The 2014 SEI Alumni Survey Results are In!
Thank you to all of our alumni who participated in the 2014 SEI Alumni Survey this past month! Your feedback is critical to our non-profit educational efforts and will help us push forward our mission of providing industry-leading technical training and expertise in renewable energy to empower people, communities, and businesses worldwide.
We have created this info-graphic that visually shows the AMAZING impact our students and alumni are making world-wide. Click here or on the graphic below to view the results >>
SEI Welcomes Americorps VISTAs to Coordinate the Delta County Community Revitalization Through Solar Program
Hello, SEI virtual family! I'm Kristen O'Brien, the first of two Americorps VISTAs to be hired by SEI to coordinate the Delta County Community Revitalization Through Solar Program. This program aims to promote economic development within the county through the creation of a more robust solar market, and thus more local employment opportunities through solar.
Read Kristen O'Brien's full blog…
Opening Doors for Women in the Solar Industry – The Heather Andrews Scholarship
In 2012, SEI established the Heather Andrews Scholarship Fund to support women's solar training. Heather was a SEI alumna and solar champion who passed away Feb. 8, 2012, after complications from brain surgery. This scholarship supports female SEI students pursuing hands-on training at our Paonia PV Lab in the charming town nestled in the Rocky Mountains Heather held close to her heart. It also supports female SEI students with partial tuition scholarships for the women only PVOL101 Online course.
SEI Announces Additional PV301L: Solar Electric Lab Week (Battery-Based) – Oct. 13th
Battery-based solar PV systems are a HOT TOPIC! In response to industry and student demand – we are adding another PV301L: Solar Electric Lab Week (Battery-Based) to our training schedule starting Oct. 13th.
SEI Partners with Native American
Sustainable Housing Initiative (NASHI)
Solar Energy International (SEI) in partnership with NASHI recently completed a 5-day solar electric grid-tie training and installation project on Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.An exciting collaboration of partners involved in this workshop included Solar Energy International (SEI), Native American Sustainable Housing Initiative (NASHI), Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, Oglala Lakota College (OLC), South Dakota School of Mines (SDSM), and Genpro Energy Solutions.
Students and faculty from both OLC and SDSM attended the week long training as part of larger effort each school has undertaken to integrate solar energy into existing coursework and to provide demonstration projects for a strong emphasis on practical application as well as continued community awareness.
Read Jeff Tobe's Full Blog…
SEI Partners with NREL to Develop O&M Best Practices for Small-Scale Photovoltaic Technology Training
SEI is partnering with NREL, the US Department of the Interior, and Greening America to produce an O&M Best Practices for Small-Scale Photovoltaic Technology training.
This online course is designed for Fish and Wildlife and other federal site managers from across the country who have to maintain PV systems. We shot video at our Paonia, CO training facility and at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. SEI's Kris Sutton, Joe Villacci and Ben Lehman have been working hard on this project!
See photo gallery on Facebook…
Join SEI and Make Memories
That Will Last a Lifetime!
PV201L Lab Session Added – October 6th
View the full photo gallery from PV201L: Solar Electric Lab Week
Due to popular demand and the fact that we have filled almost every PV201L lab we have offered this year – we are adding another session! New PV201L: Solar Electric Lab Week (Grid-Direct) hands-on training session has been added to our 2014 schedule – join us October 6th!
Course Description: This is the ultimate hands-on experience available! This solar training workshop offers five days of hands-on installation practice with grid-direct systems at SEI's world-class PV Lab training facility in Paonia, Colorado. The comprehensive lab setting creates the perfect environment to get your first hands-on PV experience.
Just getting started learning about Solar PV?
SEI's Online Course PVOL101: Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-direct) is the perfect place to start.
This SEI online course has launched thousands of careers for solar professionals worldwide. Many of SEI's 35,000+ Alumni started their professional development with SEI's PVOL101: Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-direct).
PVOL101 Online is also a great place to start for home owners, educators, policy makers, and anyone generally interested in the technical aspects of Solar PV.
Visit SEI at Booth #2330 at Solar Power International 2014 in Las Vegas!
In October, Las Vegas will be the City of Solar Love when the annual Solar Power International (SPI) conference descends on Sin City. SPI is one the industry's largest educational conferences and product exhibitions in the country.
SEI will be there, as always, providing technical training and education, both on the show floor and in conference training sessions.
Our full-day pre-conference training "Residential-scale Battery-based PV System Design" addresses the thriving battery-based PV market and covers all things batteries.
On Thursday afternoon, we are offering two half-day sessions "Operations and Maintenance" and "Commerical PV and Solar Farm Design Considerations." This schedule, and all the show floor trainings can be found here.
Visit us at Booth #2330 for to stock up on your SEI swag and to find out the latest about courses and curriculum! See you in Vegas, baby!
SEI Alumni Highlight: Jeff Spies Class of 2007
Kudos to SEI Alumnus (class of 2007) and SEI Instructor, Jeff Spies for having his home and PV system highlighted in Solar Pro Magazine! Check it out >>
Jeff Spies, the senior director of business development at Quick Mount PV, contracted American Solar to install a PV system at his residence. The system employs one of the first SMA 4000TL-US inverters installed in the US. This non-isolated inverter features two MPP trackers and a Secure Power Supply function that provides up to 12 amps of backup power at 120 Vac, given that there is sufficient solar irradiance.
American Solar’s licensed roofing contractor division refurbished the 16-year-old roof and relocated plumbing and gas vent stacks to create space for the array. The SMA 4000TL-US’s dual MPP channels and wide operating MPPT range made it possible to locate a 3,120 W array on a southeast-facing roof and a 1,560 W array on the southwest-facing garage roof.
Read full article at solarprofessional.com…
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