april's blog Renewable energy teacher trainings a hit!Posted on July 13, 2010 View allGet your own By Noah Davis SEI Solar in Schools CoordinatorSolar Energy International would like to thank everyone who helped make both of our Renewable Energy for Educators teacher trainings huge successes this year. We trained 29 teachers and non-formal educators hailing from both coasts and many points in between - including one teacher from Canada. Within these workshops we strive not only to show how our Solar In the Schools outreach program teaches youth, but also to create a fertile, open environment in which teachers can grow their own ideas - ... Read More »
Where in the world is Paonia?Posted on July 9, 2010 By Kathy Swartz Solar Energy International Renewable Energy Education Program Team Leader Based at SEI's Paonia, Colorado eco-campus So you're signed up for an SEI workshop in Western Colorado, and you're wondering what to expect when you get to the small town called Paonia. What's it like? What's there to do? I've found that students' experience in Paonia goes something like this: You arrive on Sunday and the thought passes through your head of "Where in the heck am I and who is this SEI???" And by the end of the week, you tend to linger a little ... Read More »
A first-hand look at solar training in Costa RicaPosted on July 6, 2010 By Carrie Schaffner Solar Energy International Work-Trader - Summer 2010 I recently had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica to take part in a Solar Energy International workshop, "Renewable Energy for the Developing World." I spent 10 days in the Talamanca Mountains with an incredible group of people eager to learn more about the potential for renewable energy. The workshop was held at Durika, a self-sufficient, sustainable community created by a group of mindful Costa Ricans and a few foreigners. We started each day with yogurt from the resident ... Read More »
Online vs. Classroom vs. Hands-on Solar TrainingPosted on July 2, 2010 By Liz Merry Originally published by Solar Today "Ask Ms. Liz" Columnist, republished by Renewable Energy World: People learn differently. You may be a great book learner, while I have to touch and move something around to get the book information to make sense to me. Or perhaps having an instructor present the book information through lectures and slides is most effective for you. Or you might prefer an even balance between all three - reading, in-person instruction and hands-on training. Call me technically challenged, but it turns out I am in ... Read More »
Celebrating renewable energy in WisconsinPosted on June 19, 2010 By April E. Clark Solar Energy International's Energy Fair Correspondent CUSTER, Wisconsin — I love renewable energy industry conferences. As of this weekend's event — the 21st Midwest Renewable Energy Fair (MREF) in Custer, Wisc. — I am four deep. I met many of my new solar friends (great industry folks I see at all the conferences now) at Solar Power International in Anaheim, Calif, last October. There were men and women in suits. Booths with espresso. And meats on a stick. This weekend's Energy Fair is a ... Read More »
Solar Energy International’s New Digs Posted on May 28, 2010 Rachel Connor, SEI's sustainable building program coordinator, details the organization's newest classroom space for students attending our hands-on Carbondale, Colorado, workshops. Carbondale is a distinctive community and I'd like to think it's because Solar Energy International was founded here in 1991. We help add to the character. In this funky mountain town, there is solar everywhere you turn, from the solar farm on the edge of town to nearly all public buildings. We have one of the highest number of straw bale homes per capita of anywhere in the country. ... Read More »
Solar cooking 93 million miles away - and it’s freePosted on May 18, 2010 SEI's resident solar cooker Matthew Harris loves solar cooking. Here's why: The sun represents so many things to the planet. Without it we would not survive for very long. It takes only eight minutes for the sun to reach the earth, 93 million miles in just 8 minutes. The amount of solar energy intercepted by the Earth every minute is greater than the amount of energy the world uses in fossil fuels each year. For me the sun represents many things as well, but this time of year it symbolizes the most inspiring thing I like to do with the sun which is to solar cook. Solar cooking has ... Read More »
Women's solar training workshop opens up a world of possibilities for SEI alumnaPosted on May 18, 2010 Solar Energy International is embarking on a new season of women's solar training this summer. SEI Women's PV Workshop alumna Kyra Moore was happy to share her experience at the women's class of '08: When I first arrived in Paonia, Colo., to attend the Women's PV Design class at SEI I had no idea that two years later I would working for a competitive solar company, with a NABCEP Solar PV Installer certificate under my belt, designing everything from small residential systems to larger commercial PV farms. I entered the women's class with a friend because we were ... Read More »
SEI provides solar training for womenPosted on May 18, 2010 Solar Energy International is proud to announce its 14th year of solar electric (PV) training for women. As the solar electric industry grows, it is a prime time for women to enter the solar PV field. These extremely popular workshops have been well-attended by women from all over the world looking to gain technical knowledge on how to design and install code compliant solar electric systems. Leading women solar professionals in the field teach this distinctive women's-only solar training designed to empower and encourage women to explore the industry. Many women have ... Read More »
Welcome to Solar Energy International's new blog!Posted on April 5, 2010 Digital-age learning theorist George Siemens has said, "Blogging is using a new medium for what it is good for — connecting and interacting." This is the best quote I've found to sum up the goal of Solar Energy International's newest direction in the digital age, our blog. We love to connect with SEI alumni, staff, partners, members, students and the vast sustainability-minded global community from around the world. What better way to reach out to renewable energy advocates globally than via our blog, with links to our social networking avenues, workshop schedule, news ... Read More »
|
