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The Future of Energy Is Here

Solar car ports, a climbing tower, a cell tower, a wind turbine, and a storage building that looks like a “lunar lander, complete with a racing stripe of LED lights,” according to Curbed Chicago. These are among the technologies on display at the IBEW NECA Technical Institute (IN-TECH) Renewable Energy Training Field (RETF).

The RETF prepares electricians across the metropolitan area to meet the fast-growing demand for commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential applications of solar and wind power. Additionally, the RETF is a great field trip destination for local schools!

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Pure Energy

Watch this video to get a bird’s-eye view of the Renewable Energy Training Field and learn about its many green energy features.

“. . . a dynamic research and development facility to innovate and showcase emerging technologies and respond to new code requirements.”

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Solar Field

A ground-mounted solar field, consisting of nine eighty-foot rows of photovoltaic panels, occupies an area about the size of a football field. The panels gather enough energy to not only power the storage building and a welding lab, but they also push excess energy back into the grid.

“The RETF provides these pathways with training for our electricians, the most advanced technology, innovation for our contractors, and a showcase of many efficient renewable energy options for our customers.”

A Net-Zero Pioneer

A glowing strip of LED lights draws attention to the 4,500-square-foot storage building aiming for net-zero energy consumption. It houses power collection, storage, and distribution equipment. The building’s sloped roofs have sections clad in shingles and in metal panels so trainees can become certified to install photovoltaic arrays on different roof types.

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“As a teaching tool, the renewable energy field is one-of-a-kind in the country.”

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