Renewable Energy Masters

I'm afraid I'm a jaded old sceptic when it comes to 'masters' and such like.

If you are passionate about the subject, they why not get out into the industry and the real world...I would venture to suggest you will learn much more that at any university.

I'm perfectly willing to get shot down on this, but I'd guess all the cutting edge R&D both at the high and low tech ends of the spectrum (and, yes, I do think it can be cutting edge and low tech at the same time) is being done off campus.

Sorry if this come over as negative, it isn't meant to. get out there and get stuck in...I admire your aims.

All the best

Del

I agree 100+% with Del on this.

I too myself would like to get acquainted with this topic, but it is already broad as it almost can be. And I do not think there's anybody to give you much on this unless you manage to get into it, may be first on the low end, and take it from there. You can still make your way to the top and get your Masters if you want to.

First of all, the Solar Panels got get much more efficient as they are in order to make them a viable energy source in many areas. Unless you become a trusted member of an R&D facility it is highly unlikely they'll give you an indepth sight during your studies.

There's some kind of a twist to this whole bloody 'Renewable C...p' also, as I see it. I do not know what it is yet but I hope it becomes clearer in the not too distant future.

There's some kind of a twist to this whole bloody 'Renewable C...p' also, as I see it. I do not know what it is yet but I hope it becomes clearer in the not too distant future.

Yes there is (especially with solar, hydrogen and biofuels). Many of us know it (including myself from my own personal experience and research) but few want to hear the truth.

The good news (for solar that is) is that there are a few really promising developments in solar technology that may FINALLY make grid-tied or connected solar power generation a viable renewable alternative, rather than just for special remote power applications where other power sources just aren't viable. Oh happy days!

I am with Del on this one. To my knowledge there is no course in renewable energy that would be of more (or even as much) benefit than just getting out in the industry and actually learning with some hands-on experience. The field of renewable energy is changing quite rapidly that if you ever tried to do a masters you would find that much of it would be obsolete by the end (there is a great deal of unscientific bias also). I am a great believer in that University just helps you gain the skills and ability to effectively research and learn about the new developments on your own (and of course tell the difference between free energy Pseudoscience and real science).

I would suggest the best place to start is to have a look on the internet (and on the news groups, etc). There is plenty of information there, to give you an overall idea of what is possible both now and in the near future. Once you get an overall feeling for what you want to investigate in greater detail it is a simple matter to concentrate your efforts and gain a great deal of understanding on those subjects, just using what's available on the web.

After all there is no substitute for directed personal research and learning. I speak from personal experience. Even if you did find and get a masters in renewables I cannot think of where it may be useful for, say getting a specific job.

Have you had some experience in the power industry or are you fresh out of University? If you are looking at this from a job point of view then actual engineering work experience is going to count FAR more. If you are looking at this from a personal learning point of view, you would be better off investigating the web.

Thanks I appreciate your comments

Jose

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces New Mexico USA, has been doing solar research for 30 years in cooperation with Sandia Labs, I know because that is where I went. I am pretty sure that Arizona State and University of New Mexico do as well. Colorado University has a cooperative arrangement with NREL near Denver. Go to the NREL website and see what other universities they are working with:

http://www.nrel.gov/

What you usually do is a masters in Mechanical Engineering, with a concentration and a thesis in Solar. I suspect that you wont find a "Solar Energy" masters, but you need to find which universities are doing solar research and use the opportunities at that university to tailor your masters..

We need a thesis on how to make alternative energy viable? At the moment I see small enterprises unsuccessfully trying to get up and running. The family car is fast becoming a lemming, and sending envoys to the middle east to increase production, to me seems way off beam? Advice is given to countries to politically solve their own internal problems, well I think the energy problem will take something like the Manhattan Project to bear fruit, unless you believe that some struggling small business or large Corporation is going to solve it?

Regards JD.

This link might help you. Talks about a bunch of Ohio school that are starting masters programs in our field. I'm currently at Illinois State working on a BS in Renewable Energy. Hope this helps.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&date=20081203&id=9422725

Look into University of Massachusetts-Lowell, They offer a MS in Energy Engineering with an emphasis in solar or nuclear

looks like we have the same interests. :) I have done my B.E.in electronics and even i am intrested in persuing a MS in renewable energy especially solar energy .could you please help me out with this. looking out for cources in the U.S.

e-mail : arhatha_b@yahoo.co.in

Vancouver BC, has a MS focusing on leadership, management and a project. $25,000 a year, Vancouver is a leader in clean energy and its beautiful I've heard.

Quince, Check out Arizona State's program here... https://webapp.asu.edu/eadvisor/MajorInfo.external?sp=SASU00&sp=STSATMSTECH&sp=Sgraduate

What have you gathered so far ?

Wright State University, Dayton,Ohio