M-062 Solar Energy Fundamentals: 3 PDH

Description of the Solar Energy Fundamentals course

The Solar Energy Fundamentals online 3 PDH course is a part of the Mechanical Engineering category of courses.

Solar energy travels from the sun to the earth in the form of electromagnetic radiation.  In this course properties of electromagnetic radiation will be discussed and basic calculations for electromagnetic radiation will be described. Several solar position parameters will be discussed along with means of calculating values for them.  The major methods by which solar radiation is converted into other useable forms of energy will be discussed briefly.  Extraterrestrial solar radiation (that striking the earth’s outer atmosphere) will be discussed and means of estimating its value at a given location and time will be presented.  Finally there will be a presentation of how to obtain values for the average monthly rate of solar radiation striking the surface of a typical solar collector, at a specified location in the United States for a given month and for locations of known latitude and longitude worldwide.  Numerous examples are included to illustrate the calculations and data retrieval methods presented.

After completing this course, you will have basic knowledge about solar electromagnetic radiation, will be familiar with fundamental solar parameters, will be able to obtain or calculate values for those parameters and use them in calculations, and will be able to obtain values for average monthly rate of solar radiation striking the surface of a typical solar collector in the United States for a given month.  You will also be prepared to take additional more specialized solar energy courses.

This course is intended for mechanical, electrical chemical and energy engineers, and architects.  It will also be of interest to any engineers wanting to learn more about the renewable energy field.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this PDH online continuing education course, you will:

• Know the different types of electromagnetic radiation and which of them are included in solar radiation
• Be able to calculate wavelength if given frequency for specified electromagnetic radiation
• Be able to calculate frequency if given wavelength for specified electromagnetic radiation
• Know the meaning of absorbance, reflectance, and transmittance as applied to a surface receiving electromagnetic radiation
• Know the relationship among absorbance, reflectance, and transmittance as applied to a surface receiving electromagnetic radiation and be able to make calculations using those parameters
• Be able to obtain or calculate values for solar declination, solar hour angle, solar altitude angle, sunrise angle, and sunset angle
• Be able to use solar declination, solar hour angle, solar altitude angle, sunrise angle and sunset angle calculations
• Know the major methods by which solar radiation is converted into other useable forms of energy.
• Be able to obtain an estimated value for monthly averaged extraterrestrial radiation on a horizontal surface for a specified month and latitude between 20 and 65 degrees.
• Be able to obtain values for the average monthly rate of solar radiation striking the surface of typical flat plate, fixed tilt solar collectors, at a specified location in the United States for a given month.
• Be able to obtain values for the average monthly rate of solar radiation striking the surface of typical tracking solar collectors, at a specified location in the United States for a given month.
• Be able to retrieve solar radiation and meteorology data from any location in the world using the NASA POWER website identified and discussed in the course.

Refunds and Cancellation Policies

The online PDH course is accepted as continuing education activity by the Professional Engineering boards in states listed on this page. In an unlikely case the course is not accepted by the board listed on this page, we will refund the full payment and will pay for you to take another course of equivalent monetary and PDH / CEU value. For complete list of courses related to Mechanical Engineering category of courses please click here.

Length of the Course / Activity

This course is intended to be studied at self-pace and it should take on average of 3 hour to read and be able to comprehend the material to successfully past the online quiz.

Course Quiz

To receive the certificate of completion for the above 3 PDH online course, you will need to take a 15-question multiple choice quiz based on the reference material supplied and pass with minimum score of 70%. There is no time limit for the quiz and it can be taken multiple times until a passing score of 70% is achieved.

Certificate of Completion

Once you achieve a passing score of 70% on the quiz you will receive and be able to print your Certificate of Completion as a record of your continuing education. PDH Star will keep a record of your certificate for the duration as required by your state of licensure. You will be able to log on to your account and view and print your past Certificate of Completion.

State Acceptance

This course is accepted in all states mandating continuing education:

AK, AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY

For detailed state by state requirements click here.

Need help?

Do you need help choosing the right course or package for you? Please give us a call or send us an email and we will be happy to provide guidance on which courses are most relevant for you and create a customary course package.