Walt Ratterman

SEI is deeply saddened by the loss of Walt Ratterman, who perished in the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Walt was an instructor, alumnus, supporter and friend of SEI. He was also an incredibly dedicated one-of-a-kind individual who touched thousands of people’s lives around the world.  Walt was in Haiti working on solar projects for health clinics with the organization that he cofounded, SunEnergy Power International (SunEPI). 

Walt had more than 30 years' experience in the electrical construction industry. After working for many years on large industrial projects nationwide, he started his own electrical firm about 20 years ago on the east coast, working on many of the first solar stand-alone and grid-tied systems on state-approved rebate programs. Walt's family home in Pennsylvania was completely off-grid, utilizing solar electricity and solar pumping.

Until his passing, Walt spent nearly all of his time working in remote locations throughout the world. He traveled to Thailand, Burma, Ecuador, Nicaragua, India, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Haiti. His work in these countries included a full complement of training and implementation project work. Walt is sorely missed within the SEI community.