Tarrant County College has opened a $42 million energy training center. The 87,000-square-building in Fort Worth, TX, is said by officials to be the largest such facility in the country. The story says that the goal is to train workers for several industries, including oil and gas, renewable energy and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR).
The building itself is a teaching and training tool. For instance, peeled back walls expose layers of the infrastructure and a wood-framed house enables students to practice air conditioning system installation. The building also was built with sustainability in mind. For instance, a solar array almost achieves net zero electrical consumption and a wind generating tower planned to start operating next month will power six homes.
Last month, Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, WI, introduced its Energy Education Center. Like Tarrant, the facility enables students to use the building in their energy education.
