FSU Sustainable Energy Research Facility Receives $856,000 Federal Grant
Frostburg State University’s Renewable Energy Center has been awarded an $856,350 appropriation from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund the final steps in the establishment of its Sustainable Energy Research Facility (SERF), a green, self-sufficient, off-the-grid building designed for educational research on renewable energy in the Appalachian region.
WIND & SOLAR ENERGY (WISE) WORKSHOP
FSU is offering workshops on "Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Residential PV and Wind Generation Systems". The workshop offered twice a year (spring and fall sessions) consists of eight week online instruction and three-day hands-on instruction and training. The hands-on training is held at FSU in Compton Science.
NABCEP "PV ENTRY LEVEL CERTIFICATE OF KNOWLEDGE" EXAM
Frostburg State University is an approved provider of the North American Board of Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) to offer PV workshops and administer the PV Entry Level Certificate of knowledge Test. NABCEP describes the entry-level Certification Program as quoted below: The NABCEP Entry Level Certificate Program is designed for those individuals wanting to get into the solar field; it is a way for them to show they have achieved basic knowledge comprehension and application of key terms and concepts of photovoltaic (solar electric) system operations. FSU offers the entry-level exam twice a year. The test is usually scheduled on the last day of the on-site part of the WISE Workshop. It is not required to be enrolled in the WISE Workshop to take the test, however, having completed a NABCEP approved course is required.
Exam schedule, updates, and registration
For more information on the purpose and objectives of the entry level certification, please visit NABCEP
"WISE" - RESIDENTIAL WIND-SOLAR ENERGY DEMO SYSTEM
Frostburg State University developed a residential-scale demonstration system to generate electricity from solar and wind energy. The system enables study of the efficiency of solar and wind energy in Western Maryland. Wind and solar generation data has been collected and analyzed since September 2007. The project was sponsored by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to develop a knowledge base for community outreach programs and interdisciplinary courses taught at FSU.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY RESEARCH FACILITY (SERF) CONSTRUCTION
Frostburg State University is building “Sustainable Energy Research Facility (SERF)” on campus. The federal funding was awarded upon the appropriation request made by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. The project is co-directed by Oguz Soysal and Hilkat Soysal at Department of Physics and Engineering. The project will be completed in two years. SERF will accommodate the “FSU Renewable Energy Center” to conduct extended research, education, and community outreach programs on renewable energy applications developed by FSU faculty and their project partners. The facility will also serve as an example of self-sufficient off-grid building for individuals such as homeowners, farmers, or entrepreneurs who seek energy security in Western Maryland or similar geographic locations. SERF will be a residential type green building of approximately 4000 square feet usable area, supplied by renewable energy sources providing sustainable heating, cooling, and electric power.
EMP PROTECTED MODULES POWERED BY RENEWABLE ENERGY
Instant Access Networks (IAN) staff and Frostburg State University physics and engineering faculty members are teaming—through a $165,000 project recently approved by the MHEC - Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program—to create renewable energy-powered, electromagnetic pulse (EMP)-protected micro grids that could provide electricity for critical infrastructure facilities in the event of a disaster.