“Never stop fighting for your dreams, renewable energy is a great passion, and opportunities are given, there are companies that offer internships, you just have to go out there and look for them,” recommends with conviction Javier Pacheco, graduated from the SEI Solar Professional Certificate Program to all those who are embarking on a new solar career.
And Javier is speaking from experience. When he arrived at our PV Training Facility in Paonia, CO met our instructor Paul Ruiz, with whom he maintained contact after completing the program. Like all our instructors Paul works actively in the industry, and when the opportunity of a work internship was opened in the company for which he works, he called Javier, who accepted it gratefully.

Javier traveled three weeks to North Carolina where he installed 4 residential grid connected solar systems with Paul and his team.

“It was my first time doing an installation outside the SEI practices. The most difficult part was working with height, but the people with whom I work gave me security, I also had a harness and all the security equipment. They helped me a lot, and the door remained open for me to install other types of systems again with them,” Javier tells us.

And that was not all. Javier also had the opportunity to practice with a battery based solar system. After returning home from Paonia in California, a neighbor found out that he had graduated as a solar technician from Solar Energy International, and called him to check on her non working solar system.

Although at first Javier was afraid of the challenge of repairing the system all by himself, he told us that with all the knowledge he acquired with SEI solar training program, and with the help provided by SEI’s instructors Paul Ruiz and Pablo Hernández, and from other SEI students with experience in the solar industry, he was able to repair the system.

“Having the solar system repaired, my neighbor’s electrical bill went from $250 to $61. She was delighted and for me it was a great relief. After I saw that I was able to do it with all the knowledge I had obtained in the SEI courses, It motivated me to continue growing my career” – Javier shares very happy.

Before coming to Solar Energy International Javier did not have any experience working with solar energy, and today with new opportunities that open up, Javier wants to take all this knowledge to Mexico helping to develop the industry in his home country. And it encourages all Latin Americans to obtain world class training with SEI to collaborate with a healthy growth of the industry on the region.

For us it was a great joy talking with Javier, and learning that he continues to spread SEI’s vision of a world powered by renewable energy after graduating.

If you are interested in starting a career with SEI, sign up for our next cycle of classes starting January 8, check out our training calendar!