POWER4VETS™ TRAINING PLAN

METHODOLOGY

Power4Vets™ utilizes online tutorials and online simulator exercises to rapidly bring veterans up to speed in the power industry. The training program centers on building the skills, knowledge, and experience to become a power system operator (What is a system operator?). The content is challenging and the learning curve is steep.

STUDY PHASES

After acceptance into the program, you will need to read through the Power4Vets Program Manual which is a step-by-step outline for the program. You will also receive the Power4Vets Study Guide which will be referred to within the training. You will be issued a username and password to access your training on the online IncSys Academy.

PRE-WORK: FUNDAMENTALS REFRESHER TRAINING (RECOMMENDED)

A solid understanding of mathematics and electricity fundamentals is essential to grasping some of the more advanced courses and scenarios in the program. The subjects that you should understand are covered in these sections of the EPRI Power System Dynamics Tutorial:

• 2.2 Mathematics
• 2.3 DC Electricity Review
• 2.4 AC Electricity Review
• 2.6 Power System Equipment
• 3.1 – 3.2 Active and Reactive Power

The fundamentals topics are not graded, however, you should review them as needed. It is extremely important that you have an understanding of the fundamentals in order to follow the simulator training. You may also wish to test your understanding of the fundamentals with the Fundamentals Study Questions found on Power Academy. The questions are broken up into sections that directly relate to the chapters of the EPRI Power System Dynamics Tutorial. There is an answer key at the end to check your work.

PART 1 : POWER SYSTEM OPERATION AND CONTROLS – PSOC (REQUIRED)

Objective 1: Orient yourself to power system operations from the perspective of a system operator

Objective 2: Learn to operate the North American Power System reliably in normal and emergency situations

In this section of the training you will use a combination of:

• Video Lectures
• Quizzes
• PowerSimulator Simulation Exercises
• Supplemental Reading

The Power System Operation & Controls (PSOC) course simulator exercises are a proving ground for Power4Vets students. If you can achieve high scores throughout Power System Operation & Controls Course (i.e. 75% or above on each activity), it is a good sign that you can perform well on the NERC Exam.

• PASSING CONDITIONS: 75% on each learning activity – Failed activities can be repeated.
• HOURS OF TRAINING: ~ 60 hours
• EXPECTED LENGTH OF PHASE: 1 – 3 months

PART 2 : NERC CERTIFICATION PREPARATION (REQUIRED)

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) supplies the rules governing the planning and operation of the electric power industry, called NERC Standards. Knowing these rules is a vital step in understanding the why and how of power system operations. Moreover, NERC requires all system operators to be NERC certified and to maintain their certification. The objective of this phase is to teach you the rules of the road and prepare you to pass the exam.

This phase is also self-paced. After you have completed this phase, you must contact and IncSys representative so that you can be assessed and coached prior to taking the exam. After being cleared to take the exam you will sign up to take the NERC Certification Exam at the nearest Testing Center. Upon passing the exam, you will be legally certified to operate the power system.