SEI will provide a workshop on Costa Rica Chamber of Industries’ solar energy education program

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 the German Cooperation GIZ.

In SEI we are very pleased to accompany the Chamber of Industries’ efforts to help the growth of the solar industry in Costa Rica and Central America by bringing world class solar technical training to its main players.

We appreciate the opportunity and look forward to continue to collaborating with organizations that support SEI’s mission of empowering communities, businesses and people through renewable energy education.

This year we will continue to grow our training efforts for Spanish speakers by offering our in-person certified courses to Latin Americans at our new international training center in Costa Rica.

Learn more about the in-person courses that we will be offering this year in Costa Rica, and enroll today!

FV101: Diseño e Instalación Solar Eléctrica (Sistemas Interactivos) – April, 16-20 / October, 29 to November, 2

FV203: Fundamentos de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos Basados en Baterías – July, 16-20

FV201L: Laboratorio Fotovoltaico de Sistemas Conectados a la Red – April, 23- 27  / November, 5-9

Check out our spanish online courses calendar for 2018:

Cursos En Línea

We have a great solar year ahead and we hope that in 2018 you can join our more than 60k alumni from all over the world!

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SEI is looking for bilingual instructors for our Spanish Program!

Solar Energy International (SEI) is a 501(c)3 non-profit education organization with a mission to provide industry-leading technical training and expertise in renewable energy to empower people, communities and businesses worldwide. Founded in 1991, SEI has trained more than 60,000 people from around the world. As an organization, we are committed to offering the highest quality, unbiased renewable energy training that we can. We are a group of people passionate about renewable energy and are continually striving to be the best training organization that we can be.

Since 2013 SEI has provided the same industry leading technical solar training for Spanish speakers within and outside of the USA, with a focus in Latin America. Over the past four years SEI has trained over 3,000 Spanish speakers from around the world.

As Spanish classes continue to grow, SEI is hiring two new bilingual instructors to be a part of our Training Team. Instructors combine their solar technical knowledge and vocation with their ability to effectively communicate concepts to various audiences to share knowledge and empower others. Instructors are contractors who must be available to teach a minimum of two classes per year, depending on course demand. SEI offers online and in-person classes, and hands-on lab classes in Spanish. We are looking for bilingual instructors who can teach either online and/or in-person Spanish language courses.

Instructors must be actively working in the industry installing or designing PV systems, taking classes and trainings, earning new certifications, and staying up-to-date with current codes and standards. These positions are contractual and instructors are not SEI employees.

For more information about SEI, and in particular, our Spanish course descriptions, please visit:

Calendario de cursos

Job Description:

• Teach one or more of the following class formats:
  • Grid-tied and/or battery-based online courses (FVOL101; FVOL203; FVOL202). Online courses are 6-weeks in length and average 10-15 hours/week of teaching.
  • Grid-tied and/or battery-based in person courses at locations throughout Latin America (FV101; FV203; FV202). In-person classes are one-week in length, Monday-Friday.
  • Grid-tied and/or battery-based hands-on lab classes in one of SEI ́s training facilities. In hands-on lab classes the instructor leads a group of 5-7 students through a real installations ending with commissioned, live PV systems. These are one-week in length, Monday-Friday.
• Explain technical concepts to students of all backgrounds, ages and learning styles.
• Incorporate your own personal solar installation and design experiences into the prepared curriculum when answering student questions.
• Communicate and uphold best practices and industry standards.
• Communicate with SEI staff and co-instructors in preparation, implementation, and evaluation of courses (in English).
• Prepare in advance for every course by taking time to review slides and notes in depth. Study SEI ́sdefined terminology and use it both online and in person.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 4-years experience installing and designing PV systems and a strong technical understanding of best practices and industry standards.
• Experience with, and understanding of the US National Electrical Code (NEC) highly valued.
• Actively installing, designing and/or inspecting PV systems in your current job role.
• Teaching experience preferred.
• NABCEP certification preferred.
• Bilingual, English/Spanish. Fluent native Spanish speaker (preferably Latin America). Fluent in reading, writing and speaking English (you will be expected to audit technical courses in English as part of your training).
• For online classes: proficiency in Spanish spelling, grammar and punctuation
• For in-person classes: ability and disposition to talk in front of an audience for multiple hours a day, several days in a row.
• Experience with MS PowerPoint and MS Office Suite
• Ability to work self-directed in an online, virtual environment with a remote team
• Ability to communicate efficiently with co-workers via email and Skype
• Willingness to travel either throughout the Latin American region and/or to the US, and ability to obtain the proper tourist visas

Candidates will be asked to complete an application and a set of technical questions and must audit and pass
SEI’s PVOL101 class. Phone interviews will also be scheduled.

To apply, please complete the application below, where you’ll be able to attach you cover letter and resume in English, including three references:

Spanish Instructor Job Posting Application

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Our Spanish free online course on Renewable Energy is updated, enroll today!

At Solar Energy International (SEI) we are committed to providing the best possible education in renewable energy, which is why our curriculum is frequently updated by our team of IREC (Interstate Renewable Energy Council) certified instructors to always be at the forefront of the industry.

Our free online course RE100: Introduction to Renewable Energy  covers the basics of renewable energy, and is a great introduction for those new to the field, those who are looking to make a career change, or those who just want to learn more about renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the basics of electricity. Join over 25,000 individuals who have gotten their first taste of renewable energy in RE100 – you won’t emerge as an expert, but you will learn a lot about the different technologies and trends, what situations are more appropriate for one type of renewable energy system versus another, and how to make a difference with your own energy consumption.

Last month we updated our Spanish version of the free online course ER100: Introducción a las Energías Renovables to match our English version. Now all of our Spanish speaking student seeking to start a solar career can have access to the most advanced data and technologies in the industry. These are some of the updates:

• We updated the data and statistical graphs with the most recent research on the Latin America industry.
• We renewed all the presentations.
• We updated the resources and additional readings that we put at all students disposal as a complementary study.
• We included new resources in Spanish of the topics covered.
• We updated links to web pages of interest.
• We updated the references to the Spanish courses that we have recently launched.
• We standardized technical terms in Spanish so our students begin to familiarize with the lexicon of the renewable energy industry in Latin America.

Are you thinking on starting a career in the solar industry? This is the best starting point. Join one of the organizations with more trajectory educating in renewable energy, with more than 26 years in the industry and over 60k alumni all over the world. Start SEI’s free course at any time here, click below to enroll today!

Introduction to Renewable Energy

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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 Power Mountain West Conference, and is free to attend, even if you aren’t registered for Solar Power Mountain West.  

The Colorado Solar Career Expo is the perfect opportunity to explore career paths in the solar industry, and to connect with Colorado solar energy industry employers. Our employer roster is filling fast, but attendees include Namaste Solar, EcoMark Solar, Sunsense Solar, Photon Brothers, the Solar Training Network, and more!  

We welcome anyone who is actively looking for a job, is interested in talking to prospective employers, or is just getting started in the industry to come explore and get familiar with solar jobs and employers. For more information, contact Allison Moe, GRID Alternatives Workforce Development Manager at amoe@gridalternatives.org or 303-481-4384.

EMPLOYERS: Booths are still available if you are interested in representing your business or organization at the Expo! Attendees will include students of job training organizations such as Solar Energy International, and GRID Alternatives trainees who have direct hands-on experience installing solar, as well as Colorado residents looking to start or advance their solar careers. For more information, contact Kevin Sova, SEI Solar Training Recruiter at kevin@solarenergy.org.

Solar Ready Colorado is  is a statewide effort through Solar Energy International and industry partners to expand the activities of outreach, recruiting, and training to the rapidly growing Colorado solar industry and jobs market. Through industry partnerships and support from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the program provides a dedicated outreach and recruitment effort as well as technical training through SEI’s long running, non-profit 501(c)(3) technical training program to those interested in entering the Colorado solar industry.

Sign up to attend the Colorado Solar Career Expo online today. Hope to see you there!

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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 the Philippines, StS is partnered with We Care Solar, a non-profit with the mission of “promoting safe motherhood and reducing maternal mortality in developing regions by providing health workers with reliable lighting, mobile communication, and medical devices using solar electricity.”

Through their connection with We Care Solar, StS solar practitioners were able to link up with SEI co-founder Johnny Weiss, and in August 2015, three Filipino solar practitioners completed an SEI online course on Advanced Battery-based PV System Design. They were sponsored by Johnny Weiss and SEI.

One StS employee who attended is the Technical Officer of StS Phil, John Vlademiere Tomas, who piloted the Village Solar Technician Accreditation (ViSTA) program, which aims to “help ensure sustainability of StS-programs by increasing local solar technical support capacity.”

Photo courtesy of StS.

According to John, “Completing SEI classes gave me confidence in conducting PV trainings.  Because of the knowledge gained from SEI, we were able to design the ViSTA training module, and are also able to provide distance-guidance to the trained local technicians.”

SEI offers basic to advanced battery technology courses including, PV203: PV System Fundamentals (Battery-Based), PV303: Advanced PV Multimode and Microgrid Design, and PV304: Advanced PV Stand-Alone System Design. These classes are available both online and in-person, you can check out our full solar installer training schedule online.  

“If you want to [work in the] solar industry or fully understand how it works, I highly recommend taking courses so you will be more confident and have more knowledge with PV Systems. SEI offers different courses that can help you in your career in PV. In a short period of time taking this course you will enjoy [it], and the most important is you will really learn a lot and meet new people that you can share ideas [with] that will help you grow in your career in PV Systems,” John said.

Do you have an SEI alumni success story? Contact SEI Marketing Manager Mary Marshall at mary@solarenergy.org.

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History of solar documentary, ‘Solar Roots,’ to screen in Paonia, Colorado

PAONIA, Colorado — Renewable energy advocates and solar training professionals will have the chance to see the story of the start of the modern solar photovoltaic (PV) industry through the eyes of its pioneers. On March 26, Solar Energy International (SEI) and the Paradise Theatre in Paonia, Colorado, present “Solar Roots – The Pioneers of PV” as part of the SEI’s 11th Annual Instructor Training, which brings together over 70 PV instructors and staff for three days of learning, camaraderie, and industry best practices.

Executive Producer and SEI alum Jeff Spies explains that “’Solar Roots” is the true story of how a small group of backwoods engineers and business hippies brought PV technology down from space into homes around the world delivering ‘solar power to the people’.

Starting in 2015, Spies and director Jason Vetterli embarked upon a two year journey, traveling the country, interviewing more than 50 pioneers of the PV industry in the making of this educational, humorous, and touching film. “Solar Roots” features Colorado’s own solar pioneers Johnny Weiss, who co-founded the nonprofit training organization SEI in Carbondale, Colorado, in 1991, and Ed Eaton, who has taught solar to thousands of people from around the world, including many of SEI’s instructors.

“The story starts in the mid 1800s with the early scientific discoveries in photovoltaics, and quickly progresses through the development of the Bell Silicon Cell in the 1950s, the rapid deployment of PV in the space race of the ’60s, and the debut of terrestrial PV in the 1970s, before finally focusing on the colorful group of men and women who gave birth to the PV home power movement in the early ’80’s,” which Spies said “eventually grew to define the modern day solar PV industry.”

Today Johnny lives  in Paonia, where SEI’s world-class training facility is now based. Johnny frequently travels abroad and to Native American reservations in his work as a philanthropist and solar consultant.  Ed lives off-grid in Paonia, continues to install PV systems, designs and builds solar ovens, solar cooks feasts of vegetarian food, and continues to teach a variety of energy-related classes and workshops. Weiss, Eaton, and Spies will participate in a Q&A session immediately following the March 26 film screening.

Due to the limited seating, viewing is by invitation only. If you are interested in receiving an invitation or learning more, contact SEI’s Executive Director, Kathy Swartz, at kswartz@solarenergy.org, or you can find out more about the film at www.solar-roots.com. Though the film is free, all donations to support SEI’s charitable outreach programs will be greatly appreciated!

About Solar Energy International (SEI)
Solar Energy International (SEI) was founded in 1991 as a nonprofit educational organization. Our mission is to provide industry-leading technical training and expertise in renewable energy to empower people, communities, and businesses worldwide. We envision a world powered by renewable energy! Visit www.solarenergy.org.

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SEI’s updated PVOL202: Advanced PV System Design and the NEC course launches February 26th!

Want to learn about Photovoltaic (PV) Design and the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) from a technical team with over 100 years of collective solar industry experience? Take Solar Energy International (SEI)’s updated PVOL202: Advanced PV System Design and the NEC course, which launches February 26^th!

Last October,  SEI’s PV Curriculum Development Team decided it was the perfect time to get started on an extensive update to SEI’s industry-leading PV design course, PVOL202: Advanced (Grid-Direct) PV System Design and the NEC.  This course has served as a technical training rite of passage for over a decade, helping students transform themselves into Code-loving, quality-obsessed, NABCEP-certified industry professionals.

With the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Exam switching from the 2014 to the 2017 National Electrical Code at the beginning of 2018, and the majority of U.S. adopting the 2017 NEC by the end of this year, the timing of the February 26^th updated course launch is ideal. Along with covering the extensive 2017 NEC updates, PV202 also features new equipment available in our rapidly-advancing industry. In this course, you certainly won’t find old gear from manufacturers who closed their doors years ago! Instead, think efficient, industry-leading equipment used in residential, commercial, and utility-scale PV applications TODAY.

Who are the folks behind this 4-month curriculum update project? SEI’s Rebekah Hren and Brian Mehalic led the charge, along with SEI instructor Kelly Larson. This powerhouse technical team brings over 47 years of collective PV industry experience; add in critical project support from SEI’s five other curriculum developers and you have amassed over 112 years of experience, spanning all sectors of the solar industry.

Rebekah and Brian have been knee-deep in the NEC for years, writing technical articles for Solar Pro Magazine, teaching classes all across the country, and just last month, Rebekah and Brian represented SEI as principal and alternate on NFPA Code-Making Panel 4 (CMP-4) for the 2020 NEC. Together they brought their PV expertise to the table, working alongside other panel members to review and respond to hundreds of Public Inputs submitted for consideration as revisions to Articles 690, 691, 692, 694, 705, 710, and 712.

Rebekah notes: “In order to develop curriculum that’s technically accurate and truly reflective of current issues, it’s critical to stay involved. I’m thankful to contribute to the evolution and education of the solar industry!”

SEI is proud to have such a dedicated team of professionals bringing you the best technical training available. Sign up for solar installer training today to take your career to the next level!

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