NEWS
2019 lab sessions starting soon: Check out new additions to the SEI campus!
Paonia, Colorado is home to Solar Energy International (SEI)’s industry leading solar energy technical training facility. Since the early 2000s, tens of thousands of students have received hands-on experience in installing and commissioning solar systems at our lab yard. SEI offers classes on a variety of critical topics for industry professionals from grid-tied, to battery-based, and more advanced O&M classes. We’re constantly updating our lab ...
SEI, Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA) and GRID Alternatives team up to host Solar Career Expo
The free Solar Power and Energy Storage Mountain West Expo connects industry employers with prospective clean energy career seekers The Expo is powered by Solar Ready Colorado, a partnership between Solar Energy International, GRID Alternatives, and the Colorado Solar and Storage Association AURORA, Colo. -- Solar Energy International (SEI), Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA), and GRID Alternatives are teaming up for the third year ...
SEI Co-Founder and Newest Board Member, Johnny Weiss, Travels to Tanzania
Johnny Weiss, retired Co-Founder and newest board member, is currently in Tanzania working with SEI alum, Lukas Kariongi, in developing local solar capacity. In 1997, was an eager young Maasai from East Africa who traveled to SEI to be trained as a solar technician. He attended as a tuition scholarship student. His participation was initiated and sponsored by Dave Berger, a fellow SEI alum. ...
Exciting changes on the SEI Board!
We are pleased to announce Johnny Weiss, retired SEI Co-Founder, has joined our Board of Directors. Johnny brings his passion for SEI’s charitable and outreach programs to our diverse group of directors. Since his retirement from SEI in 2012, Johnny has focused his efforts on capacity building in Tanzania with SEI alum Lukas Kariongi (see below) and to strengthen and expand the Red Cloud Renewable ...
Register Today! NABCEP Continuing Education Conference in San Diego March 25-28
Will you be attending the NABCEP CE Conference March 25-28? Many of our students and alumni will be there, and we highly recommend getting connected with NABCEP if you are serious about a career in solar energy! This is one of the MUST ATTEND conferences for solar professionals in the industry. More information. ABOUT THE NABCEP CE CONFERENCE: The content presented in this conference is ...
The Levi Heinold/Mountain Power Scholarship
Scott Ely and Sunsense Solar created this scholarship to honor Levi Heinold by empowering aspiring solar professionals to complete SEI’s entry-level solar training and certification. From Scott Ely: One of my best friends and long-time solar buddy, Levi Heinold, passed away in late February of 2018. As I continue to wrestle with this reality, I got to thinking about what he represented to anyone and ...
Solar Energy International’s (SEI) Spanish Program Completes Solar Installer Training Lab Week
Solar Energy International’s Programa Hispano  (Spanish Program) welcomed thirteen students from all over Latin America to SEI’s solar training facility in Paonia, Colorado. The students came to SEI to attend “FV201L: Laboratorio Fotovoltaico de Sistemas Conectados a la Red- Práctico or Grid-Direct Photovoltaic Systems Laboratory. The class was taught entirely in Spanish by SEI instructors Brad Burkhartzmeyer and Chris Brooks, and assisted by the Spanish ...
SEI Alumni Highlight: Daniel Gisonda – Solar Installer Training Dreams Come True!
Solar installer training with Solar Energy International (SEI) was a dream come true for Daniel Gisonda for whom solar had been a lifelong pursuit. As a child, Daniel was frequently found exploring with Discovery Zone solar kits and to this day spends his free time tinkering with small solar projects such as converting a conventional refrigerator to run off of solar charged batteries. And now, ...
SEI Alumni Highlight: Stephanie Gulliver – Solar Installation Training for Electrical Engineers!
Stephanie Gulliver (second from the right in photo) is an Electrical Engineer from San Francisco, CA. She is returning to SEI for her second class in solar electric systems and solar installation training. This Spring she enrolled in PV 202: Advanced PV System Design and the NEC (Grid Direct) with the purpose of pursuing professional solar installer training to remain at the forefront of her ...
SolarWorld Americas Selects Solar Energy International (SEI) as Training Partner
SolarWorld Americas Inc., America’s largest manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar cells and photovoltaic modules, has selected industry-recognized non-profit renewable energy training school Solar Energy International (SEI) as a solar installer training partner. This partnership will provide professional development for SolarWorld’s rapidly growing solar installer network. Solar installation training opportunities are available for installers just entering the field, all the way up to seasoned veterans seeking ...
Solar Energy International (SEI) Receives Approval for Veterans Education Funding
Solar Energy International (SEI) is pleased to offer comprehensive Veterans Educational Funding and outreach programs for veterans and active duty military personnel. We proudly offer educational opportunities and benefits to military members, their families, and veterans who have honorably served. SEI is now authorized to offer eligible veterans the ability to use their education benefits towards our in-person classroom and hands-on lab training through SEI’s Solar ...
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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