|
|
Workshop Instructors
Alfred Von Bachmayr |
 Alfred grew up on a farm in Colorado and through his love for building and design, went onto a career in Architecture. He quickly became fascinated with using natural materials and renewable energy in buildings and went on to focusing on green and natural building design. This led to work in low cost housing in the developing world and teaching about solar design and natural building. He currently runs his own architectural practice and is the director of the World Hands Project, a non-profit doing low cost housing work. He also teaches at Ecoversity, an ecological university in Santa Fe. |
Bob-O Schultze |
 Bob-O is a licensed electrician in both California and Oregon. He has been working in the solar industry for over 20 years, and is the owner of Electron Connection, a renewable energy design and installation company located in Northern California. Bob-O is NABCEP certified, sits on the board of NABCEP, and is Vice-President of the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Assocation chapter. He is also a regular contributor to Home Power magazine. |
Carl Bickford |
 Carl Bickford is an Assistant Professor of Engineering at San Juan College n Farmington, New Mexico. He has been involved in renewable energy systems for nine years. Carl has recently started a renewable energy technician training program at San Juan College. |
Carol Weis |
 Carol Weis is the PV Program Coordinator at SEI. She writes and updates the PV and Advanced PV curriculum and instructs in both the hands-on and online workshops. Carol also organizes SEI renewable energy trainings for other institutions and organizations. Carol is a NABCEP Certified PV Installer and is ISPQ Certified as an Affiliated Master Trainer in Photovoltaics by IREC. She is a licensed electrician in the state of Colorado, and before coming to SEI, she worked as a solar electrician installing a multitude of systems. Carol works from the Paonia office. |
Chuck Marken |
 Chuck is a New Mexico licensed plumber, electrician and heating and air conditioning contractor. He has been installing and servicing solar thermal systems since 1979. Hundreds of hands on jobs include batch solar water heaters, thermosyphon systems, closed loop antifreeze systems, drainback systems, solar heating systems integrated into radiant floors, solar air collectors and solar pool heating systems. He is the Thermal Editor for Home Power Magazine and has authored many articles on solar heating and related topics. Chuck has taught solar heating and hot water workshops throughout the United States including a class for the University of New Mexico Continuing Education for the past twelve years. |
Dan New |
 Dan New is founder of Canyon Industries, a company which manufactures and engineers hydro-electric systems. |
David Eisenberg |
 David Eisenberg is director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) and co-author of The Straw Bale House book. DCAT draws on extensive experience in traditional and alternative building and development, providing strategic support for the shift to sustainable building practices. |
Debby Tewa |
|
Debby has over 20 years of experience installing photovoltiac systems. She is the former director of Native SUN Hopi Solar Energy. |
Doni Kiffmeyer |
|
Doni Kiffmeyer an his partner Kaki Hunter have been involved in the construction industry for the last 20 years, specializing in affordable, low-tech, low impact building methods that are as natural as possible. After being introduced to sandbag construction by Nader Khalili in 1993, they developed the "Flexible-Form Rammed Earth Technique" of building with earthbags and have taught the subject and contributed their expertise to several books and journals on natural building. SEI is happy to have Doni and Kaki join us for a portion of our Designing & Building Natural Homes workshop to share with us all they know on earthbag construction as well as earthen floors. |
E.H. Roy |
 E. H. started learning about PV in the early 1990s and left a career as a petroleum geologist in 1995 to join the PV industry. He is an SEI alum and has designed and installed PV systems for commercial/industrial and residential applications in both grid-tied and very remote locations. He has been teaching SEI workshops since 2003 and currently works for Nexgen Energy Systems. |
Ed Eaton |
 Ed Eaton has been active in the solar energy field since 1981 when he founded the Tucson solar Potluck & Exhibition and co-founded the solar energy advocacy group Citizens for Solar. Ed has participated in and organized many educational demonstrations and events for the general public, schools, environmental groups and energy professionals. His work has led to several installations of photovoltaics in school camps, state parks, and environmental learning centers. Ed has worked as both a professional system designer and an installer. Ed takes pride in being a mentor to youth of all ages, encouraging them to get involved with renewable energies. |
Eric Smiley |
 Eric received a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in 1992. His nine year career in small scale renewable energy system design, installation and sales includes experience designing and installing micro-hydro, solar electric, wind electric and solar thermal systems.
Presently, Eric is a Project Leader for the Technology Centre at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). He manages the Photovoltaic Energy Applied Research Lab and his research includes design, modelling and testing of Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems and Hybrid -- wind, diesel and fuel cell -- PV systems.
Eric also teaches two introductory photovoltaic courses at BCIT for professionals and tradespeople interested in the principles and design of solar electric systems. |
Eric Westerhoff |
 Eric graduated from Rochester Institute as electrical engineer in 1986. He attended Solar Energy International in 1992. He has taught mathematics and physics at the college level and is a professional electrical engineer registered in the state of Colorado. Eric is also the owner of Innovative Energy, a PV installation company, which has been in business since 1993, the website for this business is renewablepower.com. |
Guest presenters |
|
|
Hugh Piggott |
 Hugh Piggott of Scoraig Wind Electric is an international authority on home-built wind generators, and has been working with small wind turbines since 1977. He has designed, built and sold small wind turbines in sizes from 3 to 15 feet in diameter to customers all over the British Isles. He has designed small wind turbines for companies and individuals in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Peru. |
Ian Woofenden |
 Ian is SEI's Northwest coordinator. For the past seven years, he has coordinated and co-taught SEI's PV, Wind, Micro-hydro, and Homebuilt Wind Generators workshops in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. He is also spearheading SEI's new hands-on workshop in Costa Rica. As Senior Editor for Home Power magazine, he deals with authors and RE industry people all over the world. Ian has lived off-grid for 20+ years with his large family. |
Ilan Adler |
 Ilan is the Director and founder of IRRI-Mexico. He also teaches environmental studies and natural resource management at Alliant International University. He holds a Masters degree in Environmental Science, specializing in Water Technology, from the University of Wageningen, Holland. He has taught several courses in Water Management and Appropiate Technology to a wide array of participants, from Government officials to college students and NGOs. He also works as a consultant, and has built several Rain Water Harvesting systems throughout Mexico, including the main pilot project in the Ministry of the Environment office. He also worked for the UNEP as a consultant in wastewater management for Latin America and the Caribean, and has a large number of publications including articles, journals, and children's books related to water conservation and environmentalism. Currently, he lives in Mexico City where he is doing a PhD in International Studies, with a focus on renewable resource management, as well as coordinating Biodigester and Biogas projects in rural areas of Mexico. |
Jay Peltz |
 Jay was the head technican, designer and installer at two large well known solar electric companies for a total of 5 years. In his duties, he designed and trouble shot thousands of systems ranging from small lighting systems, cabins, homes ( both on and off grid) as well as comercial systems. 5 years ago he struck out and started his own business,primarliy installing systems in far Northern California. Jay specialises in off grid systems although does grid intertie when needed. He installs solar electric, hydro and wind systems. Jay has been teaching with SEI for the past 6 years or so and has taught in the United States Virgin Islands, Native American villiages, San Francisco inner city, Washington St. and others. Jay is an SEI graduate. When not working, he relaxes by surfing in the cold waters off northern California. |
Jeff Tobe |
 Jeff is the PV project coordinator and an instructor at SEI. He has designed and led system installations in a variety of renewable energy technologies including grid-tie, grid-tie with battery backup, stand-alone, water pumping and micro-hydro. Jeff has also participated in projects bringing renewable energy to Native American communities. In addition to his PV project and instructor responsibilities, Jeff refurbishes abandoned and used bikes to make available for students and community members as alternative transportation around town in both Carbondale and Paonia. Jeff currently works in the Paonia office. |
John Bush |
 John Bush has been working with and teaching about biodiesel fuel since 2002 and is cofounder of Boulder Biodiesel. He has taught biodiesel workshops on a variety of subjects, including the chemistry and small-scale production technology of biodiesel, for CU Biodiesel, Colorado Rocky Mountain School, Solar Energy International, as well as the Sustainable Resources Conference and the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair. In 2004 he traveled to Bogota, Colombia to consult with members of Centro las Gaviotas regarding their biodiesel production facility. |
Johnny Weiss |
 Johnny Weiss is Cofounder and Executive Director of Solar Energy International. Johnny is a solar educator, consultant, certified Industrial Trainer and solar building professional. He has over twenty years experience teaching the practical applications of the renewable energy (RE) technologies of solar, wind and water power. As an Associate Professor for ten years at the Colorado Mountain College, he helped develop and teach a hands-on vocational training program in solar thermal, photovoltaics, energy efficiency and construction skills. Johnny has extensive practical experience as a natural house builder and licensed general contractor. He is knowledgeable in the environmental building technologies of earth and straw bale construction. Johnny regularly works with Native Americans RE training programs. Johnny works in international sustainable development programs and projects helping transfer renewable energy technologies to the developing world. |
Joshua Tickell |
 Joshua Tickell, author of the book, From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel, has consulted for The Arizona Legislature, members of the Australian Parliament as well as private organizations and individuals on biodiesel. Joshua traveled nationwide in his vegetable-oil powered "Veggie Van" and founded the Veggie Van Organization. He has appeared on the USA Today Show, Dateline NBC, CNN, Discovery, NPR and in the LA Times. Joshua contributes to Home Power magazine and has contributed to several academic texts. He is currently working on Fields of Fuel, a feature-length documentary about biodiesel fuel.
|
|
|
Justine Sanchez |
 Justine has been with Solar Energy International since May 1998. Before coming to SEI Justine obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Colorado - Boulder. She worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for 2 years in the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Division. After leaving NREL, Justine worked with EV Solar Products in Chino Valley performing photovoltaic system installations.
Recently, Justine has taken the role of PV Technical Editor for HomePower Magazine. She is a NABCEP certified PV installer and is certified by ISPQ as an Affiliated Master Trainer in Photovoltaics. She instructs the PV Design Online and Advanced PV Design Online. along with developing and updating curriculum for both the PV Design and Advanced PV Online courses. |
Kaki Hunter |
|
Kaki Hunter and her partner Doni Kiffmeyer have been involved in the construction industry for the last 20 years, specializing in affordable, low-tech, low impact building methods that are as natural as possible. After being introduced to sandbag construction by Nader Khalili in 1993, they developed the "Flexible-Form Rammed Earth Technique" of building with earthbags and have taught the subject and contributed their expertise to several books and journals on natural building. SEI is happy to have Doni and Kaki join us for a portion of our Designing & Building Natural Homes workshop to share with us all they know on earthbag construction as well as earthen floors. |
Kelly Larson |
|
|
Kelly Larson |
 "Solar Kelly" Larson operates an alternative energy design, installation and repair service in Northern Mendocino County. She received her electrical engineering degree from UNR in 1991, is a NABCEP certified California electrical contractor. Kelly worked as a staff engineer with Alternative Energy Engineering (now AEE Solar) for 7 years. She has taught renewable energy and electricity classes since 1996, and delights in simplifying complex concepts for students of all ages and abilities. |
Khanti Munro |
|
Hailing from the Northeast, Khanti earned his self-designed degree in Renewable Energy Applications from Green Mountain College in Vermont. Personal travels to S.E. Asia, India, Central America, and the South Pacific inspired him to pursue a career in clean, renewable energy. Khanti?s experience began with the installation of a few off-grid solar photovoltaic and wind hybrid systems for a couple of his college professors. Currently working out of SEI?s Paonia, CO office, Khanti, like most SEI staff, wears many hats including: system design and installation, PV and wind instruction, curriculum development, work-trade (intern) coordination, graphic support, and more. |
Kristopher Sutton |
 Kris has many years of experience working with grid tied, battery UPS systems, and off grid renewable energy systems. He also has experience with single and three phase, high and low voltage inverters, industrial batteries, and all types of photovoltaic systems. He has been employed as a Project manager and directed work crews of 2-12 working on multiple projects. He works with architects, engineers, general contractors, building departments, and homeowners through all phases of the PV design and installation process. Kris has also instructed technical trainings for groups of up to 80 students on photovoltaic systems, commercial and residential electrical systems, renewable energy overview, and OSHA safety.
|
Kyle Bolger |
|
Kyle Bolger has been serving society an assortment of remedies from breve's to bandages for most of his life. He now enjoys teaching and working with Renewables as a remedy for our current energy addictions. He holds a Limited Renewable Energy Technician License 18 (LRT18) in the state of Oregon and is also a nationally certified solar photovoltaic installer by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. Working as a designer and installer of on and off grid renewable energy systems in the high desert of Central Oregon keeps him on his toes. Keeping up with code changes, OSHA requirements, local jurisdiction demands and customer's that are all rapidly evolving allows him to ride the wave of energy that will power our futures. |
Larry Brown |
 Larry is the founder of Sun Mountain Solar Company, a custom building company in the Hudson Valley specilizing in building passive solar, energy efficient houses both on and off the grid, utilizing local materials, renewable energy and sustainable design. Larry is a NYSERDA certified installer of solar electric systems in New York State. He has co-taught Photovoltaic Design and Installation in the Hudson Valley since 1998. |
Laura Bartels |
 Laura began her journey into the natural building field as the owner builder of Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley's first straw bale home in 1995. It ignited a passion that has led her to work, play and study in the field ever since. She has served as project manager on many projects such as the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork and has owned her own plaster business. She has served as a consultant to owners, architects, contractors and organizations since 1997. Her business, GreenWeaver Inc., offers consultation in design, construction, plasters, moisture & monitoring systems, school projects and more. She loves to share passion and knowledge of natural building through teaching, presentations and writing, as well as through playing in the mud. |
Laurie Stone |
 Laurie Stone is an instructor, writer and international program manager at SEI. She has a Master's Degree in Energy Engineering from the University of Colorado. She has done extensive work in Latin America with numerous development organizations. Laurie is fluent in Spanish and over the past ten years has conducted projects in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico and Ecuador implementing photovoltaics, solar cooking and water distillation. She began SEI's Women's Photovoltaics program, and organizes and instructs the Renewable Energy for Developing World workshops.
Laurie has authored numerous technical articles for publications including Home Power Magazine, Solar Today Magazine and Mother Earth News. She lives in a passive solar straw bale house she designed herself. |
Lloyd Hoffstatter |
|
|
Lydia Doleman |
 Lydia Doleman is an SEI alum who has been working with natural building technologies since 1997. She has worked as a carpenter and a woodworker, and has worked on many strawbale homes throughout Colorado. |
Marlene Brown |
 Marlene has been working in PV since 1990. She worked for the photovoltaic group at Sandia National Labs for 8 years. She has a masters in Electrical Engineering and is the President of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA). She is also on the Board of the Renewable Energy Industries Association of New Mexico (REIA-NM). |
Martin Stenflo |
 Martin is the founder and executive director of Boulder Biodiesel, an organization which recycles waste vegetable oil into diesel fuel, builds biodiesel processors, and conducts research on other biobased proejcts as alternatives to petroleum. Boulder Biodiesel acts as a network for local biodiesel users to share ideas, tools, and resources to educate and implement biodiesel on a wider scale. You can see Martin driving in his biodiesel Mercedes Benz - and it smells like french fries! |
Mick Sagrillo |
 Mick Sagrillo established Lake Michigan Wind and Sun in 1981, a company which specializes in manufacturing wind generator parts and remanufacturing wind systems. Mick has been involved with over 700 wind system installations. He is one of the founders of the Midwest Renewable energy Association and has served as president of the board since 1991. He writes articles for Home Power magazine, Solar Today, and the American Wind Energy Association. Mick teaches wind installation workshops and does consulting nationally and internationally. He has been SEI's principle wind instructor since 1992.
|
Mike Brown |
Mike Brown studied engineering briefly at the University of Wyoming and in 1975, opened his own auto repair shop and gas station. During the gas crisis of 1979, a customer asked
him to build an electric car. He discovered a dearth of conversion parts suppliers. So he founded Electro Automotive, and eventually closed his gas car repair business to work full time on electric cars. He now lives in the Santa Cruz, California area, and runs Electro Automotive with his wife, Shari Prange. He is also a Home Power magazine Transportation Editor. |
Paul Glasgow |
 Paul Glasgow is one of the founders of both CU Biodiesel and Boulder Biodiesel. He is currently a master's candidate in the School of Architecture and Planning. He is devoted to grassroots democratization of energy and establishing biodiesel as a mainstream fuel. He is currently investigating the implementation of a GIS system for those who want to track the movement of biodiesel cooperatives. |
Peter Biondo |
 Peter is president of USA Solar. He produces and conducts solar energy relatated seminars and workshops. Peter's workshops are featured in national conferences, and held throughout the country. Mr. Biondo's work specializes in consultation, design and installation of solar heating and radiant floor systems. He is a member of the Amercian Solar Energy Society and the Radiant Panel Association. |
Rachel Burton |
 Rachel is a biofuels instructor at the Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro, NC. She is also the co-Founder of Piedmont Biofuels, and has travelled the long road from homebrewer, to biodiesel cooperative, to distributer, and now to commercial producer. Rachel is an SEI Alumni, past instructor, and all around renewable enrgy advocate. For more information about Piedmont Biofuels go to www.biofuels.coop
(photo: Rachel filling up Willie Nelson's tour bus with B100) |
Rachel Connor |
 Rachel has been with Solar Energy International since January 2002. Before coming to SEI Rachel earned a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies at Utah State University. In the summer of 2001 she became an SEI intern and participated in the Renewable Energy Education Program (REEP). She returned in the winter of 2002 to help develop & teach SEI's online education program, specifically the Solar Home Design Online course. Since her arrival, she has strengthened & developed the SEI Sustainable Building Education Program. Rachel is the course instructor for SEI's Solar Home Principles workshops and the Solar Home Design Online courses. She facilitates the Introduction to Straw Bale workshops, the Natural House Building workshops, as well as the Sustainable Building for the Developing World workshops. She is currently pursuing future online courses and multi-media opportunities for SEI, as well as acting as one of the Green Building Editors for Home Power magazine and Regional Correspondents for The Last Straw publication. |
Rebekah Hren |
 Rebekah lives in North Carolina, working with Honey electric solar, Inc. as a professional designer/installer of all types of pv systems: small to large, grid-tied and stand-alone, residential and commercial. Besides working full-time as an electrician, Rebekah is an SEI alumna, writer, green-builder, and driver of a 1977 pumpkin orange SVO mercedes and a 10 speed schwinn. For the past ten years she lived in a solar off-grid cob house she constructed along with her husband, but recently gave up the country life to move to Durham, NC. She is currently renovating a conventional 1930s inner-city home to be fossil fuel free and documenting the process. The project includes rainwater cachement, methane biodigesting, edible urban gardening and of course solar power -- passive, pv, and solar thermal! |
Richard Gottlieb |
 Richard is President of Sunnyside Solar in Guilford, VT which has been business since 1979. He operates the business with his wife Carol Levin who serves as office manager and marketing director. The principal focus of Sunnyside Solar, Inc. is the design, sales, education and service in the field of photovoltaic (solar electric) systems and solar hot water systems and other work in renewable energy. He has taught classes and workshops in solar energy and photovoltaics since 1985, and is currently an instructor for Solar Energy International and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.
|
Ryan Mayfield |
 Ryan graduated from Humboldt State University in 1998 with a degree in Environmental Engineering and now calls Corvallis, Oregon home. He has been working in the RE field since 1999 installing and repairing SDHW systems, designing and installing PV systems and managing the technical services department for a national RE distributor. He is now primarily teaching PV specific courses for students enrolled in a two-year degree program at Lane Community College, as well as presenting classes on RE design and installation to groups such as upper-level college classes, apprentices, electricians, IBEW instructors, RE professionals and utility officials ranging in size from 10 to 200+. He holds a Limited Renewable Energy Technician (LRT) license in Oregon and sits on the state's LRT apprenticeship committee. |
Scott Ely |
 Scott is the owner of Sunsense, a regional distributor of renewable energy products and services located in Carbondale, Colorado. Sunsense's educational division, Earthsense, provides renewable energy display and demonstration systems, curriculum development and RE training for schools, organizations and the general public.
Scott has been in the renewable energy field since 1981. The past 20+ years has seen Scott in solar hot water (as opposed to just plain ol' hot water), passive solar design, and photovoltaics. Sunsense has been involved with both the retail and distribution side of renewable energy and the recent addition of Earthsense promises exciting future opportunities. |
Shari Prange |
|
Shari co-runs Electro-Automotive in Felton, California with her husband Mike Brown. She is also a Home Power magazine Transportation Editor. Her niche is taking technical information and turning it into simple language that a nontechnical person can understand. She lives and works in the Santa Cruz mountains, with her husband, two cats and a boa constrictor. |
Soozie Lindbloom |
 Soozie believes that you should smash your tv and get outside more. When she's not outside teaching people how to sea kayak or mountaineer, she is skiing or biking or trying to live simply. When she's not doing that, she works hard teaching K-12 Students about Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation, and Energy Efficiency. She is also our biodiesel "grease queen". Soozie has been an environmental educator for over 8 years, most predominantly with the Outward Bound West School. She believes that Renewable Energy education is paramount to ensuring that the youth of today is equipped with the knowledge to make appropriate, sustainable decisions about their future. Right now, energy development seems to be the biggest barrier in ensuring the protection of our wild areas and natural habitat, not to mention the geopolitical, health, and socio-economic issues all tied to energy use as well. She is hoping that one of her students will be the next Albert(a) Einstien - |
Susy Ellison |
|
Susy Ellison is a science teacher at Yampah Mountain High School in Glenwood Springs, CO. In her 10 years there, she has developed programming in sustainable building and energy education. Students in her classes designed and built a strawbale classroom that included a 1kW grid-tied PV system. Students at the school are currently involved in a project to design and install a 4kW grid-tied PV system as well as working to decrease energy use at school. Prior to teaching high school she taught 5th grade in Carbondale, Colorado and developed and taught environmental education for schools throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. |
Todd Bartholf |
Todd is director of renewable energy at CH2M HILL, a global project delivery firm focused on providing engineering and construction management services to the energy, environment, water, transportation, telecommunications, and construction industries. His responsibilities include assessing and advancing the company's involvement in all areas of renewable energy.
Todd has been active in the renewable energy industry for over 20 years, beginning with the founding of a project development firm in Colorado that he operated from 1980 through 1986. He then joined Northern Power Systems, a systems integrator of high reliability renewable energy based systems, where he worked in marketing and sales before becoming the company's president from 1988 through 1990. He was also a senior program officer with Winrock International's renewable energy group from 1992 through 1996, during which time he served as program manager and solar and wind energy specialist for Winrock and USAID.
Immediately prior to joining CH2M HILL, Todd operated an independent consulting practice that specialized in strategic planning, business development and program management for a range of domestic and international clients interested in expanding their activities in renewable energy. He also served as international markets specialist on a technical advisory committee to the director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's National Wind Technology Center from 1998 through 2000. Todd has participated as an instructor for SEI's Renewable Energy for the Developing World class for the past five years.
|
Walt Ratterman |
 Walt has more than 30 years' experience in the electrical construction industry. After working for many years on large industrial projects throughout the country, he started his own electrical firm about 20 years ago on the east coast. There, they were some of the first to do solar stand-alone and grid-tied systems on state-approved rebate programs. His house in Pennsylvania was completely off grid, utilizing solar electricity and solar pumping.
Walt spends nearly all of his time now working in remote locations throughout the world. Some of the countries he is working in include Thailand, Burma, Ecuador, Nicaragua, India, Pakistan, and Rwanda. His work in these countries includes a full complement of training and implementation project work.
|
PO Box 715 • 76 S. 2nd St. • Carbondale, CO 81623 • 970-963-8855 • fax: 970-963-8866 •
sei@solarenergy.org
|
|
