The Renewable Energy Engineering (REE) baccalaureate program at Oregon Institute of Technology recently received the Final Statement of Accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). “This is a significant accomplishment, making the REE program at Oregon Tech the first engineering program focused on renewable energy engineering to receive ABET accreditation,” commented Mateo Aboy, Ph.D., Department Chair of Electrical Engineering & Renewable Energy at OIT.
In 2005, Oregon Tech furthered its commitment to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and a reduced carbon footprint by introducing the first Bachelor of Science degree focused on renewable energy. The program, initially offered exclusively at Oregon Tech’s Portland campus, is now offered in both Portland and Klamath Falls.
The REE program establishes the engineering principles graduates will need to develop, promote, and implement sustainable-energy technologies. Students learn how to harness the power of renewable resources such as wind, sunlight, biofuels, geothermal heat, and rivers. The Renewable Energy curriculum prepares graduates for engineering careers in the energy and power engineering sector in general, and renewable energy in particular.
Graduates of the program are prepared for graduate study or for immediate employment as energy engineers, field engineers, energy auditors, renewable energy system integrators for homes and businesses, manufacturing engineers for component and subsystem manufacturers, designers for components and subsystems, local and state government renewable-energy inspectors, planners and other positions in the energy field.
“We were the first in North America to offer an REE degree and now we are the first program in this field to receive ABET accreditation. We plan to start the graduate degree in REE in Fall 2012 in conjunction with the opening of our new facility in Wilsonville. Oregon Tech is the pioneering university in REE education and we plan to continue blazing new trails,” said Charlie Jones, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Management at Oregon Tech.
“What better place to study renewable energy than at a university that practices those principles? Our Klamath Falls campus is the only university campus in the world that is completely heated by geothermal energy. We have a small Geo-thermal plant which generates electricity and we will be installing a larger plant in 2012. We are also installing 7.5 acres of ground mounted solar array on the campus expected to be completed this year. By the end of 2012, the campus will generate all of its electric energy and still meet its heating needs. Our students will be involved in these projects through internships and class projects. That’s commitment to renewable energy,” Jones stated.
To learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology’s Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy Engineering program, visit www.oit.edu/ree.
