SOLAR ENERGY NEWS & TECHNICAL INSIGHTS
Johnny Weiss Receives the NABCEP Walt Ratterman Award: Honoring Humanitarian Efforts in Renewable Energy
Solar Energy International (SEI) is proud to announce that our co-founder and board member, Johnny Weiss, has been awarded the prestigious NABCEP Walt Ratterman Award in recognition of his outstanding humanitarian solar work. The award is named after solar energy pioneer Walt Ratterman. He tragically lost his life in 2010 while on a humanitarian mission in Haiti. It is awarded to individuals who ...
Join SEI for free COSSA conference training on February 27th, 2024
COSSA’s Solar Power and Energy Storage Mountain West conference is coming up soon and SEI will be attending, bringing some NABCEP-certified trainings with us. Conference attendees can join us on February 27th for the following free training: 2023 NEC® Changes Affecting PV and Energy Storage System PV + Storage Configurations for Non-fixed Rate Tariffs and Resiliency I-V Curves and Diodes Demystified Thermography and PV ...
Register for the 2024 NABCEP CE Conference
Will we be seeing you at this year's NABCEP conference? The advanced-level content presented at the annual NABCEP CE Conference is geared toward PV industry professionals who have experience with PV installation, solar + storage, technical sales, design, O&M, or system inspection. This is the only industry event that allows NABCEP Board Certified Professionals to obtain as many as 20.5 hours of continuing education ...
Alumni Highlight (in her own words): Dinille Gonzalez
"6 months ago, I received news that I had been awarded a full scholarship to attend a hands-on solar energy course in the beautiful state of Colorado. While I'll delve into the details of the scholarship in a future post, today, I want to share the invaluable life lessons it has etched in my journey. Back ...
SEI is Providing Solar Training at RE+ 2023
Join us at this year's RE+ Conference in Las Vegas, NV from September 11th-14th! Many of SEI's talented team members will be in attendance, delivering impactful training sessions and sharing their expertise. This is a unique opportunity to connect with top-notch professionals and vendors in the North American solar industry. You'll gain valuable insights that will take you to the next level, and get ...
SEI Joins Forces with Amicus O&M Cooperative for 1.5 Million Grant Project
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Fiscal Year 2022 Advancing Equity Through Workforce Partnerships has created a $13.5 million funding program for the development of collaborative workforce programs. The program facilitates the rapid deployment of solar energy technologies while supporting an inclusive workforce. This work, partly funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will enable more members of disadvantaged communities and ...
5 strategies for improving your solar sales game
Are you looking for a job in solar sales, or simply trying to improve your everyday sales strategies? We asked Solar Energy International (SEI) Instructor and Curriculum Developer Will White to share some exclusive insight on the dos and don’ts of solar sales. Know your client Who are you selling to? Try to understand what their limitations are in going solar. Some potential limitations could ...
The SEI Solar Sisters String Band rocks out at Solar Battle of the Bands! And other Intersolar updates
In case you missed it... The SEI Solar Sisters String Band made their public debut performing at the 2018 Solar Battle of the Bands! This was a very historical moment for Solar Energy International (SEI). The Solar Sisters String Band proudly represented the SEI Team and our 60,000+ students and alumni from all over the world. What a night! Check out this video of our ...
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 ...
SEI Alum spearheads Village Solar Technician Accreditation (ViSTA) Program in the Philippines
In the fall, Solar Energy International (SEI) received a message from an organization in the Philippines, Stiftung SolarEnergie (StS), sharing updates on how classes positively impacted their organization. StS’s mission is to “empower rural and marginalized villages throughout the Philippines by providing access to sustainable solar energy solutions.” Their focus areas are empowering schools, health (birthing) centers, emergency response, and communities, with sustainability resources. In ...
2017 National Solar Jobs Census: SEI supports solar job market growth
The 2017 National Solar Jobs Census, the leading and most comprehensive report on solar labor market trends in the United States, was made public on Wednesday, January 2, revealing that solar jobs increased in 29 states with emerging solar markets including Utah, Arizona, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee and others. The annual report, by The Solar Foundation, an independent 5019(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has shown ...
Solar Service Projects in the Himalaya, in memory of SEI Instructor Mike Sullivan
Solar Service Projects in the Himalaya, in memory of SEI Instructor Mike Sullivan! Click here to learn more and apply: https://www.sanjuancollege.edu/learning/departments/global-studies/travel-study/india-solar-project-in-the-himalaya/ SEI is pleased to share San Juan Community College’s Solar Project in the Himalaya, from June 16-29 in the Ladakh region of northern India. The class will be limited to 12 people. Not only will participants be installing a PV system at a remote SECMOL ...
A message from SEI Executive Director Kathy Swartz–Thank you!
To Our Supporters, Friends, and Alumni, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We are so pleased to announce that we reached our goal of raising $120,000 to build our first international training facility in Costa Rica! We couldn’t have done it without you! The solar training facility in Costa Rica will serve people within the region, including all of Latin America and the Caribbean. The ...
Solar, in spite of the tariff, will continue to thrive and disrupt
A message from Kathy Swartz, Solar Energy International (SEI) Executive Director Dear Friends and Alumni of SEI, On Monday, January 22, the Trump Administration made a deciding call on the anticipated solar trade case, announcing a 30 percent tariff on imported solar cells and modules, to taper off by five percent over four years. While we are disappointed in this decision, this is not doom ...
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 ...
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 ...
SEI provided a solar installer training workshop for the Solar Energy Education Program of Costa Rica Chamber of Industries
The Chamber of Industries of Costa Rica invited Solar Energy International (SEI) to provide a workshop on PV Design in its educational program "Solar Energy for Efficient Electric Generation." This program offers knowledge for the use and optimization of the application of solar energy including the implementation and maintenance primarily in the industrial and commercial sector. This specialization has been developed in partnership with the 4E Program of ...
Secure your spot for the Colorado Solar Career Expo powered by Solar Ready Colorado
Solar Energy International (SEI), Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA), and GRID Alternatives are teaming up again to bring you the Colorado Solar Career Expo powered by Solar Ready Colorado. The Colorado Solar Career Expo will take place on March 14 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Aurora Conference Center in Aurora, Colorado. The Solar Career Expo is co-located with COSEIA’s Solar ...
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 ...
Solar, in spite of the tariff, will continue to thrive and disrupt
A message from Kathy Swartz, Solar Energy International (SEI) Executive Director Dear Friends and Alumni of SEI, On Monday, January 22, the Trump Administration made a deciding call on the anticipated solar trade case, announcing a 30 percent tariff on imported solar cells and modules, to taper off by five percent over four years. While we are disappointed in this decision, this is not doom ...
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 ...
Media Queries
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The Nexus between Energy and Food
How can we build equitable food and energy systems that improve environmental conditions? In the podcast episode “Energy and Food Nexus”, guests Mary Marshall (SEI's Solar Forward program) and Pete Kolbenschlag (Colorado Farm and Food Alliance) share about how to improve our energy and food systems. A common characteristic of the energy and food system is the need for efficiency. The steps required ...
Free Webinars sponsored by Goodwe
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 webinars throughout 2021. See below for more info on each webinar. A Look at Lithium-ion Battery Types and Considerations April 28th, 1-2pm MT Lithium-ion battery technologies are advancing rapidly as their cost ...
SEI and New Energy Equity announces the creation of the Lift as We Climb Foundation
ANNAPOLIS, MD, April 6, 2021- New Energy Equity LLC, a solar developer and financier based in Annapolis, MD, announces the creation and funding of its Lift as We Climb Foundation. The Foundation was started by New Energy Equity employees as part of a 2020 initiative called Operation Shared Success, supporting New Energy’s core purpose of “Leaving behind a better world”. Each year, New Energy Equity ...
Don’t miss out on these upcoming FREE webinars
SEI has added a series of new webinars to our 2021 solar education line up! Take advantage every free educational opportunity that suits you and your schedule. Click on a webinar below to get more info and sign up. Most of our webinars fill up quickly, so secure your spot and make sure to attend the webinar in it's fulness. [tribe_event_inline id="44769"] {title:linked} ...
New scholarship fund offers solar energy education opportunities for Native Americans
Paonia, Colo., March 24, 2021. Solar Energy International (SEI) and REC Americas announced today their partnership to create a scholarship fund that provides financial assistance for Native American students seeking solar energy education through SEI. The scholarship aims to increase Native American Indian representation among the clean energy industry by awarding $10,000 in solar training tuition fees to hand-selected Native American students, helping to facilitate ...
Solar Energy International (SEI) announces Executive Director, Kathy Swartz, will be stepping down
Greetings SEI Friends, Family and Supporters, Solar Energy International (SEI) has announced that our Executive Director, Kathy Swartz, will be stepping down as of May 31, 2021. Kathy has successfully led the industry-leading, internationally recognized, not-for-profit educational organization since 2012. “This has been such an incredibly difficult decision for me to make because I love this organization, the mission, and the people. I am so ...