Energy Systems Engineering Technician & Technologist Diploma Program (ESET) ESET Program Description

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1 Energy Systems Engineering Technician & Technologist Diploma Program (ESET) 2012 Program Information Guide and Frequently Asked Questions May 2012 ESET Program Description The Energy Systems Engineering Technician/Technologist (ESET) program is a two year Technician Diploma or three year Technologist Diploma full-time program offered at St. Lawrence College s Kingston, Ontario campus. Students in the ESET program learn the skills to be part of the growing energy efficiency and sustainable energy marketplace. It is a flow through program, meaning the first two years of study are the same for the Technician and Technologists program, with the Technologists diploma graduates taking three years of study. This leaves the option for students to do a two or three year diplomas. ESET Program Technician and Technologist graduates have skills that are in high demand as energy prices and environmental pressures continue to rise and businesses and governments rely more on energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies to reduce conventional energy costs and environmental impact of conventional energy choices. ESET Technologist (3 year program) diploma graduates work with building developers, designers, architects, construction, sustainable energy design/install companies, utilities, utilities, hospitals, municipalities and researchers to utilize energy efficiency and sustainable energy in their operations. A final sixth semester school energy auditing project develops capability in report writing, computer-aided building analysis and modeling, entrepreneurial and presentation skills. A final semester work placement experience further develops workplace skills. Throughout the program, field trips and client based project work are integrated into a variety of courses and provide real world experiences for students. ESET Technician (2 year program) Diploma graduates develop and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for business owners, governments and homeowners to realize energy savings or renewable energy production. The ESET Technician program covers theory, basic design and elements of equipment installation in the

2 fields of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, air handling, controls and renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaic and solar heating. St. Lawrence College s Energy House, Renewable Energy Lab (ReLab) and rooftop photovoltaic research facilities are sites for much of the hands-on portion of the ESET program. Our training facilities are second to none and offer a comprehensive selection of renewable energy equipment for student hands-on training with solar thermal and photovoltaic, ground source heat pumps, small wind turbines, solar air heating, biomass burner and other sustainable energy technologies. Where do ESET Graduate work and what do they do? ESET Technologist graduates are involved with energy project design, construction, commissioning and troubleshooting. Their skills are being applied to existing, renovation, or new buildings and a variety of energy systems such as solar photovoltaic, solar thermal (hot air and water), small wind machines, and energy efficiency. ESET Technologists graduates have a high level of skill in computer modeling of building energy usage and renewable energy systems and a depth of understanding of design issues in building science and renewable energy technology. Graduates are employed in: - energy efficient building design (consulting engineers) - design, sales, service for renewable energy equipment providers & installers - building automation services - building energy analysis - housing developers - municipalities - green community organizations - energy service companies (ESCO s) - school boards - hospitals - utilities

3 ESET Technicians and Technologists have knowledge and skills in energy efficiency and sustainable energy and find employment in a range of diverse and rapidly growing areas. Jobs may be physical, such as assessing systems in the field and coordinating construction, or they may be more analysis and computer oriented, such as developing system designs and specifying components, computer modeling of systems, assessment of energy performance data and working with clients in meetings and presentations to identify energy issues and solutions. Graduates will also find themselves in new and emerging job categories, such as those required for deployment of smart grids and advanced building energy control systems. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the ESET Program What is the difference between the Technician and Technologist Program? Technicians take two years of study and learn the basic theory of operation of buildings and sustainable energy technologies. Hands-on experience is key to this training and exposes the students to a variety of technologies, how various pieces of equipment are assembled and how they operate. Understanding the theory of operation of energy related equipment is key to being a technician and is an important element of the program at the technician level. Technologists take three years of study and the third year is focused on having a deeper understanding of the theory and operation of energy systems as well as significant exposure to computer modeling of buildings and sustainable energy systems with the goal of the graduate being part of engineering design teams for the building and renewable energy marketplace. What skills will I learn? You will be able to analyze small commercial and residential buildings for energy efficiency and suggest methods and equipment to improve energy efficiency. You will also be able to size, specify and install a variety of efficiency and renewable energy equipment such as solar hot air and water heating, photovoltaic and small wind electricity systems, and use various system development and modeling software. Your work will likely be in conjunction with a firm licensed to do electrical and or plumbing work, depending on local regulations. You will also have a good understanding of fuel types, environmental impacts and options for reducing environmental impacts. You will also be able to do life cycle cost analysis of various sustainable energy systems and system options to provide a client with data for solid financial decisions. When did the program start? The program was launched in September 2005 as the first of its kind in Canada.

4 Why should I go to the ESET program at St. Lawrence College? Our ESET program has benefitted from continuous development since its debut in Our courses, equipment and instructors are using the latest hardware and software to train you to the highest level possible. We have a strong connection with community based projects where you will have real client based tasks. We encourage participation in a variety of trips to trade shows and conferences to develop your industry networking skills. The program trains you in both building energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, two fields that are growing and represent the future of how we use and produce energy, this twin technology focus provides our graduates with excellent employment prospects. A work placement opportunity in the last month of the sixth semester allows employers and soon to be graduates to gain experience with each other. What types of jobs are there for ESET Technologists and who will I work for? Technologists will be involved with energy project design, construction, commissioning and troubleshooting. This can be as applied to existing, renovation, or new buildings and a variety of energy systems such as solar photovoltaic, solar thermal (hot air and water), small wind machines, and energy efficiency. Technologists have a high level of skill in computer modeling of building energy systems and a depth of understanding of design issues in Employment is in: - energy efficient building design (consulting engineers) - design, sales, service for renewable energy equipment providers & installers - building automation services - building energy analysis - housing developers - municipalities - green community organizations - energy service companies (ESCO s) - school boards - hospitals - utilities Energy Systems is a diverse and rapidly growing field. Jobs may be physical, such as assessing systems in the field, coordinating construction, or more paper and computer oriented, such as developing system designs and specifying components, computer modeling of systems and assessment of energy performance data. As graduates that have knowledge and skills related to energy efficiency and sustainable forms of energy, we expect graduates to also find themselves in new job categories, such as those required for deployment of Smart Grids and advanced building energy control systems. What is the difference between an ESET Technician and Technologist diploma graduate? ESET Technicians will be involved with project installation, project supervision and possibly some basic design tasks. Jobs may be physical, such as actually installing, troubleshooting or maintaining renewable energy or building energy efficiency systems in the field, or more paper and

5 computer oriented, such as examining system performance data with an eye to reducing costs or improving performance. They may work with a design team using CAD drawing and performing basic system design duties. ESET Technologists have the added benefit of a year of training in large building energy auditing, advanced energy consumption data analysis and renewable energy system design. Jobs are with energy equipment providers and installers, architects, housing developers, municipalities, green community organizations, energy service companies (ESCO s), school boards, hospitals, and utilities amongst others. Technologists have a more in depth understanding of the theory and practice of how building and renewable energy system work and therefore are more likely to find themselves in a design role and project supervisor role. They will likely have more direct roles with the client and perform presentations to clients. What is the difference between a licensed electrician or HVAC tradesperson and an ESET Technician or Technologist? Tradespeople have the very applied skills to safely construct and troubleshoot systems in their area of expertise. They are not trained in the detailed design of energy systems or the interaction of various systems in a building, such as how lighting will affect air conditioning and heating loads and annual energy costs. Tradespeople are not trained in looking at the most cost effective energy solution from a wide set of possibilities. ESET graduates look at a building as a system that could benefit from improvements in controls, efficiency, or the addition of renewable energy equipment. ESET graduates can perform analysis to look at energy, cost and environmental aspects of independent or interdependent building system retrofits. ESET graduates also have the ability to analyze and contribute to renewable energy system designs at concept, execution and costing levels. Is all the work with computers? No, although computers and computer simulations are a key part of the skill set, the ESET graduate could find themselves in the field exploring the physical dimensions of and the systems in a building, and coordinating installation of, or working on project hardware. Presenting technical findings to decision makers is an important part of the building auditing business and as such we train the students to be effective communicators through a variety of projects and presentations distributed throughout the program. The graduates are meeting the needs of a wave of employment opportunities related to the more efficient use of energy and creation of a sustainable energy societal infrastructure and as such there is need for graduates with strong social and technical skills. What percentage of the program is "hands on" learning as opposed to computer based or lecture style? The classroom theory classes, versus hands-on time in a laboratory setting, in the program is about a 50/50 time split. Students look forward to the lab sections of their courses and will experience labs in solar domestic hot water and pumps, off-grid and grid connected solar photovoltaics, heat pumps, gas fitting, basic wiring and other areas. Student will also use computers in lab settings to learn software such as AUTOCAD, RETScreen renewable energy system modeling, building simulation tools such as HOT2000 and Energy Plus, photovoltaic modeling such as PV Design Pro and PVSYS and energy system modeling tools such as TRNSYS. These lab sessions are always with 24 or less students, allowing instructors to individually help and track the progress of each student. To allow students to pursue learning in their chosen settings many professors put course materials on the web using the College Blackboard system. The ability to competently use computers as part of the learning process is essential in this field of study and a first semester course in computing is offered to ensure those skills are acquired early in the program.

6 What is the mix of training regarding energy efficiency versus renewable energy The program is designed to provide substantial design and analysis skills in both building energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. The mix of hours of training throughout the 3 year technologist program is about 25% renewable energy, 25% energy efficiency and 50% supporting foundational skills (such as computers, math, writing). How learning is assessed - what percentage of the course is project or assignment based marking versus specific tests? Course assessments are typically a combination of tests, assignments, laboratories and presentations for assessment. Success in each course is defined by the student achieving various outcomes. These outcomes are defined in a College standard document that the student is provided with at the beginning of each course. Assessment methods are designed to see what outcomes the student has achieved and provide an indication of proficiency in those outcomes. Is this one of the engineering technologies that can be transferred to universities if one wants to further their studies? At the moment, we do not have a transfer program in place. We are working with a number of other educational institutions to create paths to university degree programs or other certifications. When such a program exists, it is expected that transfer to a mechanical or electrical engineering degree would be appropriate. Some universities do offer credits for technology diplomas and you are best advised to speak to specific universities if your plan is to take a college diploma before entering university. What math level do I need? Please visit admission requirements on our program web page. Is this a program that is eligible for WSIB re-training? Yes, if you meet WSIB requirements. How much will I earn in this field? As a ballpark you can expect typical technologist salary ranges at the end of the first year of employment to be $35,000 to $60,000. Many students have indicated their desire to start their own business in this field and those students will no doubt earn less initially, but potentially more later as business owners rather than employees. ESET is a new field, and opportunities for highly capable graduates are broad and potentially very financially rewarding. Will we work with Ground Source Heat Pumps? Yes - Ground Source Heat Pump (also less accurately known sometimes as Geothermal ) technology is part of the program. We have three heat pumps in our lab connected to ground loops or boreholes, so you will get hands-on experience in that area. We do not offer Ground Exchange Heat

7 Pump design or installation certification; those certifications are available from industry associations, or check out our St. Lawrence college Geothermal Engineering Technician diploma program. Are there government jobs in this field? Yes. Jobs are in the Federal Provincial and Municipal government levels. Natural Resources Canada, Environment Canada, Ministry of Energy of Ontario, and various municipal governments all employ people with skills similar to those obtained in the ESET program. Can you tell me a bit about sustainability initiatives at St. Lawrence College The College has embraced energy conservation and sustainable sources of energy since Our student residences and training shop areas have solar air heating systems. The College spent millions of dollars recently to upgrade its energy efficiency to save many more millions of taxpayer dollars in electricity and heating costs over the coming years. In 2011/12, the Kingston and Brockville campuses installed 250 kw total of photovoltaic electricity generating systems. These systems will generate substantial revenue for the College over the next 20 years. The College Associate Director of Capital Planning & Sustainability actively encourages sustainable behaviors on campus in both student and staff. College outreach staff use a hybrid vehicle for promotional work. Learn more What is SEARC? SEARC stands for Sustainable Energy Applied Research Centre. The College received a large grant to create an on-campus group devoted to helping businesses adopt sustainable energy technologies. Current projects involve studying characteristics of PV panels under typical Canadian conditions such as heavy snow, studying the effect of consumers adopting electric cars on the local electric grid, etc. SEARC employs many students in order to fulfill its mandate, both as full time summer positions and as part-time positions through the school year. SEARC also works with the faculty to incorporate some of its project work into the regular course material. What if our questions have not been answered here? We welcome inquires about the program. The ESET program coordinator can be reached at: dathersych@sl.on.ca Energy Facts - Ontario s hospitals have an energy bill of over $200 Million - Worldwide, photovoltaic industry sales grew 105% in sales between 2010 and Since the launch of Revised: