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Upcoming Hands-on Workshops
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Upcoming International workshops
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SEI thanks our new business members:
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Solar Energy International has a strong community presence on social networks. Please consider joining these SEI groups:
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New Online Campus Goes Live
 Solar Energy International is proud to
announce the completion of our new Online Campus. Visit the new online campus at solarenergytraining.org. We have spent the
past six months building a world-class online learning environment with
new enrollment options, new teaching and learning technologies, and new
courses. These innovations make online learning easier and more
engaging, even for someone who has never taken an online course. -
New Pricing for the End of 2010 In developing the new online campus, we adopted more cost-effective technologies and will be passing the savings onto our students for some of our most popular online courses:- New
Enrollment Options
Register today
and start your course immediately! Starting this fall/winter, Solar Energy International will offer new open enrollment courses, such as our new free Intro to Renewable Energy online course - stay tuned!
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Get Your Power from the Wind
 Wind power is one of the fastest-growing sources of renewable energy around the
world. In the United States, which passed Germany to
become the country producing the most wind power, the Department of
Energy has estimated that wind power could account for 20 percent of the
nation's electricity supply by 2030. If you're interested in learning how you can get your power from the wind, or if you are already have a wind turbine and want to know how to maintain and repair it, Solar Energy International has many upcoming opportunities for you!
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Producing Solar Below 70 Cents a Watt
 Remember back in the good 'ol days of 2008 when manufacturing solar
PV below a dollar a watt was a big deal? How quaint that vision seems
today. Okay, so the sub-one dollar production cost is still a major
milestone. But as more companies approach or cross the threshold, the
solar industry is starting to compete at a much different level. RenewableEnergyWorld.com reports that in a big announcement this week, the equipment manufacturer Oerlikon
says that its new fab line is able to pump out 10 percent-efficient
amorphous-silicon (a-Si) thin-film modules for under 70 cents a watt. Listen to the RenewableEnergyWorld.com podcast to learn more.
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 SEI Executive Director Johnny Weiss Discusses the Future of Solar Energy
On Aug. 21, Johnny Weiss, Solar Energy International's
executive director, joined representatives from other solar energy
groups to discuss the
future of solar energy at the American Renewable Energy Day (AREDAY)
annual conference in Aspen, CO. Topics included government
funding and
subsidies, educational outreach, and changing technologies. Along with
Johnny, panel members also included Rhone Resch from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and John Woolard of BrightSource Energy.To see footage of the panel discussion on C-Span click here. |
The Sustainable Community of Gaviotas
Paolo Lugari in front of a mural
depicting Gaviotas  |
Far away from everything, in the bleak plains of eastern
Colombia, lies Gaviotas, a community of hope. Forty years ago, Development Specialist Paolo Lugari brought a group of engineers,
dreamers, street kids, and local Guahibo Indians together to come up with
technologies to help them live sustainably in this desolate area of Colombia. And through trial and error, they
succeeded. In Gaviotas, they now manufacture their own
solar hot water collectors, wind mills, and an efficient water pump called a
"sleeve pump." They produce all their own food, and earn an income through sale
of their renewable energy technologies, sustainable forest products, and pure
water. SEI's International Program Manager, Laurie Guevara-Stone, had the chance to visit
Gaviotas with a group of 30 people from around the world, to see first-hand
how this community has proven that sustainability is possible. Now the village is inviting another 40 people for a fully hosted day visit this November. In addition,
Gaviotas founder Paolo Lugari is personally inviting people to spend two
additional days in conversation with him and other Gaviotans in and
around the Gaviotas office in Bogotá. Visit Friends of Gaviotas to sign up for this amazing opportunity.
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SEI Holds First Residential and Small
Commercial Wind Training in Puerto Rico
 Solar Energy International, in partnership with Energtech (Dr. Albith Colon), Edison
Energy Engineering (Edison Pares), Colegio de Ingenieros y Agrimensores de Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rico Energy Office, recently offered a five-day wind training workshop in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The training, taught by Ian Woofenden
and Jenny Heinzen, included more than 31 Puerto Rican engineers interested
in sizing, designing, and/or installing systems. The class featured tours and
hands-on labs, including turbine assembly and site analysis. The class was so
successful, Energtech is hoping to offer it again in November.
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Featured Alum - Lura Griffiths
 Lura Griffiths is an alum of Solar
Energy International as well as a former office volunteer, and a
graduate of the Renewable Energy Engineering program at the Oregon Institute of Technology in Portland, Ore. She is an energy analyst/modeler with Glumac, Inc.,
a leading MEP engineering firm specializing in sustainable commercial
building development. In addition to her work with Glumac, Lura serves
on the the board of directors of Solar HOPE,
a nonprofit working to bring renewable energy to Tanzania and other
developing countries through partnerships between U.S. universities and
local governments/ universities in the developing world. A former Colorado resident and 15-year employee of Aspen Skiing Company (ASC), Lura first became motivated during her time with ASC and while
taking classes at SEI. She has pledged to help protect the natural
environment, and specifically to work toward dramatically changing the
way energy is generated and used in the U.S. and around the world.
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Upcoming Events
- Solar Power International
October 12 - 14, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA
The largest solar conference and expo in North America. SEI will be offering an Intermediate Level PV System pre-conference workshop on Oct. 11 which will focus on NEC requirements, best practices, and safe
working procedures for installing and troubleshooting solar systems. Click here to register. And stop by SEI's booth #1331 to say hi!
www.solarpowerinternational.com
- Biogas USA 2010
October 13 - 14, 2010 - San Francisco, CA
Leaders of the US biogas industry will examine how
to develop commercially successful biogas projects and address the
latest technological advances in production.
www.greenpowerconferences.com/biogasusa
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