Certificate in Wind Energy

New Jersey has recognized clean energy as a critical field for both economic development and environmental sustainability. Offshore wind has the potential to supply substantial amounts of clean energy to meet the State’s and the Nation’s power needs while creating jobs and addressing the climate crisis. Furthermore, offshore wind power plants can provide reliable and increasingly affordable renewable power near coastal energy load centers where there is a scarcity of sites for terrestrial large-scale renewable energy development. Southern Jersey is the center of the regional wind plan, with a wind port under construction nearby in Salem County, and the first ocean wind farm opening off of Atlantic City. Short- and medium-term workforce needs have been identified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NERL) with the offshore wind industry alone expected to provide approximately 7,000 new jobs in Southern New Jersey by 2028.

Responding to this need, this Certificate of Undergraduate Study (CUGS) in Wind Energy is a collaboration between Electrical and Computer Engineering program and Mechanical Engineering. This CUGS is designed to provide a breadth and depth to students who want to specialize in wind energy systems and prepare them for a career in the wind energy industry. A unique aspect of this CUGS is that it will develop graduates with a technical foundation in both electrical and mechanical side of the wind energy systems. Through this four-class sequence, students will be able to articulate the core concepts of wind energy, as well as different technical aspects associated with the operation of single turbines,

and the entire wind farm.  The completion of this CUGS will provide students with the necessary skill sets to start a career in wind energy industry or continue their education through graduate programs.

Program Requirements

Required Courses 6 s.h. (s.h.: semester hours/credit hours)

ECE 09.417 Fundamental Technologies towards Green Energy Future  3sh

ME 10.435 Wind Energy  3sh

Elective Courses 6 s.h.

Choose two of the following (3 credits each):

ECE 09.408 Power Systems Engineering

ECE 09.410 Alternate Energy Systems

ECE 09.415 Fundamentals of Emerging Electricity Market

ECE 09.418 Fundamentals of Wind Energy System Planning and Operation

ECE 09.472 Smart Grid

ECE 09.416 Power Electronics

ECE 09.473 Smart Sensors

ECE 09.421 Introduction to Systems Engineering

ME 10.481 Introduction to Aerodynamics

ME 10.422 Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics

ME 10.430 Introduction to Reliability Engineering

ME 10.450 Introduction to Solid Mechanics

ME 10.460 Introduction to Composite Materials

ME 10.462 Introduction to FEA with ANSYS

ENGR 01.403                   Senior Engineering Clinic – WI (must be taken twice)*

EGR 02.451/02.452          Senior Technology Clinic I and Senior Technology Clinic II**

* Must be enrolled in one of the specific sections of Senior Engineering Clinic that focuses on wind energy topics. The list of ENGR 01.403 sections that qualify as electives of this CUGS are announced each semester. ENGR 01.403 should be taken at least one semester later than the required course ECE 09.417. ENGR 01.403 must be taken twice for a total of 4 credit hours (to count as one elective) over two semesters to provide a year-long major experience in solving real-world wind energy systems related problems.

** Must be enrolled in one of the specific sections of Senior Technology Clinic I and II that focuses on wind energy topics. The list of EGR 02.451/452 sections that qualify as elective of this CUGS are announced each semester. EGR 02.452 must be taken after EGR02.451, over two semesters to provide a year-long major experience in solving real-world wind energy systems related problems. EGR 02.451/452 sequence counts as one elective.

Total Required Credits 12 -13 s.h.

Foundation Courses and Recommended Course Sequence.

Please contact the program coordinator, Dr. Jie Li, for additional details.

ECE 09.417 should be taken first, which provides fundamental knowledge for other electives and is also a prerequisite for some of the other electives (e.g., ECE 09.418). There is no prerequisite for ECE09.417.

Double counting policy: For all CUGS offered by the ECE Department, at most, two courses can be double counted to satisfy the CUGS and the B.S. in ECE degree requirements. Therefore, ECE students pursuing this or any other CUGS must take at least two courses above and beyond their BS in ECE degree requirements. Clinics may not be used to satisfy the elective requirements of more than one CUGS. Generally speaking, each CUGS requires at least two courses exclusively counted towards that CUGS and nothing else. Non-ECE students should check with their departments and advisors.

Non-ECE students who pursue this CUGS should follow the course double-counting policies of the department in which their major resides.