SOLAR ENERGY NEWS & TECHNICAL INSIGHTS
Hispanic and Latinx’s Impact on the Future Solar Workforce
SEI has been training Spanish speakers worldwide since 2014, with over 15,000 people taking part in our program - and we're still counting! While the success of this milestone is meaningful to us and our longtime U.S. & Latin America partners, how does Hispanic and Latinx participation impact the solar workforce at large? Hispanics and Latinxs projected to represent 78% of new U.S. net workers ...
2022 Milestones and Empowering our Future
From all of us here at Solar Energy International (SEI), we want to say a big thank you for your support through tuition payments, partnerships, and donations! With your help, 2022 has been a year of growth towards our goal of empowering students, alumni and partners to build a well-trained solar workforce. Some 2022 highlights include: Students Trained In Scholarship Funds ...
Grist: Solar power’s continued success rests on diversifying its workforce
Meeting projected demand will require a far larger pool of installers and technicians. Employing women and people of color is the industry's best chance to achieve that. I’ve been working in the solar industry across three continents for nearly 20 years. I’ve been a part of community installations, and I’ve supported women in the remote Indian islands of Sundarbans as they’ve expanded their solar charging ...
Solar Energy International Announces New Scholarship Opportunity for Women
Paonia, CO., October 11, 2022 – Solar Energy International (SEI) announced today a new scholarship that empowers women from all over the world with solar energy training and professional development through the SEI Women in Solar Power program. The program aims to further bolster the growing network of women who are pursuing career pathways in the solar energy sector and support solar professionals actively ...
SEI and AES Launch Solar Workforce Development Program for Colorado Residents
Solar Energy International (SEI) and AES partner to create a solar training scholarship program that encourages participation in Colorado’s solar industry Paonia, Colo., October 10, 2022 — Solar Energy International (SEI), a leading solar training educational non-profit, has again collaborated with The AES Corporation, a global energy company accelerating the future of energy and a leading developer of utility-scale solar generation, to extend a solar ...
Solar Energy International (SEI) Achieves Bronze Certification for Advancements on DEIJ Issues
Paonia, CO, September 29, 2022 — Today Solar Energy International (SEI) announced it has achieved Bronze certification through the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Certification Program from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Earning this certification demonstrates SEI’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace and culture in the solar industry. “We are dedicated to creating an equitable workplace, inclusive learning environment, ...
Everything you need to know about SEI, all in one place! Take a look at SEI’s new smart phone app
SEI Launches the SEI Training360 App! Download Today! The Solar Energy International (SEI) Training360 Mobile App and Student Orientation is your one stop informational resource and full 360 degree view of everything you will need to be successful during your time as a student with SEI and beyond. Even if you are considering enrolling with SEI - you should download this app to check out ...
Announcing the new Solar Energy International (SEI) Online Alumni and Career Center!
SEI is excited to announce the launch of our brand new Online Alumni and Career Center (ACC). SEI students have helped SEI become what it is today - the leading Renewable Energy Training provider in the world! In return, we strive to continually improve the resources and information that we provide to our students and alumni, that you will need throughout your solar career. We are ...
Happy Summer Solstice! Are you 100 for 100?
Paul Ruiz envisions a world powered by renewable energy. He grew up in an off-grid cabin in the rural mountains of Costa Rica powered by solar and hydropower. He accessed electricity for the essentials only – lighting and refrigeration. He rode wild horses, wrangled cattle, and built things with his hands. As a young adult he sold roses to tourists, guided as a Costa Rican ...
SEI Instructor Highlight: Meet Eissa Ali
From enrolling in Solar Energy International (SEI)’s RE100: Introduction to Renewable Energy to supervising the transition of more than 522 mobile network stations from conventional power supply to Off-Grid and Hybrid solar systems in Sudan, Mali, Ethiopia and Egypt, SEI Instructor Eissa Ali credits SEI’s solar energy training for his success in the solar industry. Now, he’s SEI’s newest instructor leading courses in the Middle ...
Solar Energy International and Shams Global Solutions Leaders of Solar Training in Oman
Solar Energy International (SEI) and Shams Global Solutions (SGS), a local Omani company, have partnered to launch Oman’s first and only certified solar photovoltaic training course! The course, PV101: Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-Direct) is officially certified by Oman’s Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP) and supports applications to become a DCRP approved Solar Professional. This DCRP certification is required for individuals looking to work ...
Take a deep dive into SEI campus’s battery technology and meet the lab yard’s first Lithium Ion battery
Solar Energy International recently added a brand new SMA Sunny Island AC-coupled system to it's battery-based hands-on training in the Paonia, Colorado lab yard. Danny Bailey, SEI’s PV Lab manager weighs in on system: The new Sunny Island AC coupled system is comprised of the following components: The primary battery based inverter is an SMA, Sunny Island SI4548 which has a 4500W output at 48Vdc. ...
Kickstart on your professional career while completing your graduate degree
Start your career in sustainability with SEI while getting a masters in this 2-year program! Are you interested in being part of the global energy transition to renewables and participating in a two-year masters’ program? Western Colorado University’s Master in Environmental Management (MEM) has partnered with Solar Energy International (SEI) to create a master in environmental management degree that integrates SEI training with MEM program ...
FREE WEBINAR: 2020 NEC Changes Affecting PV & Energy Storage Systems
GoodWe, a leading, strategically-thinking enterprise which focuses on research and manufacturing of PV inverters and energy storage, has partnered with Solar Energy International (SEI) to provide a free webinar on Wednesday, December 9th, 2020. The webinar, 2020 NEC Changes Affecting PV and Energy Storage Systems, will focus on critical updates and changes in the National Electrical Code® that impact PV system design and installation, ...
Solar Island Energy and SEI announce their first round of recipients for the Caribbean Solar Energy Training Network Scholarship
Paonia, Colo., November 2, 2020 – Solar Island Energy and Solar Energy International (SEI) are thrilled to announce their first round of recipients for the Caribbean Solar Energy Training Network Scholarship: Sapphire Vital is joining the SEI student body from Commonwealth of Dominica with an incredible diversity of renewable energy, policy, and climate mitigation experience. She earned a BS in Civil with Environmental Engineering from ...
Solar energy education scholarship opportunities now available for women and non-binary students
Paonia, Colo., October 13, 2020 – Solar Energy International (SEI) and Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE) announced today their new partnership to provide a scholarship aimed to increase diversity representation among the clean energy industry. The scholarship will award $10,000 in solar training tuition fees to hand-selected women and non-binary students to help facilitate their professional development and eventual entry into the solar energy workforce. With ...
Don’t miss SunCast Puerto Rico’s 3D Virtual Event!
Get a 10% registration discount with exclusive code SEI2020! SunCast Puerto Rico, a collaboration between the Solar + Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico (SESA) and SunCast Media, kicks off on October 12-14. This exciting, fully-immersive 3D virtual conference features industry thought-leaders, the latest technology and solutions, and programming supporting Puerto Rico’s 100% renewable energy future. As with an in-person experience, attendees can explore the ...
Register Today for the NABCEP Virtual CE Conference
Will you be attending the NABCEP Virtual CE Conference between September 9th-24th? 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. In addition, don't miss the certified training opportunities that we will be ...
SEI Instructors travel to Puerto Rico in light of Hurricane Maria
In what has been called the most destructive Atlantic storm on record, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico this past fall leaving 3.4 million without electricity. Three months later, nearly half are still left without power, and rural communities in the mountainous regions of the island might be without power for many more months to come. Solar Energy International (SEI) Instructor Chris Brooks and SEI Instructor ...
An SEI Alum’s take on green jobs: Why Mark donated stock
Mark left his expiate job in Belgium and returned to the U.S. in pursuit of living his passion through a green job. From Belgium to Carbondale, Colorado in 2002 he studied solar PV, solar hot water, wind, and natural building at Solar Energy International (SEI). Fast forward to today, Mark’s passion led him to an unsuspecting place: working for a pharmaceutical company. In his packaging ...
SEI’s Solar in Schools grows with the help of Jared Polis Foundation Grant
As cities across the country pledge their commitment to go 100% renewable, a challenge is presented to rural communities, like Delta County, who have been historically coal-producing, to transition into adopting energy practices of the future with limited resources compared to bigger cities. Since 2015, Solar Energy International (SEI) has recognized this struggle, and as a result sought out a means of economic development for ...
Colorado Gives Day: Help us give back to our home state!
An International Renewable Energy Leader, and the Rural Valley it Calls Home Solar Energy International (SEI) believes in a world powered by renewable energy, so it is only fitting that our mission begins at our homebase in Delta County, and in the surrounding communities in Colorado. Students who have visited SEI’s campus in Paonia know how special it is: the snow-capped mountains, the patchwork of ...
The season of giving: Donations benefit SEI’s scholarship program
Around this time last year, Solar Energy International (SEI) alum, Brittany Heller, sat down and made a list of goals for the upcoming year, one of them being to further her solar education through solar PV training, specifically in battery-based technology. Soon after Brittany met SEI Marketing and Communications Manager, Mary Marshall, and SEI Development Director, Marla Korpar, at a 200-kW installation in Norwood, ...
Rural Renewable Energy Alliance and SEI partner to teach a Liberian technician training
The following is a guest blog post submission from Carol Weis, former SEI staff member and co-founder of Remote Energy, who recently completed a training with the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance. In October 2017, Solar Energy International (SEI) taught a 2-week intensive battery-based class, partnering with Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) at their facility in northern Minnesota for technicians from Africa. This training was part ...
Solar Energy International, Western join forces: Partnership to offer college-level courses in solar energy
GUNNISON, Colo. – Solar Energy International (SEI) and Western State Colorado University are proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership through the Western Extended Studies Department that will give students the ability to receive college credit for SEI's industry-recognized solar training program. Through a dual enrollment agreement, students will be able to enroll in SEI's classes offered online, in-person and as hands-on labs to receive college credit ...
Colorado Gives Day: Help us give back to our home state!
An International Renewable Energy Leader, and the Rural Valley it Calls Home Solar Energy International (SEI) believes in a world powered by renewable energy, so it is only fitting that our mission begins at our homebase in Delta County, and in the surrounding communities in Colorado. Students who have visited SEI’s campus in Paonia know how special it is: the snow-capped mountains, the patchwork of ...
SEI represented at South Carolina’s largest install to date
On October 4, Solar Energy International (SEI) was represented at the grand opening of the largest solar array in Upstate South Carolina. The 1 MW solar array, which went live earlier this year, was launched by Glen Raven Fabrics LLC, in partnership with Hannah Solar, a full-service solar integrator based in Atlanta, Georgia, with offices in South Carolina. The install, which is located on the ...
These are MUST ATTEND Solar Events
Register now for The California Solar Power Expo – May 1-2 The California Solar Power Expo is an interactive event designed for solar, smart energy, and storage professionals who are working in and with the California solar market to make powerful business connections. The event will feature exhibitor-led interactive training for installers as well as networking opportunities. Register now for Solar Power Southeast – May 11-12 ...
SEI Welcomes ECOMARK Solar as Solar Ready Colorado Employer Partner
SEI welcomes ECOMARK Solar as an employer partner to the Solar Ready Colorado outreach and training initiative! More info about Solar Ready Colorado - visit www.SolarReadyColorado.org "ECOMARK is excited to partner with Solar Energy International's (SEI) Solar Ready Colorado Training Program. We trust this program will ensure Colorado's clean energy workforce is trained at the highest level and will give our company a large pool ...
Solar Energy International (SEI) Celebrates 25th Anniversary at Solar Battle of the Bands 2016
Solar Battle of the Bands, a solar industry party and musical competition, announces its sixth annual event at the Mezzanine in San Francisco on Wednesday, July 13 at 8 pm. Founded in 2011, Solar Battle of the Bands (SBOB) is produced by Quick Mount PV, a solar mounting manufacturer based in Walnut Creek, CA. SBOB is a unique industry event that coincides with the Intersolar ...
Solarize Delta County Launches April 15!
Solar Energy International (SEI) is proud to announce the April 15th launch of Solarize Delta County, an effort to increase the accessibility and affordability of solar energy for all Delta County residents. With the support of the Delta County Economic Development (DCED), Solarize Delta County seeks to raise local awareness of solar, lower the cost of solar electric (PV) systems, and significantly ramp up adoption ...
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SEI’s local solar initiative, Solarize, concludes with over 400kW of solar installed in Delta County
Solar Energy International’s (SEI) Solarize Delta County Farms has officially come to a close, and the cumulative success of all three Solarize campaigns can finally be revealed. The final results are: nearly 60 new solar installs equaling over 400kW, nine new jobs, and over $1.5 million invested by community members in solar energy in Delta County! Solarize is an outreach model that includes a driving ...
NAES Corporation forms partnership with Solar Energy International (SEI) to deliver O&M Solar Technician training
Issaquah, WA., November 16, 2020 – NAES Corporation, one of the energy industry’s largest independent providers of operations, maintenance and repair services, has announced today their partnership with Solar Energy International (SEI) to provide Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Technician training to NAES employees. The collaboration, a continuation of NAES’ steadfast commitment to safety, integrity and quality of work, will provide professional solar education development to ...
Solar energy education opportunities expand for Coloradans through Kenneth King Foundation Scholarships
Paonia, Colo., October 27, 2020 – Solar Energy International (SEI) and the Kenneth King Foundation announced today their partnership with support from GRID Alternatives Colorado to provide underserved Coloradans scholarships for solar skills job training, as well as performance-based stipends and support services to reduce the financial burden of pursuing career training and job placement support. 14 Coloradans living in the Denver Metro area ...
Solar Energy International (SEI) and BayWa r.e. Solar Systems Invest in Industry’s Future, Award Solar Training Scholarships
Scholarship targets industry entrants needing an economic hand up, applications for second round still open SANTA FE, New Mexico – June 25, 2020 – Solar Energy International (SEI) and BayWa r.e. Solar Systems LLC (BayWa r.e.) today announced they have selected the first five recipients of solar training scholarships from the BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund. The $10,000 scholarship fund was created earlier this year ...
An important message from SEI’s Executive Director
Dear SEI Solar Family, We must do better. As an organization we stand in solidarity with those fighting to end systemic racism and violence in America. We mourn George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the far too many others whose lives have been destroyed by racism. Enough is enough. We can’t all be on the front lines of the protest, but each of us ...
Solar Energy International (SEI) announces new BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund
Solar Energy Education Advances Workforce through BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund Paonia, Colo., March 16, 2020 – Solar Energy International (SEI) and BayWa r.e. Solar Systems LLC (BayWa r.e.) today announced that they’re entering a partnership to create a scholarship fund, awarding over $10,000 in solar training tuition fees to SEI students. The BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund will contribute 100% of tuition fees to nine, hand-selected ...
SEI Celebrates Women in Solar
International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. At SEI, we want to honor all of the women working in the solar industry - both for their contribution in the energy transformation field, and for overcoming the barriers and challenges that women in the sector face every day. Furthermore, inspiring others with their experiences, ...