Renewable energy has become an important area of research and development for both environmental as well as economic reasons. At the academic level, it is possible to introduce students to issues related to renewable energy. This paper discusses the effort one student has put in, as part of a thesis, to develop an economically feasible, self-sufficient, renewable energy system for a residential home in the Great Lakes region. The design of the system sought to use both wind and solar energy to supply energy to the home. The student was able to consider effects such as the design and capability of the wind turbine and solar panels to determine whether the design would be viable economically. After deciding that the initial system design would be too expensive, the student then considered other options to reduce the cost of the renewable energy system while still providing the necessary electrical systems that are used in a modern home. This included the development of a survey that was distributed to faculty and staff. The survey was used to determine the critical electrical loads that families in the Great Lakes region would require throughout the year. Successes and challenges of using thesis work as a teaching methodology for education in renewable energy will be discussed.
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