This course covers the principles behind designing and building residential structures that achieve optimal year-round comfort, reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality and limit environmental impact. Participants will be able to identify a range of solutions that will result in a sustainable and comfortable home. This workshop is for owner-builders in the pre-design stage, architects, builders, designers, contractors, and for anyone interested in this vast field of study. This face-to-face workshop includes labs, material displays, expert guest instructors and home tours. There is no construction component. Also offered as an online course.

Similar to the face-to-face workshop, this six-week, self-paced online course is for anyone interested in modern sustainable construction. This course covers the principles behind designing and building residential structures that achieve optimal year-round comfort, reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality and limit environmental impact. Participants will be able to identify a range of solutions that will result in a sustainable and comfortable home. The online sessions include more case studies of successful sustainable homes, the Building with Awareness DVD, the book Your Green Home, industry related hand-outs and a wealth of internet resource links. Students can also earn college credit for all online courses through Madison Area Technical College.

Straw bale building utilizes the traditionally wasted resource of straw to construct highly insulated buildings that are both beautiful and eco-friendly. During this two-day workshop, we will cover basic design principals, as well as a variety of styles and techniques used in the evolving field of straw bale construction. This course is designed for future
homeowners, architects, builders, and designers who want an introduction to the principles and guidelines of straw bale
construction.

Straw bale building utilizes the traditionally wasted resource of straw to construct highly insulated buildings that are both beautiful and eco-friendly. While it is true that straw bale buildings are versatile in size and aesthetics, there are specific design parameters that must be considered in order to ensure strength and durability. This 5 day workshop offers an in-depth look into the different building techniques, construction and detailing considerations of straw bale homes, including the role and application of earthen plasters. Participants will gain hands-on experience with different techniques, discuss and experience different construction and detailing ideas, and try their hand at sample plasters. Students in this workshop will build a small straw bale structure from the foundation to the roof assembly.

Take a hands-on approach to learning about the art and science of building with earthen materials. This workshop will explore a variety of natural building techniques and the variations, opportunities and design considerations that are specific to each. Students will learn to evaluate the advantages and limitations of earth bag building, straw bale, cob, adobe, light straw-clay and natural plasters. They will learn about quality roof and foundation designs, and will gain an understanding of how to integrate natural building technologies into conventional structures.

Participants in this workshop will learn theory, design considerations, and installation techniques necessary to install and maintain a solar domestic hot water system.

Become a part of the burgeoning radiant heating industry and a rapidly growing solar marketplace. This 3 day course provides critical information to design practical and efficient solar and radiant heating systems for energy and cost savings with the comfort of under floor heating.

This workshop is great for people who are seeking employment within the growing solar industry, wanting to install it on their own home, or interested in learning more about this amazing technology.  Available in 2-week and 6-day sessions, this course teaches the technical skills necessary to design and safely install all 3 types of solar-electric systems: batteryless grid-tie, grid-tie with battery back-up, and stand-alone systems. The two-week sessions of this class include 5 days in the classroom and 5 days of hands-on installation in the PV Lab yard. 6 day sessions include 4 days in the classroom and 2 days of hands-on installation or labs. All the same topics are covered, however the 2 week workshops are more in-depth.

Note: We will be offering more PV workshops in the fall. Please check back to see when dates become available.

Learn how to design a complete solar electric (photovoltaic) power system without leaving your home. This six-week, Internet-based, online course includes the same topics as our face-to-face PV workshops, without the hands-on component. This course relies heavily on reading materials, and comes with textbook, CD-ROM reference materials and Internet resource links. Included in the price of the course are SEI's PV Manual, a Kill-A-Watt meter and a Home Power CD. Students can also receive college credit for all of our online classes through Madison Area Technical College. Combine this course with PV Lab Week for more hands-on experience.

Note: We will be offering more PV online courses in the fall. Please check back to see when dates become available.

If you know that you will be working in an urban area, with a focus on battery-less grid-tied installations, the Grid-tied PV class is for you! In the United States, the grid-tied market is the fastest growing sector of the PV industry. By eliminating the battery-based sections from the PV D&I curriculum, students walk away with a more focused concentration on the most popular PV system on the market. Five-day sessions of this course include one day of lab simulation and tours. Combine this course with PV Lab Week for more hands-on experience.

This class is essential for people who are serious about getting into the solar industry. The Advanced PV workshop is designed to follow the PV Design and Installation (hands-on or online) or Grid-Tied PV workshops with the next level of design criteria, maintenance issues and troubleshooting skills, with a special focus on compliance with the National Electric Code. Participants must have successfully completed either our hands-on or online PV Design & Installation workshop or Grid-tied PV workshop (with supplemental stand-alone curriculum), or have the permission of the instructor to enroll in the course. Also offered as a six-week online course.

This six-week online course covers the same material as our face-to-face Advanced PV workshops. It is designed to follow the PV Design & Installation workshop or the PV Design Online course with the next level of design criteria, maintenance issues and troubleshooting skills, with a special focus on compliance with the National Electric Code. This course relies heavily on reading materials, and comes with CD-ROM reference materials and Internet resource links. Students can also receive college credit for all of our online classes through Madison Area Technical College.

This workshop offers the ultimate hands-on training at SEI's PV Lab yard in Paonia, CO. Participants will have the opportunity to install and wire various components of stand-alone, grid-tied or grid-tied with battery back-up systems. This workshops also maintains a low student to teacher ratio (no more than 8:1). PV Lab Week is perfect for people needing hands-on experience with current equipment.

Learn secrets for setting up a solid and effective sales team, then generating cost effective leads for and with them. The strategic insights you'll glean from this course will save and/or earn you thousands in avoided mistakes and increased sales. This rigorousinteractive workshop is designed to help you make the most accurate and compelling financial case possible for the value of PV systems.

Learn to design and install photovoltaic systems for unelectrified and rural areas of the world. Workshop participants learn system sizing, site analysis, hardware specification, and component selection. The workshop covers typical applications and case study examples. Install and upgrade real-world systems with current renewable energy equipment.

This two-day workshop covers pumping terminologies, PV modules, system sizing, and component selection. Includes pump descriptions and comparisons with information on trackers, linear current boosters and other associated equipment. The workshop will include laboratory exercises and a system tour.

Learn to design and install residential wind systems, up to 100kWh/day in capacity. The workshop will cover system sizing, site analysis, hardware specification, installation and safety issues. Learn about the different commercially available residential wind turbines, how they work, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Students will be able to estimate electrical production of a wind system given the parameters of the site, tower and turbine.

Wind-electric systems require the most maintenance and have the most problems of any renewable electricity system. This workshop will include a brief review of basic wind-electric system design principles and practice, and then focus on maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of these systems. This is an advanced workshop, intended for experienced wind-electric system users, designers, and installers, or for those who have attended SEI's introductory wind workshop.

Learn to build your own source for electric power generation. This workshop will guide students through the process of building a small wind turbine from scratch. Brief sessions each day on wind generator theory will be followed by shop sessions. The workshop group will construct a working wind generator.

This workshop teaches how to design a fully functional micro-hydro system. Learn site evaluation, including how to measure and estimate head and flow. Perform preliminary system sizing for mechanical and electrical power generation of 50-watt to 100-kilowatt capacities. The workshop will include field exercises and tours of operational systems.

Learn how to make your own biodiesel fuel and processors. For industrial producers as well as grassroots brewers, this workshop will examine the emerging world biodiesel markets, feedstocks and quality assurance. Participants will make biodiesel fuel with locally available materials, visit existing small scale production plants, and learn from top biodiesel industry specialists.

This workshop will guide students through the complete process of converting a vehicle to electric power. Classroom sessions will be combined with hands-on shop sessions. By the end of the workshop, the group will have completed a running electric car conversion capable of highway speeds and 60-80 miles range.

SEI is partnering with Global Exchange to offer this ery special workshop in CUBA. Participants will spend a week in Cuba, visiting various centers for renewable energy and energy education. Visas granted to all qualifying participants. See workshop details for more information.

This workshop explores what it takes to successfully accomplish sustainable development projects with renewable energy technologies in the developing world. Participants will learn about effective technology transfer methods and the social & cultural issues of working in the developing world, as well as setting up infrastructure and the economics and financing of renewable energy projects. Case studies will be presented by guest speakers from around the world on solar cooking, rural household electrification, rural health care, and micro-enterprises using renewable energy.

This workshop explores what it takes to successfully accomplish sustainable development projects with renewable energy technologies in the developing world. Participants will learn about effective technology transfer methods and the social & cultural issues of working in the developing world, as well as setting up infrastructure and the economics and financing of renewable energy projects. Case studies will be presented by guest speakers from around the world on solar cooking, rural household electrification, rural health care, and micro-enterprises using renewable energy.

Learn about renewable energy technologies for the developing world IN the developing world. This workshop includes classroom sessions and labs, and has a strong hands-on component. In Costa Rica it focuses on several main projects: solar cooking, a methane digester, solar hot water and solar electricity upgrades and maintenance. The workshop in Nicaragua focuses on solar electricity and solar cooking. Students stay in local accommodations. The price of this workshop includes food, lodging and in-country transportation.

Learn about renewable energy technologies for the developing world IN the developing world. This workshop includes classroom sessions and labs, and has a strong hands-on component. The workshop in Nicaragua focuses on solar electricity and solar cooking. Students stay in local accommodations. The price of this workshop includes food, lodging and in-country transportation.

This workshop provides an overview of technologies which promote small scale sustainable energy and resource management systems in the developing world. Topics include biosand water filters, methane biodigestors, rainwater catchment, micro-hydro power and more. This workshop is ideal for organizations working in rural areas, people wanting to get involved in sustainable development work, and those who wish to reduce their own ecological impact.
The price of this course includes food and lodging.

Learn to design and install photovoltaic systems for the developing world. Workshop participants learn system sizing, site analysis, hardware specification, and component selection. The workshop covers typical applications and case study examples. Install and upgrade real-world systems with current renewable energy equipment. The price of this workshop includes lodging, meals, and in-country transportation from San Jose, Costa Rica to Rancho Mastatal on Jan 1, and return trip to San Jose on Jan 9.

This workshop combines sustainable agriculture and renewable energy at an inspiring organic farm on the Ecuadoran coast. Visit the UN designated eco-city of Bahia de Caraquez to tour some of their many ecological projects, and spend 5 days at the Rio Muchacho organic farm. While at the farm participants will install a solar electric system and construct a methane biodigestor to be used for cooking fuel. Optional activities at the farm include milking cows, harvesting fruits and vegetables, making cups, spoons and jewelry from local plants, swimming in the river, or making chocolate from the bean to the cup. This workshop is ideal for organizations working in rural areas, people wanting to get involved in sustainable development work, and those who wish to reduce their own ecological impact.

The price for this workshop includes lodging, meals, and in-country transportation from Quito, Ecuador to Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador.

A PV Design and Installation workshop geared specifically towards women and taught by women. Learn how to use photovoltaic technology to produce electricity from the sun through practical design and installation of PV systems. This two week workshop teaches the technical skills necessary to design and safely install all 3 types solar-electric systems: batteryless grid-tie, grid-tie with battery back-up, and stand-alone systems.  This course includes all the same material as the other two week PV Design and Installation workshops (5 days in the classroom and 5 days of hands-on installation in the PV Lab yard). Other presentations include PV in developing countries and discussions on issues such as being a woman in a traditionally male field. Participants have included licensed electricians, engineers, teachers, students and homemakers.

Educators attending this summer seminar will learn about the impacts that our energy use has on the planet and how to best teach youth about solutions: energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy technologies. Each day will include a hands-on element that can be employed in the classroom. In addition, participants will walk away with practical knowledge they can apply in their own lives. This workshop has been designed to meet the 5th - 9th grade Colorado Science Standards. However, educators working with students in any grade are welcome to participate.

This workshop will introduce renewable energy technologies and strategies to homeowners, contractors, and renewable energy advocates.

Similar to the face-to-face workshop, this six-week, self-paced online course is for anyone interested in modern sustainable construction. This course covers the principles behind designing and building residential structures that achieve optimal year-round comfort, reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality and limit environmental impact. Participants will be able to identify a range of solutions that will result in a sustainable and comfortable home. The online sessions include more case studies of successful sustainable homes, the Building with Awareness DVD, the book Your Green Home, industry related hand-outs and a wealth of internet resource links. Students can also earn college credit for all online courses through Madison Area Technical College.

Learn how to design a complete solar electric (photovoltaic) power system without leaving your home. This six-week, Internet-based, online course includes the same topics as our hands-on PV courses, without the hands-on component. This course relies heavily on reading materials, and comes with textbook, CD-ROM reference materials and Internet resource links. Included in the price of the course are SEI's PV Manual, a Kill-A-Watt meter and a Home Power CD. Students can also receive college credit for all of our online classes through Madison Area Technical College. Combine this course with PV Lab Week for more hands-on experience.

This six-week online course covers the same material as our face-to-face Advanced PV workshops. It is designed to follow the PV Design & Installation workshop or the PV Design Online course with the next level of design criteria, maintenance issues and troubleshooting skills, with a special focus on compliance with the National Electric Code. This course relies heavily on reading materials, and comes with CD-ROM reference materials and Internet resource links. Students can also receive college credit for all of our online classes through Madison Area Technical College.

This online course explores what it takes to successfully accomplish sustainable development projects with renewable energy technologies in the developing world. Participants will learn about effective technology transfer methods and the social & cultural issues of working in the developing world, as well as setting up infrastructure and the economics and financing of renewable energy projects. Case studies will be presented on solar cooking, rural household electrification, rural health care, and micro-enterprises using renewable energy.