SEI Alumni Highlight: Daniel Saldarriaga – Vulcano Operations Director in Colombia Shares Advice and Experience

“—We can’t live on this planet leaving a CO2 mark – there has to be a way to change this destructive behavior that humans have. I think solar is a way to change that.
Vulcano’s Operation Director  – Daniel Saldarriaga

“—On the other hand we have to help the economy. Not the macro economy which people in general doesn’t understand, but the day to day economy. Solar helps the average person save money, and that is what we aim to highlight at the company”.

Vulcano was born in Medellín, Colombia and has been in the energy industry for about 90 years. Just 4 years ago the company had started innovating on different technologies and that is how the company got to solar. Daniel is an energy passionate Business Administrator, that started working for Vulcano 10 years ago. Experiencing the transition of his company to solar energy, this opportunity has created a huge curiosity for Daniel about PV technologies.

With no previous solar energy knowledge, he started searching for information until he found SEI’s free spanish online class – ER100 . He realized at that time that the expertise and curriculum SEI offered was industry leading and decided to pay for the first course following the Professional Solar Training Program track. Once he was finished, he realized he needed a place to practice what he had learned, so he decided to take SEI’s lab classes in Paonia, Colorado. He decided to finish the entire program of study and SEI is proud to announce that Daniel is graduating this month. Daniel shared with us what SEI meant for his career:

“—Our sales on solar installation has grown 200% in the last year, there are other solar companies in Colombia that have had no growth at all. I realized that placing myself in the customer’s shoes, I learned what they need and that is someone who knows what they are doing. They needs someone who is able to provide guidance on what is the best option. And I learned all of that from SEI; how to understand customer needs and how to put in simple words how solar works and what is the best options for each one of them. One other thing I learned is that you might not always find all that you need on the market, especially in Colombia, so you’ll have to find away to work with what you have and be creative, without losing efficiency or security.”

Daniel told us that a big portion of the growth the company experienced in sales, was as a result of fixing errors that other less experience solar installers had made. The company is making great efforts to change the mindset of those people that had a bad experience, trying to make them understand that is not that solar doesn’t work, is that the system was not properly implemented. This created a negative impact on Colombia’s solar industry and in order to overcome that barrier, Vulcano had installed two solar PV systems at their headquarters for people to experience how a properly installed solar system is supposed to work.

“—To fully understand how a solar PV system works, you’ll need more than a week. SEI courses are great, they do give you an enormous amount of knowledge and perspective, but is important to go out there and experience by yourself how solar works in your local region. You leave SEI understanding all the concepts, but is important you practice them in your own country to understand the differences — Daniel says, and then he adds— SEI instructors are amazing because of that, they will teach you what the books says, what the regulation says, and what you will actually find in the field”.

Daniel gives anyone interested in working in the solar industry to keep studying, always, take continuing education training, read solar magazines and books, search the internet, and above all STAY CONNECTED WITH SEI.

“—The market is moving fast, if you go one week without learning something new, you will get left behind”

We want to thank Daniel for his time, and for generously sharing his experience and good practices, helping create a more well educated industry. We hope other solar professionals will share Daniel’s curiosity and will be motivated to continuously learn more about how to become a better solar technician and professional, so we can all achieve a world powered by solar energy.

 

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Alumni Spotlight: Tim Chester

A confluence of passions led Tim to spend 8 weeks pursuing solar training at SEI’s training facility in Paonia, CO. A veteran and an educator, Tim recently completed SEI’s Solar Professionals Trainer Certificate Program before he begins his new job as a solar instructor newly developed solar training program at the Rural Institute for Veterans Education and Research (RIVER). RIVER is a a special program for veterans who need additional resources and support to pursue educational opportunities after returning to civilian life.

The new position is the perfect progression for Tim’s career. Tim came into solar as he began his career with the US Coast Guard in 1991, servicing solar-powered aids to navigation buoys. However, his career was unexpectedly cemented in solar after his retirement from the Coast Guard in 2012 when he realized his love for teaching. This led him to the Missoula College Energy Technology Program at the University of Montana. His three years of teaching at the university connected him with SEI Instructor Orion Thornton. As the renewable energy program was ending and Tim found himself wanting to focus  more on PV.  Orion said to him “you gotta go to SEI, there’s no way around it.”

This is how Tim found himself pursuing SEI’s Solar Professionals Trainer Certificate Program as a way to strengthen his background in solar. He said of the experience “even having been in the field and seeing solar everyday at school for the past 5 years, the program here at SEI tied it all together.  It made me understand [solar] and be able to teach it better. The combination of the classroom and the lab ties the concepts together; you can learn about it then see it and experience it.”

Adding about his SEI experience versus at a university that “the biggest difference for me, absolutely was the instructors… In a university system typically those people have all the education and the theory. There’s no question about their knowledge of the concepts they’re teaching, but they don’t have any real world experience to share with you to tie it together. So to talk to people who are doing the instructing as a secondary job but their first real job is out in the field doing what I want to do everyday and what we’re talking about every day, that experience is invaluable.”

Tim is now able to build on his solar training experience. Not only was Tim able to fund his in-person classes through his Veterans Education Benefits but he’s greatly expanding the impact of these courses to teach fellow veterans. Tim said his ultimate passion for completing the training was to “continue and expand my teaching, reaching out to more students, especially those in need of technical training that can’t or won’t attend a traditional 2 or 4 year school for training. I measure my success in life by my ability to help others and improve their lives, I believe this training will allow me to be even more successful in this endeavor to help others. “

 

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Solar Energy International (SEI) Curriculum Team Members Selected to Provide Input for the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC®)

Solar Energy International (SEI) is proud to announce our non-profit’s selection onto Code-Making Panel 4 of the National Electrical Code (NEC®), which covers Article 690 “Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems,” along with several other areas.

SEI is represented on Code-Making Panel 4 (CMP-4 / NEC-P04) by two of its Curriculum Developers and Instructors: Rebekah Hren as the Principal and Brian Mehalic as an Alternate.

This is a tremendous honor and responsibility: SEI’s participation in this process gives a voice to our instructors, students, and alumni currently working in the industry. SEI’s years of experience and dedication to the solar industry will complement the viewpoints and strong representation already provided by manufacturers, trade industries, labor organizations, utilities, and AHJs.

And once again, SEI has been an active participant in the PV Industry Forum (PVIF). The PVIF is a collaborative initiative consisting of several organizations dedicated to continually improving the installation safety of PV systems in the U.S.

The PVIF member organizations are the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), the Large-Scale Solar Association (LSA), the PV Industry Codes Council (PVICC), the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), and Solar Energy International (SEI). This coalition has come together to organize, convene, support, and mentor solar industry professionals through the NEC Public Input process, which is open to all solar industry participants. This collaborative effort has resulted in the consensus development of numerous solar-related Public Input proposals for consideration.

A total of 125 Public Inputs were submitted from the PVIF for consideration for the 2020 NEC®. It is an honor to have SEI’s viewpoints considered during this process as there are many industry experts and thought leaders that are putting in a lot of time into making this happen.

The Code-Making Panels will meet in-person from January 8-20 as part of the process to create the First Draft. The First Draft is due July 6, 2018, and will be made available for public comment until 8/30/18. There is a Second Draft in April of 2019, and then the 2020 NEC® should be available in September 2019.

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SEI Participates in Solar Training and Workforce Development for Veterans Roundtable Discussion

Last month SEI was honored to be invited to Washington DC to participate in a roundtable on Veterans in the Solar Workforce.  This one-day meeting was sponsored by the Solar Foundation and was attended by key personnel from across the solar industry including training providers, hiring agencies, state and federal lawmakers, non-profit organizations, military representatives, and Department of labor and Department of Energy personnel.

Below is a summary of roundtable agenda questions posed and key takeaways:

1. What issues do transitioning military personnel face as they enter civilian life, and how can solar industry partners ease these issues?
   

• It is critical for vets to know how to sell their skills and translate their military experience into a professional resume. Understanding what opportunities are available and how a career can progress and lead to different opportunities is equally important.
• “Same mission, different uniform”. The solar industry can and should capitalize on veterans’ sense of service. Many transitioning personnel are trying to find a career that’s rewarding., They have been working for something that is bigger than themselves, so they need something where they can feel like they’re giving back
• The solar industry is looking to diversify and military personnel have diverse backgrounds and experiences, lots of opportunities in a variety of roles.
• DOD operates similarly to a business in that any resources they put into people that are leaving the military are dollars that can’t be spent on recruiting new personnel.

1. What is the solar industry looking for in new employees, what opportunities are available in the industry, and how can transitioning military best prepare themselves for solar careers?
   

• Demonstrating a passion for the solar mission, that it’s something they want to be involved in and they’re excited about. Passion can go a long way in impressing potential employers.
• How valuable are the NABCEP and OSHA certifications?
  • They add immense value, and can put a candidate over the edge in comparison to someone without certification.
  • Passing NABCEP test shows commitment and ability to learn complex topics,
  • NABCEP credentials give the ability to advance faster and gain management positions
  • For back-office hires (sales, business development, etc.), having some small amount of hands-on solar experience can make a big difference. It’s good for them to understand the technology.
• Military personnel often have experience deploying technology in hazardous conditions and maintaining safety standards. This is very easily applicable to the solar industry.
• To the extent that servicemembers have difficulties translating their resume for a civilian job application, a good part of the responsibilities rests on the shoulders of HR and recruitment teams at solar companies. It’s important that recruiters know how to read a military resume and effectively evaluate and place military personnel. This just takes simple education.
• Many solar developers are looking for someone to lead a team, veterans fit this bill extremely well.

1. What are the best methods to communicate to transitioning military personnel about solar career opportunities? Who are the best POC’s.
   

• Advertising on Social Media and digital tools such as Facebook and Google, as well as improving Search Engine Optimization, have proven to be excellent techniques to successfully get information in-front of exiting military. 
• Finding the “gatekeepers” for every city that can broadcast your message to different important audiences.
• The avenues to get in touch with military personnel are not always the same as the general population. Work with organizations that have specific access to service members, transition offices, and military related recruitment organizations.
• Although digital tools are helpful and cheap, sometimes the best way to reach military personnel is through printed newspapers that are exclusively read on military bases.
• Hiring veterans helps to recruit other veterans, veterans on staff are great talent to recruit their peers.
• Companies need to consider two things: Cost and Visibility. How much is this recruitment going to cost me? How visible am I going to be as a result?

Above and beyond the key takeaways listed above, this roundtable was an excellent forum for key players in the solar industry to get to know each other, discuss common hurdles and strategies for dealing with Government bureaucracy, and exchange information for future collaboration.  SEI was represented at the roundtable by Breccia Cressman, Andrew Sprauer, and Kevin Sova. 

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SEI Family Mourns the Tragic Death of Instructor Mike Sullivan

We are deeply saddened and stunned by the unexpected death of SEI Instructor Mike Sullivan. Since 2009, Mike taught over 40 classes and over 1000 students through both online and in-person trainings. Mike died on Monday in a climbing accident on Steeple Peak area of the Wind River Mountain Range in Wyoming.

Mike was a living legend at SEI because of how fully he lived his 54 years of life. When he wasn’t teaching solar classes, he travelled around the world working on solar projects for people who did not have electricity. Or he was climbing and adventuring in some of the most remote and beautiful places on Earth and then sharing his amazing photos with us on social media.

When he introduced himself in classes, he said he was from “Tacoma, the truck not Washington.” We were excited when he opened a PO Box and got a storage unit in Paonia, SEI’s headquarters, because it meant we were his homebase. He was an engineer by training, and even worked for a few years behind the desk before he found solar and his life’s passion. Meticulous and singular in his focus, it didn’t surprise us when we recently learned that he had read the entire dictionary by the time he was 5 years old.

There are so many stories flowing in from instructors and other solar friends. From stripping down to his underwear to cross a river in Bolivia while carrying PV equipment, from strapping a hot water heater to his back and skiing up a steep, steep mountain to deliver it to an off-grid cabin of a friend, to awakening each morning at 4am before teaching a class so that he could find a tree to climb or a hike. His motto was work 24/7—meaning 24 hours a week for 7 months a year.

“We met on a rainy, rest day in a hostel in El Chalten, Argentina in the heart of Patagonia in 2014. I had never met someone who so seamlessly wove their passions and their profession into such an adventurous and colorful lifestyle. (He was teaching SEI online courses in between climbing.) It quickly became evident that he was more than a climbing mentor; he was the impetus I needed to pursue my passion for renewable energy systems as a career. Mike redefined possibility. He invited me to assist with a solar project in Ladakh, India last summer, where I witnessed how solar technology can be used as an incredible tool to positively impact a community and its enormous potential to further influence the course of the world.

Mike’s gentle ways and vibrant enthusiasm was infectious and his spirit full of compassion. 

I always looked forward to our next adventure as he gravitated to the most beautiful places above and around. He’ll continue to inspire with his sparky twinkle of irradiance and that big alleycat grin.”

Toby Swimmer, OnSite Energy in Bozeman, Montana

“Mike spent a lot of time working with technicians in Haiti in 2011-2012.  Each time I go to Haiti and see individual technicians they go through and diligently ask about the different people we know in common… How is Christopher? How is Brad? How is Jeff?… but when they get to Mike, each person gets this big goofy smile and asks “How is Mike? You know- he is craazzy!!” and laughs…

Recently, I asked why everyone thinks Mike was so crazy… and everyone had some story about turning their back to do something… and then when going back to find Mike… hunting around, calling his name… and then someone finding him up in the tallest part of a tree. And of course, there is no purpose of being in the tree… the tree is not a fruiting tree, etc…and this part is explained in detail as they are trying to make sense as to why he was up there. Mike was just hanging out there. Making people laugh without knowing the language. And there is always a lot of laughter in recounting these stories. 

~Carol Weis, SEI Instructor and Co-Founder of Remote Energy

Mike, we miss you. Thank you for always reminding us to go live your adventure, live your passions. We will send out more details as the memorial is finalized.

 

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Father/Son Duo Launch Solar Careers with SEI!

Sometimes solar is a family affair. This is true for Rob and Jake Dushek, a father/son team who came to Solar Energy International (SEI) for solar training earlier this month. Rob and Jake are already business partners who see their future in the solar industry, but for different reasons. Rob, Jake’s father, is looking to expand the contracting and energy consulting business he’s been growing for the last fifteen years. He sees the growth of the business as a way empower the young people like his son Jake. Saying of his reason to pursue solar training at SEI and become a certified solar professional,  “it is a financial opportunity to help my small business grow which will in turn lead young professionals to paths and opportunities for business ownership.”

Jake is excited to make the shift to solar because he is technically inclined and shares his father’s passion for renewable energy and optimism about the industry’s potential for growth. “I understand in order to continue life as we know it, we will need to incorporate renewable energy and make it a priority. I want to become certified in renewable energy because it seems like a very lucrative field to get into at the time and I also want to save the environment.” When asked about coming to SEI with his father, Jake admitted it’s a “rare opportunity to opportunity get to work with a parent” especially one who shares a such a similar passion. “It’s really nice to work together, we already have a great relationship and we’re good at troubleshooting and collaborating on solutions.”

The two are continuing their hands-on solar training with SEI’s online training courses. Proving once again that they make a great team, they are each enrolled in complementary tracks of SEI’s Solar Professionals Certificate Program.  Jake is working towards completing his Solar Business and Technical Sales Certificate to focus on the customer-facing aspects of the business while Rob works on the Residential and Commercial Photovoltaic Systems Certificate to grow on his experience and passion for technical solutions. Together, they’ll have a strong technical background in solar to launch the next phase of their business.

 

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SEI’s Solar Ready Colorado Initiative Wins IREC 3iAward!

Solar Energy International’s (SEI) Solar Ready Colorado Initiative received the 2017 IREC State/Local Government Achievement of the Year. Solar Ready Colorado is a statewide training and career outreach program led by SEI and industry partners and funded through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s WORK Act Grant. The program offers SEI’s technical training program to Coloradoans who can fill the solar industry’s predicted skilled workforce shortage and helps to ensure the state is prepared for the changing landscape of energy production and distribution. The awards, given out by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), honored the 2017 3iAward recipients which celebrate the nation’s best innovation, ingenuity and inspiration in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The winners are based on a prestigious annual national search.

The Solar Ready Colorado program was honored for its innovative approaches to outreach especially the Solar Ready Colorado Career Expo and Envision360 Virtual Reality project. The Solar Ready Colorado Career Expo was co-sponsored by project partners Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) and GRID Alternatives Colorado at COSEIA’s annual Solar Power Colorado conference. More than 150 job seekers attended the expo and engaged with Colorado solar companies about the jobs available in this growing industry. The partners will once again put on the Career Expo event at the newly expanded Solar Power Mountain West conference from March 12-14, 2018. coseia.org/conference/

“This event provided a forum where some of Colorado’s top solar companies could meet individually with job seekers was a unique way to showcase the opportunities in this fast growing part of our economy, which already employs more than 6,000 Coloradans,’’ said Chris Turek, Marketing Director of SEI ”we look forward to an even bigger career expo next year.’’

The event also marked the launch of the SEI Envision360 App and SEI Google Cardboard Project. Envision360 is a solar recruitment program technology tool that gives students a virtual experience of what it’s like to work in the solar industry, using Google Cardboard Viewers and virtual reality (VR) technologies. Solar companies across Colorado are featured in the app through interviews of key staff about their experience in solar and through 360o experiences of their warehouses, offices, and job sites. The app and viewers are being utilized by Coloradoans new to the solar industry as well as in schools to educate students about career opportunities in solar.

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