Maryland Energy Efficiency and Ethics 16 PDH Discount Package 2

This online engineering PDH course will investigate green roofs as an approach to control stormwater discharge and pollutant content.  This course provides the data and background municipalities and private entities need to move forward with decisions to implement green roofs as a stormwater control technology, or best management practice (BMP).

Urban development has led to large areas of impervious surfaces such as parking lots and building roofs. Runoff from these areas is causing problems for many urban and suburban communities. Not only is total volume of wet weather flow (WWF) increased, but peak flow rates are also increased. Implementation of traditional stormwater BMPs in urban areas may not be practical in all circumstances due to limited available surface area and other concerns. Green roofs have been suggested as a means to reduce the stormwater impacts of development because they have been shown to both detain and retain stormwater. The purpose of this study is to quantify runoff reductions resulting from the use of extensive green roof systems.

This online engineering PDH course provides an overview of wind turbines and presents the basic features, components, types and operating principles of the most commonly used wind turbines in the industry.

Wind is a form of solar energy caused by a combination of three concurrent events: the sun unevenly heating the atmosphere, irregularities of the earth's surface, and the rotation of the earth. The terms "wind energy" and "wind power" both describe the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. This mechanical power can be used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator can convert this mechanical power into electricity.

Wind turbines work on a simple principle: instead of using electricity to make wind—like a fan—wind turbines use wind to make electricity. Wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which creates electricity.

This 1 PDH online course is applicable to mechanical and electrical engineers and energy specialists who are interested in learning more about wind turbines and their basic operating principles.

This online engineering PDH course introduces the different types of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels commonly fired in industrial, commercial and institutional boilers. It describes the characteristics of fossil and non-fossil fuels with emphasis on coal, oil, natural gas, biomass, and refuse-derived fuels (RDFs). This course also presents the principle emissions from combustion boilers that are regulated under the Clean Air Act (CAA); mechanisms by which they are formed as well as the various control techniques for reducing them.

This 2 PDH online course is applicable to mechanical engineers, designers, contractors, building professionals, and manufacturers who are interested in gaining a better understanding of the various boiler fuels and their emissions.

This online engineering PDH course describes basic process heating applications and equipment, and outlines opportunities for energy and performance improvements. It also discusses the merits of using a systems approach in identifying and implementing these improvement opportunities for Fuel-Based and Electric-Based heating systems. Furthermore, it provides recommendations to financially justify process heating improvement projects (System Economics).

Process heating is essential in the manufacture of most consumer and industrial products, including those made out of metal, plastic, rubber, carbon fiber, concrete, glass, and ceramics. Process heating systems are broken into three basic categories: Fuel-Based Process Heating, Electric-Based Process Heating, and Steam-Based Process Heating all of which are discussed in details.

This 5 PDH online course is applicable to mechanical, industrial and process engineers, designers, manufacturers and all personnel involved in the planning, design and installation of process heating systems.

This online engineering PDH course provides basic information on LED troffer retrofit lighting and controls best practices.

Lighting use constitutes about 20% of the total source electricity consumption in commercial buildings. Most of the lighting in U.S. commercial buildings is provided by fluorescent troffer ceiling fixtures. There are currently over 350 million installed troffers using more than 65 million kWh (the annual energy usage of 6 million U.S. homes).

Retrofitting these fluorescent troffers to light-emitting diode (LED) sources offers the potential for enormous energy savings. As of 2015, only 5% of the troffers in use had LED light sources. At a project level, retrofitting or replacing fluorescent troffers with LEDs can result in energy savings of 20% to 60% and help agencies meet energy-efficiency goals.

In this online engineering PDH course, background on the philosophical models that guide ethical behavior is discussed and then applied to specific situations in engineering codes of ethics. This course is based on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Professional Practice Curriculum, Volume 8, Section: Engineering Ethics.

Many engineering organizations have drafted codes of ethics to which their members are required to commit.  Generally, these codes are quite similar and are based on a few fundamental principles which provide guidance to professional engineers in common situations. Nevertheless, there are many difficult or ambiguous situations in which the best ethical solution is difficult to determine.

This 2 PDH online course is intended primarily for engineers seeking to learn ethical principles and how to apply them to their professional practice.