chris's blog

Thanksgiving Greetings from the SEI Team

You make SEI the incredible non-profit organization that it is.
By Kathy Swartz, Interim Executive Director

It’s hard to believe that 2012 is coming to an end. The days are getting shorter, the nights are colder, and snow is in the mountains. In this time of Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for at Solar Energy International.

We are thankful for you— our alumni, our friends, and our supporters. You make SEI the incredible non-profit organization that it is. We’ve had over 22,000 people take training from SEI during our 21 years of non-profit service ...
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SEI Alumni Highlight - Azuriel Mayo

SEI's Alumni highlight for the month of November goes to Azuriel Mayo.   We had the opportunity to catch up with Azuriel to see how he is doing.  

"I have had the blessings of being raised by a family that has a strong sense of interest in our impact as humans on this planet. My father was into recycling long before it was vogue and he was acutely aware of the waste that we humans generate. During the first oil crisis of 1972, he found ways to recycle large plastic bags at the food cannery where he worked. Later, he designed a house that had a wonderful deck that was ...
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SEI Trains Solar Technicians in Benin, Africa

SEI and SELF (Solar Electric Light Fund) have teamed up to train 6 new solar technicians and provide a refresher course for SELF’s other solar technicians in the northern region of Benin, Africa.  SELF is a US based non-profit that provides solar power solutions for water pumping, community garden irrigation, schools, and health clinics.  They have made a long term commitment to help with social and economic development in the region around Kalele in Benin.  SEI is providing the training program for all of the local technicians to improve their skills and work toward a region ...
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SEI Alumni Highlight - Jason Kechijian

Jason Kechijian is one of SEI's stand out alumni and certificate program graduates.  We caught up with Jason recently to see how he is doing in his solar career and ask him a few questions about how SEI helped him attain his goals.How did SEI help you prepare for your career?

Jason: After finishing a multi-family construction project right before the market collapsed and the development bubble burst, I knew that a career in construction was my destiny. Knowing that the previous successes were unlikely I wanted to position myself for a bright future. I woke up in the ...
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SEI Travels to Antigua for Solar Training

SEI recently held a PV101: Solar Electric Design and Installation training on the island of Antigua. The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), under the banner of its Green Antigua campaign, enacted an interconnection standard to allow PV systems to be tied into their grid. One of the requirements for the installer is that they must take SEI's PV101 and PV203 (battery-based) training or test out.

The participants in this intense SEI training included a cross section of members from the private and public sectors. The training consisted of theoretical and practical ...
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SEI and Grid Alternatives Team Up - Solar PV Installations for Low Income Housing

GRID Alternatives (GA) is expanding to Colorado where SEI’s Co-Founder Johnny Weiss and Noah Davis Manager of SEI’s Solar In the Schools Program recently helped with several ‘barn-raising’ style PV installations with low-income homeowners in Denver. Long-time friends of SEI, GA Founders Tim Sears and Erica Mackie have the mission to empower communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training.

Based in California, GRID Alternatives works collaboratively with communities and local organizations to identify specific needs ...
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Solar In the Schools PV RC Racers

The Solar In the Schools K-12 outreach program is hitting the road with cutting-edge solar RC cars built and driven by students. Four teams of students will be working under supervision this winter to build high-performance PV-direct radio-control model cars. The project will require students to construct their own array and customize the mechanical and electrical systems of their 1/10 scale cars to maximize solar performance on the track.


The finished RC cars, which are not currently raced anywhere else in the world, will come together for a demonstration race in May ...
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SEI Veterans and Active Duty Military Program

Photo: Courtesy US Department of Defense

SEI Veterans and Active Duty Military Training Program
Solar Energy International (SEI) is pleased to announce a truly inspirational scholarship and outreach program for veterans and active duty military personnel.   SEI has experienced a dramatic increase in recent years of veterans who wish to attend SEI training and are looking for funding opportunities to take full advantage of all that SEI has to offer.  

As an organization, we believe in the opportunities that renewable energy can afford our country, ...
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November is Online Learning Month at SEI

November 2012 is Online Learning Month for Solar Energy International (SEI)! As we enter into the winter months here at SEI's Lab Facility in Colorado - the SEI Online Campus starts heating up! Online courses start November 5th and run through December 16th.  We are offering introductory level, advanced topics, battery-based systems, and business topics. Register today for the best online learning in the solar industry!

PVOL101: Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-Direct) - Online  PVOL202: Advanced PV System Design and the NEC (Grid-Direct) - OnlinePVOL203: ...
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SEI Wins Grant Award to Take Professional Certificate Program to Central America

Solar Energy International has been awarded $190,000 by the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas through the US Department of State to take their professional solar training to Central America.  This targeted program called the Solar Professionals Academy of the Americas (SPAA) is a spin-off of SEI's successful Solar Professionals Certificate Program that prepares technical professionals through rigorous solar training requirements and networking opportunities.  

SEI's world renowned photovoltaic curriculum has been translated into Spanish in support of their ...
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