Solar Energy International meets industry needs with curriculum update

SEI employs more than 30 PV instructors who work in the solar installation field and keep up-to-date with new technology and regulations. Many SEI instructors are NABCEP-certified and ISPQ-accredited. To stay ahead of this ever-changing field, we constantly update our PV curriculum to reflect recent changes in the industry, and invite industry experts to conduct technical and curriculum reviews for a high-quality learning experience.

Although we update our PV curriculum yearly, in 2010 we’ve expanded our offerings to make the workshops more specific to people’s goals in the industry. And because our courses build upon one another, there is a set of workshops for every skill level and interest, from the DIY homeowner to the professional installer.

PV101 allows students at any level to engage in learning immediately, by first taking our PV Prep course online that covers the basics of renewable energy and the basics of electricity. Students have access to the PV Prep course before and during the PV101 workshop.

PV101 (in-person and online) focuses on grid-direct systems, the most common PV system today in the U.S., and covers the fundamentals of PV, site analysis, mounting and grounding. The in-person workshop is much more interactive than before, with 45-minute to hour-long segments followed directly by applied exercises. The workshop includes hands-on labs. For more hands-on experience, follow this course with a one-week grid-direct lab week class.

PV201L Lab Week Balance out your basics class with a nuts-and-bolts, hands-on installation workshop. Students will install, commission, test and operate different grid-direct PV systems.

PV202 (in-person and online) is an advanced grid-direct PV workshop. PV202 focuses more on the National Electric Code and design calculations. We have also added sections on commercial PV issues such as 3-phase services, sizing, choosing an inverter and mounting. PV101 and PV202 are musts for anyone going into the grid-direct business.

New for 2010, SEI offers PV203 (in-person and online), covering both stand-alone and grid-tied with battery back-up systems. PV203 covers everything needed to know about designing and installing code-compliant battery-based systems, and can be taken directly after PV101.

PV301L Lab Week Five days of hands-on installation practice with battery-based PV systems. Students will install, commission, test and operate different battery-based systems.

For more information about Solar Energy International's PV program, and to enroll online, visit solarenergy.org. Alumni can call (970) 963-8855 to register and receive SEI’s 10% alumni discount.