Suzanne had never really thought about solar energy until about two years ago, when she met a gentleman who was eager to share the advantages of solar energy and the ease of installation with her. Not long after, Suzanne found herself ordering a complete grid-tied solar system online with the information he had provided for her. Once the system arrived, and after watching a plethora of video tutorials, Suzanne mustered up the courage to start the installation at her house – but soon realized that she needed to learn more and decided to search for solar energy training. “I came across SEI and signed up for their PVOL101 online training course so that I could take an in-person lab course and finish my first installation. It was after spending a week in Paonia, Colorado installing solar panels on a roof and ground mount, that I realized the training was essential. I had definitely done a poor job in wire management on my first project”. It was at this point that Suzanne made the decision to learn as much as possible and embarked on completing her SEI Solar Professional Trainer’s Certificate. “This has been a great journey. I truly enjoyed the wealth of knowledge of the instructors, liaising with other students and the great staff at SEI,” Suzanne said, speaking of her SEI experience.
While SEI’s Certificate Program provides a large amount of learning in a short time, it does not always prepare students for every real-world scenario, as Suzanne noted: “after completing my first solar system successfully, I still did not feel very confident – with so many electrical codes to remember and different equipment options to select from, it was honestly be a little bit (read: very) intimidating. But like they say: Go Big or Go Home”. To further grow her solar installation experience, Suzanne decided to install a commercial solar system on her friend’s office building, but quickly realized the degree of difficulty involved. Things such as getting an electrical engineer to review the permit package, learning side tap and KVA of the transformer, and how helpful it is to have a talented master electrician on the team, put the true scope of commercial work into perspective. Thankfully, extremely patient regional building electrical inspectors helped make the installation a success after their numerous visits.
While Suzanne is convinced that solar energy is the way of the future and plans to move forward with many new projects, her path took a different turn when she was completing her last SEI course, RDOL101 – Appropriate Technology for the Developing World. Realizing that positively impacting others was more of her calling, she quickly connected with a non-profit organization and left for Guatemala to help fund and install concrete floors as well as healthy stoves (with vents) in rural indigenous villages of San Martin Jilotepeque, Guatemala. “Such an experience leaves you with a different perspective in life. Although I am back in Colorado now and working on my third installation, I am already planning my next visit to Guatemala in the fall. Besides more stoves and concrete floors to install, there will also be micro LED lights and possible micro businesses. I am excited at the prospect of doing more solar energy projects. This would not have been possible without the knowledge I gained at SEI and the support of the instructors and staff,” Suzanne graciously stated.
The entire team at SEI savors seeing students, such as Suzanne, succeeding in finding the most fitting solar path and lifestyle for them. SEI’s student services team is always available to help you form vision for your solar journey. Contact us today!
