Sustainable Practices

NCSP 5128 Residential Renewable Energy

This course counts as 12 hours towards the Sustainable Buildings & Energy Certificate or 1.2 continuing education credits.

Course Format

Online: self-paced and term-based courses are available

Course Description

In this course, students will explore an introduction to energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies used to power a home or small business, lower carbon emissions, create a greener lifestyle, and reduce energy bills. This course is for homeowners, builders, developers, and architectural students.

Topics Include

• Passive solar heating and cooling
• Solar electricity
• Solar hot water systems
• Small-scale wind energy
• Geothermal
• Microhydro
• Economics of residential and small-business renewable
• Making renewable energy affordable in new and existing homes

Instructor Biography

Dan Chiras is the author of numerous books on residential renewable energy and green building, including The New Ecological Home, The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy, The Solar House, The Natural House, and The Natural Plaster Book. Learn more about Chiras’s work at http://www.evergreeninstitute.org.
Required Text

Students must purchase The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy, by Dan Chiras.