Funding Awarded: $127, 862

INDUSTRY PARTNERS:

Gausmen & Moore Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Luminar Eternus, Paulsen Architects, Schwickerts, Wilson Construction

Key Partners:

MN State University – Mankato, South Central Workforce Council

Project Summary:

In the Mankato area, local architects, construction and contracting companies are working with the local university to train workers in designing & implementing energy-efficient heating and air conditioning for public and private buildings. This includes learning how the design, construction and use impact energy efficiency for new buildings and for retrofitting existing buildings.

Project Outcomes:

• Seven (7) Sustainable and Energy Efficient Buildings Certificate Modules developed

• 48 students completed CEUs in Sustainable and Energy Efficient Buildings

• 25 students received certificate in Sustainable and Energy Efficient Building

Project Description:

Construction and engineering professionals were trained in new renewable technologies that can be used in new building construction. An Industry Advisory Board involving local building, engineering, and architecture businesses recommended concepts to be covered in the content modules.

Course content included: how energy is used in buildings; new forms of renewable energy including solar; energy calculations for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics.

Students also learned about the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating systems for sustainable buildings. During the HVAC module they studied the blueprints for the new Ford Hall on the MSU campus to get a first-hand look at some of the latest energy efficiency technologies.

A wide range of people enrolled in the courses. In addition to contractors and engineers, there was a chemical engineer, marketing & sales people, some undergraduate students, and some people looking at changing job fields. The training modules were offered on both the MSU-Mankato campus, and the MSU-Edina campus.

"For some people, this was filling in gaps in their knowledge and helping them understand why they had been doing some things," said Patrick Tebbe, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State University Mankato. "They might have been involved in construction projects before, but no one ever explained to them the engineering calculations behind the things that they were building. We also taught them about energy auditing and exposed them to different renewable energy options."

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The Sustainable & Energy Efficient Building Certificate will get        

you recognized as a leader in your trade; and the ability to adapt to these vastly changing industries.