Paonia, CO

Lab Facility and Campus Location:
Solar Energy International Campus           
39845 Mathews Lane                            
Paonia, CO 81428
Phone: 970-527-7657 

Classroom Location:
138 Grand Ave.
Paonia, CO 81428

SEI's classroom portions will be held approximately 1 mile from the SEI’s eco-campus in downtown Paonia at 138 Grand Ave.  Grand Avenue is Paonia’s main street, in the central business district, close to the intersection of Grand Ave and 2nd St.  It’s easy to find, located between Ollie’s Ice Cream and the Glennie Coombe Gallery. The front door opens to a long hall.  On the left is the gallery and on your right is Ollie’s. The classroom is at the end of the hall on the right. During breaks students can visit Ollie’s Ice Cream or check out the gallery.  The post office is on the same block.  Off-street parking is available in the alley behind Grand Ave, between 2nd and 3rd Street.

For a map showing both SEI’s eco-campus and the classroom location please click here.

For more information about Paonia and the North Fork Valley, click here:   

For information about Delta County (Paonia), visit:   www.deltacountycolorado.com/

Transportation and Travel:

Closest Airports:

We have a small airport in Paonia if you have your own plane: www.airnav.com/airport/7V2

The closest major airports to Paonia are:

Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ) - 1 hour drive www.montrosecounty.net/index.aspx?NID=194  

Grand Junction Airport - Walker Field (GJT) - 1.5 hour drive www.gjairport.com/  

Denver International Airport (DEN) - 5 hour drive  http://flydenver.com/

Transportation choices from Montrose or Grand Junction airports to Paonia are:

1. Rent a car for the week (see list of rental agencies below)
2. Shuttles (Telluride Express at  888-212-8294   http://www.tellurideexpress.com/  or American Spirit Shuttle at 970-523-7662  http://www.americanspiritshuttle.net/
3. Use SEI's Ride Board for rideshare information with other students http://solarenergytraining.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=6475  (Within 5 to 6 business days of registering for any workshop, you will receive information on how to log in to SEI's Online Alumni and Career Center, where you will be able to access the SEI Ride Share Board).
4. Call SEI's Paonia Office Manager Chris Smith at 970-527-7657 ext. 200 or csmith@solarenergy.org for the contact information for people willing to pick you up from the airport for a fee (usually $100 one way)

Bicycles: Once in Paonia, students can use bicycles available at SEI (free, but we require a $50 refundable deposit).

Driving: Paonia is 1.5 hours from Grand Junction taking Hwy. 50 or 2 hours from Glenwood Springs (head towards Aspen, then take Hwy. 133 over McClure Pass)

Bus Stations: There is a Greyhound Station at 230 S. 5^th St. in Grand Junction, CO, which is approximately 70 miles from the classroom. You can take the bus to the City of Delta, approx. 40 minutes from Paonia, but you will need to arrange transportation from there to Paonia.

Train Stations: There is also an Amtrak Station at 413 7th St, Glenwood Springs, CO, which is approximately 70 miles from the classroom, and a station at 339 South 1^st Street in  Grand Junction, CO, which is approximately 70 miles from the classroom. You will need to arrange transportation from either of those locations to Paonia.

Car Rentals:  Grand Junction Airport - www.metrotravelguide.com/car_rentals/airport/gjt

Car Rentals:  Montrose Airport -  www.montrosecounty.net/index.aspx?NID=252

Lodging

There is no lodging or camping available on SEI's campus. The Paonia local lodging list is included as an attachment on your workshop confirmation email upon registration. This list contains commercial establishments plus rooms in local homes available for rent and camping options.  You can also visit this website:  www.deltacountycolorado.com/

Food: There are many wonderful restaurants in Paonia. For a listing of restaurants in Paonia and the surrounding area click here.

Weather: The weather in Paonia in the summer should be in the 80s or 90s during the day and then drop into the 50s or 60s at night. Though Paonia is semi-arid, there's always the possibility of rain, especially in early July and September. For a more detailed look at the weather, go to weather.com.

What to Bring:

Please bring the following to the PV, Wind and Microhydro Workshops:
Pen and pencil
Paper for note taking
A calculator (with trig functions for Advanced)
Black, red and green colored pencils for schematics
Your softball glove if you want to join us in a friendly game of softball

SEI will provide hard hats and safety glasses for the lab classes, however students are encouraged to bring their own to ensure comfort and proper fit.  Please carefully read your detailed email confirmation that you receive(d) upon registration for more information.