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Renewable Energy 101

February 26, 2027 Online :: Central Time

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“I recommend the course to get an excellent introduction to renewables.”

Manager, Environment and Climate Change Canada

“Very informative and directly related to my role at work.”

Program & Project Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric

This one-day course will provide a practical introduction to renewable energy technologies, project development, grid integration, and market fundamentals. Attendees will explore how each technology turns wind, sunlight, water, heat, or organic matter into electricity and how renewable energy projects progress from early site screening through development, construction, operation, and eventual repowering or decommissioning. The course will also examine how renewable energy production is measured and forecasted, the assessments that support project development, and the role of grid integration, battery storage, and interconnection. Attendees will gain an understanding of project economics, financing, incentives, power markets, and the factors that influence project risk and investment decisions.

Join us for a structured overview of the technologies, processes, and market forces shaping today’s renewable energy industry.

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe how wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass produce electricity, and the strengths and constraints of each
  • Explain the project lifecycle from prospecting through construction, operation, and decommissioning
  • Describe the fundamentals of how a site's renewable resource is assessed and how energy production estimates are built, including uncertainty in energy assessments, as well as other assessments important to development.
  • Assess the challenges variable generation poses for grid operators and the tools that address them, including battery storage
  • Describe the interconnection process and the factors that drive its cost and timeline
  • Apply common cost metrics (capital cost, operating cost, capacity factor, LCOE) to compare generation options
  • Connect incentives, state policy, wholesale market design, PPAs and RECs to project revenue and risk

Register

Please Note: This event is being conducted entirely online. All attendees will connect and attend from their computer, one connection per purchase. For details please see our FAQ

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Individual attendee(s)$ 995.00 each(early bird rate)
(price after February 12, 2027 is $ 1,095.00)
Volume pricing also available

Individual attendee tickets can be mixed with ticket packs for complete flexibility

Pack of 5 attendees$ 4,230.00 (15% discount)(early bird rate)
(price after February 12, 2027 is $ 4,655.00)
Pack of 10 attendees$ 7,960.00 (20% discount)(early bird rate)
(price after February 12, 2027 is $ 8,760.00)
Pack of 20 attendees$ 14,925.00 (25% discount)(early bird rate)
(price after February 12, 2027 is $ 16,425.00)

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before January 22, 2027 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

EUCI retains the right to refuse registration by any individual or company.

Agenda

Friday, February 26, 2027
Central Time

Online

Log In

8:45 AM

Lunch Break

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM

Adjourn for the day

5:15 PM

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Log In

9:00 - 9:15 AM

Welcome and Introduction

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM

Lunch Break

9:00 AM - 5:15 PM

Course Timing

Welcome and Introduction

  • Introduction and goals for the day
  • Tools for the course

How Things Work – Renewable Technologies Fundamentals

  • Wind: turbine fundamentals, onshore and offshore
  • Solar PV: modules, inverters, fixed-tilt and single-axis tracking, utility-scale and distributed
  • Solar thermal
  • Battery storage systems
  • Hydropower, geothermal and biomass
  • Hybrid systems and emerging technologies
  • Strengths and constraints of each technology

The Project Lifecycle

  • Prospecting and site screening
  • Land, permitting and community engagement
  • Development milestones and pre-construction design
  • Engineering, procurement and construction through commercial operation
  • Operations and maintenance: monitoring, SCADA, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance
  • End of life: repowering, life extension and decommissioning

From What to Watts – Renewable Energy Generation, Estimation and Assessments

  • Power vs. energy: kW, kWh, MW, MWh; AC and DC
  • Capacity factor and why it matters
  • Resource assessment overview: on-site measurement, remote sensing and long-term reference data
  • Energy yield estimates: from resource assessment to expected annual production
  • Uncertainty analysis: P-values, what drives uncertainty and what it means for project risk
  • Other studies: climate risk assessments, geotechnical, environmental and cultural

Mixing In Renewables - Grid Integration with Variable Generation

  • Today's generation mix and where renewables fit
  • Variability, forecasting and the duck curve
  • Sources of flexibility: system operations, demand response, pricing and flexible generation
  • Battery storage: power vs. energy, duration and applications
  • The interconnection process: queues, study phases and FERC Order 2023
  • What drives interconnection cost and timeline: network upgrades, queue backlogs and curtailment risk

Financing and Markets

  • Cost metrics: capital cost, operating cost, capacity factor and LCOE
  • Comparing renewables with conventional generation, and where LCOE falls short
  • How projects are financed, and how energy estimates and uncertainty shape debt and returns
  • Federal incentives: the ITC and PTC today
  • State policies: renewable portfolio standards, net metering and siting rules
  • Wholesale market design: ISOs/RTOs and locational pricing
  • Revenue and contracts: PPAs and RECs
  • Bringing it together: how risk at each lifecycle stage flows into financing

Wrap-Up, Discussion and Q&A

  • Market outlook and tools for further analysis
  • Open discussion and Q&A

Instructor

Matthew Gagne

Principal Consultant

Wood

With more than 20 years in the renewable energy industry, Matthew has led multidisciplinary analyses spanning the full project lifecycle, from early site screening and selection through construction and operational assessments.

Matthew specializes in solar photovoltaic, utility-scale wind, and hybrid projects that integrate design loads and mixed generation.

His expertise includes:

  • Using advanced spatial analysis throughout the project lifecycle to optimize renewable energy projects siting, meteorological campaigns, yield, and operation
  • Conceptual and up to 60% design of utility-scale solar, wind, and hybrid projects
  • Pre-construction and operational energy yield analyses for solar, wind, and hybrid projects
  • Design and implementation of tools to assess and optimize projects and workflows
  • Due diligence of pre-construction energy yields, meteorological campaigns, operational pro-formas, and decommissioning estimates

Continuing Education Credits

IACET

AP_Logo

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.8 CEUs for this event

Verify our IACET accreditation

Who recognizes IACET Credits?

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must log in and be in attendance for the entirety of this one-day course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

PowerPoint presentations, Q&A, open discussion, quizzes/polls.

CPE

Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Course CPE Credits: 9.0
There is no prerequisite for this Course.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

CpeEUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org

CLE

Only registered attendees can request CLE credits for an EUCI course/event.  Please email [email protected] prior to the course start date and list the state where you are licensed and your bar# as well as the name and date of your course/event in your request, and someone will be in contact.

Who Should Attend

Built for professionals who work around renewable energy and want a clearer picture of how the pieces fit together, whether they joined the industry recently or are stepping into a new role. No engineering background is needed.

  • Planning, procurement and program staff at investor-owned utilities, cooperatives and public power agencies
  • Developer and IPP team members in land, permitting, origination and community relations
  • Finance, accounting, audit and investment professionals who evaluate or report on renewable assets
  • Attorneys, regulators and government agency staff working on energy issues
  • Engineers, consultants and sales staff who support renewable projects
  • Anyone wanting a structured refresher on the industry