MREC - Programs and Conferences

MREC Programs and Conferences

Stray Voltage Investigators Course Offerings For 2009

Our strategy is to combine web-based instructional modules with our classroom sessions. When you enroll for a course you will be sent instructions on accessing the web-based instructional material. You will need to successfully complete these instructional modules before attending the class room session. Each instructional module will have a short quiz to test your knowledge. After the classroom session you will take a ‘final exam’ on-line as well.

The dates for this year's classroom sessions are:

12 May 2009: Introduction to Stray Voltage
13-14 May 2009: Stray Voltage Testing
28-29 October 2009: Advanced Stray Voltage Analysis

Click here for registration info

47th Annual MREC Conference
and Agricultural Electric Code Workshop
Embassy Suites, Bloomington, MN

(Near the Minneapolis airport and Mall of America)
February 25-27, 2009

The MREC Board has put together the following agenda for our annual educational conference

Wednesday, February 25

Agricultural Wiring Code Update

Thursday and Friday February 26 and 27

Annual Conference

General Sessions

Virtual tour of integrated Dairy and Energy production facility
Establishing Customer Relations
Review of stray voltage rules and regulations in the US and Canada
Virtual tour of ongoing stray voltage research in France

Breakout sessions

Farm Wiring, Stray Voltage and Electrical Distribution
- Phase converters and VFD installation
- Qualification of experts
- Veterinarians field experience
- Testing protocol for livestock waterers
- Transmission under build issues
- Overview of new web assisted stray voltage training courses
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- Biogas to pipelines
- Benefits of geographically dispersed wind energy development
- Algae Biodiesel
- Farm energy audit case study
- Wind turbine construction and maintenance
- What's new in Biofuels
- Biomass co combustion
Dinner Program

Click here to download the program brochure.

We look forward to seeing you in February!

CHECK IT OUT!-- MREC 2008 Annual Conference Proceedings and Presentations.
Thank you for your attendance. It was a great success!

New and Improved Stray Voltage Investigators Course Offerings!

We are in the process of redesigning the series of stray voltage investigators’ courses with the following objectives:

1. Reduce time out of office, travel time and time in the classroom
2. Improve knowledge retention
3. Review basic materials at home before attending the course

The dates for the classroom sessions are:

8 April 2008: Introduction to Stray Voltage
9-10 April 2008: Stray Voltage Testing
14-15 May 2008: Advanced Stray Voltage Analysis

Click here for registration info

Mark Your Calendars for the Premier Agricultural Energy Conference of 2008!

46^th Annual Rural Energy Conference
February 27-29^,2008
At the LaCrosse, WI Radisson Conference Center

Check out the 2008 Conference Brochure here for details

Come join your peers and colleagues for the longest-running event addressing the most up-to-date and relevant topics to help you succeed in advancing your rural energy agenda. The MREC and its member energy providers and land grant universities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota have been at the heart of agricultural energy issues for the past 50 years.

This year we will return to La Crosse, WI to discuss recent trends in electric distribution technology, distributed generation and interconnection, stray voltage issues, energy efficiency in agriculture and meeting the needs of the expanding bio-energy market.

The MREC 2008 conference will include two days filled with informative workshops from rural energy professionals. These workshops will be sure to make this the most worthwhile event you’ll attend in 2008. Our keynote speakers will be announced in the near future.

Click here to download the 2008 Conference Brochure here (pdf)

2007 Annual MREC Educational Conference

Conference Brochure

The 45th annual MREC conference will have two tracks; One devoted to Farm wiring, electric code and stray voltage, and the other focusing on energy efficiency, distributed generation and assessment of renewable energy options. Our keynote speaker will give us an overview of the changes occurring in rural communities in the upper Midwest: demographically, economically and socially. We will also hear about a major study of integrating wind into the grid and get and overview of the ethanol boom from the perspective of corn growers, cooperatives and utilities serving these electric and gas loads. For more information and to register for the conference download this brochure.

This year's pre-conference Workshop will provide you with an update on the latest measurement tools and techniques for stray voltage investigation. We will give you an in-depth understanding of how to program and use the PMI, SVM-10 Stray Voltage Monitor. Our second session will give you an overview of 'non-standard' stray voltage measurements that you might run across in the field. Chuck Forster will give us an overview of DC voltage measurements and Doug Reinemann will give an overview of the influence of DC voltage on animal sensitivity. Chuck will also discuss issues relating to proper and improper measurement and interpretation of high frequency transient events. The last session will be a panel discussion with of the speakers and other MREC members to answer your specific questions on both rural and urban stray voltage.

The MREC was granted the authority to post selected handouts and presentations on-line. This will allow people who attended the conference to review the information presented, while at the same time provides valuable information to first-time views who were unable to attend.

Archive of Past Conference Brochures

Interested in obtaining information about past MREC conferences? Consult the Archives Page for conference brochures and agendas of past conferences.

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