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SEI Blog2025-10-23T10:21:02-06:00

SOLAR ENERGY NEWS & TECHNICAL INSIGHTS

pv magazine: Solar jobs: 80,000 trained in the last three decades, over the next three years… double that

Solar has gone on an impressive journey, rising from a fledgling technology to a relevant part of the overall power generation mix, and the dominant technology in newly deployed projects. In 2012, about 2.7 GW of solar was reported to be active by the Energy Information Administration, and now, as of the end of 2021, 92.5 GW are installed. That’s an increase of over 3000% ...

Pivot Energy Enables Renewable Energy Careers by Supporting Solar Energy International

Pivot Energy’s reinvestment will support SEI’s ambitious goal to train 270k+ solar workers by 2025 DENVER, CO: Today, Pivot Energy is excited to announce its efforts to support education and career development in the solar sector through its partnership with Solar Energy International (SEI). Pivot’s financial support will help the internationally recognized educational nonprofit open its widely respected renewable energy training courses to more students, ...

Telluride Daily Planet: Never too young to learn about solar

It’s never too young to start learning about solar energy. On March 15, Andrea Wang, the Solar in the Schools program manager from Solar Energy International (SEI), visited Telluride Elementary to teach fourth graders about renewable sources of energy. "The goal is to bring up renewable energy literacy in schools and also get more understanding about solar electricity, talking about climate change and energy efficiency ...

Agrivoltaics: The New Frontier

 By Eryka Thorley, Master in Environmental Management student and SEI Fellow “It’s now or never” is the succintest way to abbreviate the latest warning from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  If the world is going to avoid the worst of the climate crisis, climate mitigation needs to happen now and with greater impact.  Specifically the world needs to reduce global carbon emissions by ...

SEI 15th Annual Instructor and Staff Training Week

This month SEI celebrated our 15th Annual Instructor and Staff Training Week. During this dedicated time, the brightest solar minds in the industry gathered to share knowledge, best practices, unique experiences, and good times! This year speakers included:  Ken Gardner, SEI’s Board President presented the latest and greatest tips and tricks for installation. SEI instructor Zeke Yewdall gave a presentation focused on large off-grid ...

Solar Energy International (SEI) Now Represented by Team Members on Two National Electrical Code (NEC®) Code-Making Panels

Paonia, CO, March 28, 2022 – Solar Energy International (SEI) is proud to announce our non-profit’s selection as members of Code-Making Panel 13 of the National Electrical Code (NEC®), which covers Article 706 “Energy Storage Systems” along with several other Articles germane to battery and storage applications. SEI Instructor Karo Fernandez has joined CMP-13 as the Principal, with noted PV and storage expert Jason Fisher ...

Solar Energy International’s (SEI) Programa Hispano Alumni Spotlight: Natalia Gómez

Natalia Gómez came to Solar Energy International (SEI) to attend hands-on solar installer training as a part of SEI’s Programa Hispano. She travelled to SEI’s Paonia, CO training facility from Bogotá, Colombia to complete FV201L, a hands-on, lab-based course in grid-tied, residential photovoltaic  systems taught entirely in Spanish. She hopes to bring more renewable energy back to Colombia through her education at SEI. In her ...

Solar Energy International (SEI) Alumni Spotlight: Doug Sabetti – A Lifelong Fight for Solar

In 6th grade I learned that the sun provided enough energy in 1 hour to power the world for a year. That fact stuck with me. As a little kid, I remember thinking “why don’t we power everything with the sun?” As an adult, my interest in the solar energy field began when I purchased some land in a remote corner of Utah and needed ...

SEI Alumni Highlight: Patrick Bunton – A Story Bigger than Solar

For Patrick Bunton, the story was always bigger than solar, however photovoltaic technology has always been a constant. A Professor of Physics at William Jewell College, Patrick came to Solar Energy International as student instead of a teacher. He attended SEI’s PV 201L solar installer training, a week-long, hands-on lab class where students experience the installation and commissioning of multiple PV systems. However, his first ...

Solar Energy International (SEI) Solar Installer Training Alumni Highlight: Alex Jahp

Alex Jahp returned to Solar Energy International (SEI) this month after beginning his solar installation training at SEI last fall. Alex’s solar career began after he was inspired by the impact of PV in the developing world. While travelling through areas of rural Africa, Alex was struck by just how big of a difference small PV systems could make in these communities, many of which ...

Solar Energy International (SEI) and GRID Alternatives Colorado Create Partnership in Support of Solar Ready Colorado Training and Outreach Program

Solar Energy International (SEI) and GRID Alternatives Colorado team up to promote Solar Ready Colorado, SEI’s comprehensive training and career outreach program for Colorado residents. Visit SolarReadyColorado.org The program, a part of a matching grant awarded to SEI through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s WORK Act Grant, enables dedicated staffing and outreach efforts to a Colorado specific market. Chris Turek, Director of Marketing ...

SEI Alumni Highlight: Ethan Mendel

For some, beginning a career in the solar industry is like going home. This is especially true for SEI Student Ethan Mendel. Ethan rolled up to the SEI Campus with his off-grid tiny home in tow. Appropriately, he was enrolled in PV 203, Fundamentals of Battery Based PV Systems. A veteran from Georgia, Ethan not only wants to learn more about battery based systems to ...

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Solar Energy International (SEI) Kicks Off End of Year Giving Campaign to Support Non-Profit Mission

Greetings from all of us here at Solar Energy International (SEI), new test We are writing you today to thank you for helping us make this a successful year for renewable energy adoption all over the world.  Your interest in renewables has helped SEI spread the word about our mission! We are asking for your continued support of our nonprofit mission as the year draws ...

Help Solar Energy International (SEI) Award $20,000 in Scholarships to our Latin American Students

Help us win $20,000 to support our mission!  Solar Energy International is competing to win $20,000 through Sungevity Gives Back, a contest focused on what we do to Generate Positive in the world.  All you have to do is cast your vote today. How is SEI going to Generate Positive for the Spanish Speaking Community? With the Sungevity Generate Positive award, SEI will provide scholarship ...

Solar Energy International (SEI) Awards Over $4000 in Scholarships to Active Duty Military and Veterans

Solar Energy International (SEI) is pleased to announce we are awarding over $4000 in scholarships for renewable energy training through our outreach program for veterans and active duty military personnel.  November 11th, 2014 is Veterans Day and we are awarding selected veterans with full SEI Online Campus scholarships for our online training program with sessions starting on November 10th.  See online training schedule >> From ...

Chilean President Recognizes SEI’s Technical Solar PV Training Efforts in Atacama, Chile

Solar Energy International's (SEI) Spanish Program has officially concluded it's most recent training program in Atacama, Chile. Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet, US Ambassador to Chile,  Michael Hammer, Ministry of Energy Máximo Pacheco, Senator Isabel Allende, First Solar's Chief Commercial Officer, Joseph Kishkill, and many other representatives from the private and public sector attended First Solar's inauguration of what will become Latin America's largest PV plant ...

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