Renewable Energy

Madison College offers a Renewable Energy Certificate program for students interested in the design, engineering, economic analysis, installation, maintenance and repair of various types of renewable energy systems.

The Renewable Energy certificate program is designed to integrate interdisciplinary technical courses taught by faculty who hold appointments and certifications in a variety of instructional areas, including electrical and mechanical technology, engineering, agriculture, and basic and applied sciences.

As a renewable energy student at Madison College, you’ll have the opportunity to explore and learn in classrooms, laboratories and field locations. In the field, you’ll examine renewable energy technologies applied to real world situations.

Some renewable energy courses transfer to UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, Edgewood College and other four-year colleges and universities, giving you the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills further.

As a student in Renewable Energy, you will:

• Gain the necessary knowledge and skills to launch a career in renewable energy.
• Experience hands-on training with renewable energy tools and equipment.

Renewable Energy Certificate Benefits

• Add a Renewable Energy Certificate to academic studies in another field to enhance your Technical Diploma, Associate Degree or Transfer Program at Madison College.
• Use Renewable Energy coursework in combination with industry training, job experience or professional exams to earn national renewable energy certifications.
• As a current trade worker or technical professional, enhance your career and increase your value to employers with the Renewable Energy Certificate.
• Enroll in flexible classes through online and hybrid course options, short-course formats and alternative schedules, including evenings, weekends, winter break and/or summer sessions.

Program Details

Students in the Renewable Energy certificate can attend full or part time.

Renewable Energy certificate classes may be offered at these Madison College campuses:

• Madison – Commercial Avenue 
• Madison - Truax

Some of the courses for this program may be available online and in hybrid format.

YOUR ADVANTAGES AT MADISON COLLEGE

• Madison College is recognized as a leader in renewable energy and has received multiple grant awards, including over $4 million in support from the National Science Foundation over the past decade.

• Madison College instructors are part of a network of experts in the field, having worked with the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Labor, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Solar Instructor Training Network and the National Alternative Fuel Training Consortium.

• Madison College serves as the lead institution for the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (www.CreateEnergy.org) and has helped train many other renewable energy instructors across the country.

• Madison College was one of the first schools in the nation to offer a Renewable Energy certificate and is highly regarded for several other course and curriculum innovations. Madison College students obtain a personalized learning experience with hands-on experience in courses that are intentionally kept small through limited enrollment.

• Madison College students receive instruction from renewable energy faculty whose primary responsibility and interest is teaching.

• Madison College facilities feature modern, renewable energy laboratories, tools and teaching equipment supported by an experienced professional staff.

• Many renewable energy courses are available in the evenings, in hybrid or online formats, and as short courses to allow students flexibility in scheduling around their other work and academic responsibilities.

• As of 2017, over 400 students have pursued renewable energy coursework through Madison College. 

• In January of 2019, Madison College commissioned the largest rooftop solar system in the State of Wisconsin.  Students in the renewable energy program are able to work with this 1.85 MegaWatt system to learn about the most recent advances in solar technology.

View the Madison College Truax Solar System Performance Display.

Careers

• Wind Turbine Technician/Installer
• Solar Hot Water Technician/Installer
• Photovoltaic Technician/Installer
• Anaerobic Digester Technician/Installer
• Biofuel Refinery Operator/Technician
• Building Operator/Technician
• Power And Utility Technician
• Legislative Research Technician
• Energy Manager/Analyst
• Energy Auditor
• Energy Broker/Marketer
• Resource Conservation/Efficiency Manager

Career Mapping

• Solar Career Map
• Wind Career Map
• BioEnergy Career Map