2004 Solar Energy Calendar - Alumni Discount!

Don't forget to order your 2004 Solar Energy Calendar! A beautiful calendar filled with photos of past renewable energy workshops, solar facts, quotes and renewable energy event dates. $15 each. Alumni who order before December 15 receive a 20% discount - only $12 per calendar! To order your calendar click here or give us a call 970-963-8855.

Support Renewable Energy by Supporting SEI - New Membership Benefits!

This month is our Membership Drive! Solar Energy International is a membership based nonprofit whose members believe in our mission to educate others about renewable energy and environmental building technologies. Our member’s support enables SEI to offer educational programs that may otherwise lack funding. Please consider joining SEI at one of the memberhsip levels below by clicking here. Thank you for supporting solar power!

$20 Student/Senior/Limited Income membership

$45 SEI Member: Your membership will include the following benefits:

• One year subscription to Home Power magazine (unless otherwise noted). Home Power magazine is the leading resource for renewable energy information. Written and produced by people living with renewable energy.
• SEI Journal – Published quarterly, this newsletter keeps you up to date on SEI’s projects around the world, upcoming workshops and what SEI alumni are doing with their knowledge of renewable energy.
• Helping SEI to spread the use of solar, wind & water power. SEI’s projects help improve people’s lives around the world. Take a look at some of our projects below to learn about what your membership dollars will support.

$65 Program Support: Have all of the above membership benefits PLUS a 2004 Renewable Energy Calendar and the ability to support the SEI program of your choice with your membership fee.

SEI offers our members a way to give additional support to projects that are fundi! ng limited but make a tremendous amount of difference in the world. We encourage you to look and see which program below you would like to support.

$75 Non-profit Member: All benefits above plus having your name listed on our website.

$100 Private Corporate Member: All benefits above plus having your name listed on our website.

$150 Contributing Member: All benefits above plus an organic cotton SEI t-shirt.

$500 Sustaining Membership: All benefits above plus 10% discount on publications.

$1000 Life time Membership: All benefits above plus being a sponsor for someone from the developing world. Your membership fee will sponsor someone from the developing world to come attend our renewable energy workshops.

MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL! The first 6 people who become members at the $150 level or above receive a signed copy of John Perlin's book From Space to Earth: The Story of Solar Electricity

Renewable Energy Youth Camp

Every year SEI holds a Renewable Energy Youth Camp to teach Native American and disadvantaged youth about renewable energy and sustainable living. This year our Youth Camp will be held in Paonia, CO. The students will camp out, visit local renewable energy sites, attend presentations by energy professionals, and install a photovoltaic system. Funding is needed to offer all of our youth scholarship money. It costs approximately $1500 per student to pay for their lodging, travel, meals, and instructors costs. More information

Solar in the Schools

SEI’s Solar in the Schools Program (SIS) targets grade school youth and focuses on experiential learning of energy concepts and issues. The goal is to have students understand energy as it relates to all living things on the planet. SIS emphasizes critical thinking skills by exploring energy choices, costs and solutions within individual communities. In 2002, SEI presented in 8 different classrooms in CO. Already in 2003, the level of interest has expanded with this program. This year we worked with Paonia Highschool’s juniors and seniors to install solar lighting on the school’s kiosk. Each half day of solar activities spent in the school costs about $200 in materials and instruction. Help our efforts to reach more classrooms! More information

INVEST Program

SEI offers alumni of our workshops an opportunity to participate in INVEST, International Volunteers in Environmentally Sustainable Technologies. SEI alumni can apply to volunteer overseas with one of our partner organizations to help bring renewable energy technologies to rural communities in the developing world. Install photovoltaic systems on rural health centers, teach rural farmers about solar water pumping, install micro-hydro and wind systems to power rural communities, or help build sustainable houses around the world. All this, while meeting new people and learning new cultures. Approximately $400 helps cover a volunteer’s living expenses while in-country. More information

Women’s Program

SEI’s Women's Program addresses the lack of women in the renewable energy field. Our goals are to educate women about career choices in the renewable energy industry and to supply them with the technical background to design and install renewable energy systems. Our program provides a supportive atmosphere to learn about tools and technology. The women’s only classes we have offered include wind power, solar electricity and carpentry. Over 400 women have been trained in our program so far and we would like to reach more. Program funding would go to scholarship funds, networking with other women’s groups both nationally and internationally, and developing a young women’s program to reach this population at a more critical age. More information