
10-660-102 Digital 2: Sequential
1
10-660-104 DC 1: Introduction
1
10-660-105 DC 2: Circuits
1
10-664-100 Automation 1: Control Logic
1
10-664-101 Automation 2: Motor Control
1
10-804-118 Interm Algebra w Apps
4
SECOND SEMESTER
10-482-120 Photovoltaics-Design & Site
2
10-482-126 Intro to Solar
4
10-620-140 Machine Wiring and Safety
1
10-660-107 AC 1: Properties
1
10-660-108 AC 2: Reactance
1
10-660-110 Electronics 1: Diodes-Basic
1
10-664-102 Automation 3: PLC
1
10-804-196 Trigonometry w Apps
3
10-806-143 College Physics 1
3
THIRD SEMESTER
10-482-125 Photovoltaics-Advanced
3
10-483-104 Solar Thermal Design & Site
2
10-605-157 Power Electronics 1: Devices
1
10-605-158 Power Electronics 2: Drives
1
10-620-165 Fluids 3: Inter Hydraulics
1
10-664-160 Control 1: Discrete Systems
1
10-664-161 Control 2: Process Systems
1
10-801-136 English Composition 1
3
10-809-172 Race Ethnic & Diversity
3
FOURTH SEMESTER
10-481-114 Intro to Energy Management
3
10-483-105 Solar Thermal-Advanced
3
10-483-106 Solar Advanced System Design
4
10-801-197 Technical Reporting
3
10-809-198 Intro to Psychology
3
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
These courses provide an opportunity for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding required for employment in this field.
10-442-150 MACHINE FABRICATION 1 ...a study of joining processes including welding, brazing, soldering, mechanical fasteners and adhesives.
10-480-101 ENERGY-INTRO RENEW & SUSTAIN ...an overview of various renewable energy technologies and sustainable design practices and their current applications. Emphasis will be placed on energy consumption, efficiency, and conservation.
10-481-114 INTRO TO ENERGY MANAGEMENT ...defines the need for energy management as an integral part of society at all levels. The course will present the various opportunities available to energy management students through lectures, video and guest speakers.
10-482-120 PHOTOVOLTAICS-DESIGN & SITE ...learn steps to performing a site audit prior to installation of a PV system. Focus on defining the solar window, system site placement and sizing, lead analysis and energy efficiency. (Corequisite: 10-482-126, Intro to Solar)
10-482-125 PHOTOVOLTAICS-ADVANCED ...topics include batteries, wiring configurations, system diagramming, National Electrical Code, component selection, wiring, safety and system maintenance. (Prerequisites: 10-482-126, Intro to Solar; 10-660-104, DC 1: Intro; 10-660-105, DC 2: Circuits; 10-620-107, AC 1: Properties)
10-482-126 INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR ...an overview of the use of sunlight to produce heat and electricity and the practical and economical use of solar power and solar thermal systems. Learn the importance of energy efficiency and the economics of solar hybrid designs.
10-483-104 SOLAR THERMAL DESIGN & SITE ...learn steps to performing a site audit prior to installation of a solar thermal system. Focus on defining the solar window, system site placement and sizing, lead analysis and energy efficiency. (Prerequisite: 10-482-126, Intro to Solar)
10-483-105 SOLAR THERMAL-ADVANCED ...topics include safety, system design and layout, component selection, mounting collectors, plumbing and insulation copper pipe, storage tank installation, heat exchanger and circulation pump. (Prerequisite: 10-482-126, Intro to Solar)
10-483-106 SOLAR ADVANCED SYSTEM DESIGN ... troubleshooting and repairing renewable thermal and electric equipment; diagnosing faulty equipment; selecting replacement parts; preparing a detailed work order . (Prerequisites: 10-483-104, Solar Thermal Site Assessor; 10-482-120, Photovoltaics-Design & Site; 10-482-125, Photovoltaics-Adv; Corequisite: 10-483-105, Solar Thermal Installation)
10-605-157 POWER ELECTRONICS 1: DEVICES ...the device characteristics and applications of thyristors, power transistors, and switching devices. (Prerequisite: 10-660-107, AC 1: Properties)
10-605-158 POWER ELECTRONICS 2: DRIVES ...power circuitry of AC and DC drives and basic setup and application of an industrial DC and AC drives to DC and AC motors. (Corequisite: 10-605-157, Power Electronics 1: Devices)
10-620-100 FLUIDS 1: BASIC PNEUMATICS ...what fluid power is, differentiate between hydraulics and pneumatics, implement basic pneumatic circuits, utilize schematics, apply Pascal's law, define properties of fluids, implement airflow control and hydraulics cylinder circuits.
10-620-101 FLUIDS 2: BASIC HYDRAULICS ...hydraulic pumps, basic hydraulics actuator circuits, hydraulic schematics, apply Pascal's Law, summarize the effects of fluids friction, define properties of hydraulic energy, design hydraulic circuits with directional control valves. (Corequisite: 10-620-100, Fluids 1: Basic Pneumatics)
10-620-140 MACHINE WIRING AND SAFETY ...introduction to machine wiring, including basic documentation, labeling, and wiring practices; and an overview of NFPA 70 - machinery, safety and installation standards.
10-620-165 FLUIDS 3: INTERMEDIATE HYDRAULICS ...design of cylinder actuating circuits with pressure-compensated flow control valves, how to control pressure, pilot-operated check valve applications, accumulator operation and application, hydraulic motor types and applications. (Prerequisite: 10-620-101, Fluids 2: Basic Hydraulics)
10-660-101 DIGITAL 1: LOGIC ...AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, logic operation using switch logic, ladder logic, and gate logic. Simplification methods using Boolean theorems and Karnaugh Maps, and timing diagram analysis.
10-660-102 DIGITAL 2: SEQUENTIAL ...operation and connection of Latches, RS flip-flops, JK flip-flops, and D flip-flops using timing diagram analysis, and some simple applications are studied. (Prerequisite: 10-660-101, Digital 1: Logic)
10-660-104 DC 1: INTRODUCTION ...introduction to the concepts of DC electricity and simple series circuits. Voltage, Current, Resistance, Ohm's Law, Power and Kirchoff's Voltage Law are defined.
10-660-105 DC 2: CIRCUITS ...analysis of parallel and series-parallel circuits. Application of Kirchoff's Current Law to parallel circuit combinations. Introduction of current sources and source conversions. (Corequisites: 10-804-118, Interm Algebra w Apps OR equivalent; 10-660-104, DC 1: Intro)
10-660-107 AC 1: PROPERTIES ...introduction to the properties of Capacitors and Inductors including types and behavior in switching circuits. Inductor basics include a study of magnetic fields. (Prerequisite: 10-660-105, DC 2: Circuits; Corequisite: 10-804-196, Trigonometry w Apps)
10-660-108 AC 2: REACTANCE ...study of the way inductive, capacitive and resistive components behave in a circuit excited by a sine waveform. Effective and average values of the sinewave are derived. (Corequisite: 10-660-107, AC 1: Properties)
10-660-110 ELECTRONICS 1: DIODES-BASIC ...introduction to the characteristics and usage of semiconductor diodes in rectifiers and linear power supplies. Special diodes and diode circuits are also considered. (Prerequisite: 10-660-105, DC 2: Circuits; Corequisite: 10-660-107, AC 1: Properties)
10-664-100 AUTOMATION 1: CONTROL LOGIC ...electric motor control components such as switches, relays, starters, transformers, and safely mount and install motor and motor control components and perform related wiring and troubleshooting of motor control circuits.
10-664-101 AUTOMATION 2: MOTOR CONTROL ...electric motor control components such as sensors, timers and counters. (Corequisite: 10-664-100, Automation 1: Control Logic)
10-664-102 AUTOMATION 3: PLC ...basic programmable logic controller programming and troubleshooting.
10-664-160 CONTROL 1: DISCRETE SYSTEMS ...applications and utilization of motion feedback devices, force measurement devices, temperature sensors, and fluid measurement devices. (Prerequisites: 10-660-110, Electronics 1: Diodes Basic; 10-664-102, Automation 3: PLC)
10-664-161 CONTROL 2: PROCESS SYSTEMS ...Open-Loop versus Closed-Loop systems, industrial control systems, two-position control and its applications, PID control and its applications, and relationship between process response and proper mode of control. (Corequisite: 10-664-160, Control 1: Discrete Systems)
10-804-118 INTERM ALGEBRA WITH APPLICATIONS ...algebra content with applications. Topics include properties of real numbers, order of operations, algebraic solution for linear equations and inequalities, operations with polynomial and rational expressions, operations with rational exponents and radicals, algebra of inverse, logarithmic and exponential functions. (Prerequisites: Recommendation: Accuplacer Algebra Test = 61 OR Accuplacer (College Level Math) = 40 OR Completion of 10-804-110, Elementary Algebra w Apps OR 10-804-120, Math-Tech Algebra with grade "C" or better). 4 cr.
10-804-196 TRIGONOMETRY WITH APPLICATIONS ...topics include circular functions, graphing of trigonometry functions, identities, equations, trigonometric functions of angles, inverse functions, solutions of triangles complex numbers, DeMoivre's Theorem, polar coordinates, and vectors. (Prerequisites: Recommendation: Accuplacer (College Level Math) = 63 OR Completion of 10-804-118, Intermediate Algebra w Apps; 10-804-195, College Algebra with Apps or 10-804-131, Math-Algebra/Inter with grade "C" or better OR Concurrent enrollment in 10-804-195, College Algebra with Apps) 3 cr.
10-806-143 COLLEGE PHYSICS 1 ...presents the applications and theory of basic physics principles. This course emphasizes problem solving, laboratory investigation and applications. Topics include laboratory safety, unit conversions and analysis, kinematics, dynamics, work, energy, power, temperature, and heat. (Prerequisite: Recommendation: 10-804-110 Elementary Algebra with Apps with a grade of "C" or better OR High School level Algebra with a grade of "C" or better) 3 cr.
10-801-136 ENGLISH COMPOSITION 1 ...learners develop knowledge/skills in planning, organizing, writing, editing. Students will also analyze audience/purpose, use elements of research, format documents using standard guidelines, and develop critical reading skills. 3 cr.
10-809-172 RACE ETHNIC & DIVERSITY ...basic American values of justice and equality by teaching vocabulary, history of immigration/conquest, transcultural communication, legal liability, multicultural majority/minority relations, ageism, sexism, gender, sexual orientation, the disabled/ADA. 3 cr.
10-801-197 TECHNICAL REPORTING ...principles of report writing and correspondence, proposals, feasibility reports, progress reports, investigation reports, evaluation reports, meeting reports, memos, and correspondence. (Prerequisite: 10-801-136, English Composition 1 OR 10-801-195, Written Communication) 3 cr.
10-809-198 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY ...survey of theoretical foundations of human behavior such as sensation and perception, motivation, emotions, learning, personality, psychological disorders, therapy, stress, and human diversity in personal, social and vocational settings. 3 cr.