ORLANDO – To meet the growing demand for technicians who can operate today’s smart buildings and reduce energy usage, Valencia College will launch a new, two-year degree in energy controls management in fall 2018.
The first to be developed in Florida, Valencia’s new Energy Management and Controls Technology Associate in Science degree was designed in consultation with major regional employers. Valencia College has established robust partnerships with employers such as Siemens, Automated Logic, Trane and Honeywell, each of whom are committed to hiring Valencia students for internships and hiring the program’s graduates.
All classes will be held on Valencia College’s West Campus, which is located at 1800 S. Kirkman Road in Orlando. The EMCT program will use the campus’s plant operations facility as a living laboratory, while community partners will provide internship opportunities
Valencia College’s engineering professors developed the curriculum for the EMCT program through a $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Demand for energy managers and controls technicians is high in industries ranging from hotels, hospitals, industrial complexes, theme parks and grocery stores. Valencia expects students to be hired quickly upon graduation. Earnings range from $45,000 per year to more than $80,000 per year.
Students who have completed a certificate program in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC) from Orange Technical College or any other institution will be awarded 12 credit hours toward the EMCT program. Other pathways into this degree program will be provided for students from any background or level of expertise.
Along with a fully-equipped laboratory designed to train technicians on industry equipment, students will use data analysis to track patterns of the college’s energy usage, perform energy audits and calculate energy flow and life-cycle cost analysis. Students will also learn how to read blueprints and engineering drawings, and will use networking software to solve sustainability problems.
“At other colleges around the nation where the program has been offered, students are so excited that they are making innovative suggestions that are reducing energy costs at their colleges,” said Dr. Lisa Macon, dean of Valencia’s Engineering, Computer Programming and Technology division.
For more information on the EMCT degree program, please visit https://net1.valenciacollege.edu/future-students/degree-options/associates/energy-management-and-controls-technology/