Solar Energy International Serves Record Number of People in 2011

More specifically, 2011 has been a banner year for SEI in terms of total number of people served worldwide through workshops, online courses, and contract training, exceeding 5,000 people from 98 different countries. This has been more people served in any given year in SEI's 20 years of service to the renewable energy community.

One of the outreach methods SEI has leveraged to reach this pinnacle - in addition to industry-leading, hands-on labs and workshops - are online courses and web-based resources. The SEI Online Campus has become a hub of solar training and a place to share dreams for a better career, a better community, and a better world. The SEI Online Campus allows SEI to reach more people both in numbers and areas of the world not previously made possible.

The SEI Family Experience, In-person and Online

Customary with every Solar Energy International in-person workshop or lab-week trainings are evenings for potluck dinners for students to socialize and bring them into the broader SEI family. Professionally speaking, being in education and academia for over 10 years, these social gatherings of idea exchange and personal sharing are some of the most inspiring few hours of time with students in any learning environment in which I have ever participated. Getting to hear personal stories is always inspiring about where students come from, how they want to apply renewable energy technologies in their local communities, and their personal career goals to make a shift to a meaningful line of work.   The solar cooking and solar baked cookies aren't bad either!

The social gathering potluck experience is a great SEI tradition for the hundreds of in-person students we serve every year, but I have always dreamed of creating a similar experience with the thousands of online students we serve from year to year.  As the Director of the SEI Online program, it has been a challenge to figure out a way to capture this sense of SEI community and family with our online students. Long and hard thought has gone into this idea here at SEI and this year we have pulled together as a team to figure this out.

The Online Social Gathering and Learning Experience

Even though we have a lot of great student / instructor Q&A participation in our online forums in our technical 6 week online courses with live instructors, the bigger picture global idea sharing and community building has been missing.  Maybe it just comes down to how difficult it would be to ship potato chips and bean dip all over the world to get the same sense of SEI family and social community with our online students as compared to the in-person SEI potluck experience. 

With that said, in 2011 we launched the Free RE100 Introduction to Renewable Energy Online Course and the online social and learning community exploded in our SEI Online Campus. This course has been launched in both an English and Spanish version. This awesome community building and learning opportunity was created by our outstanding staff and subject matter experts here at SEI. This experience has proven to offer all the same inspiring idea sharing and learning as our in-person social gatherings - just without the bean dip. Just this afternoon I peaked into the RE100 online course and there were 900+ people enrolled and interacting with each other and SEI staff members who monitor the course within the forums. Now that would be A TON of guacamole if this were an in-person SEI potluck! 

From Rachel Connor, SEI Online Campus Course Manager:

"Many RE100 students come to the course looking for a career change and are inspired by the opportunities. However, even more people join the course to learn about the technologies and how they can implement change in their own lives. The course is full of passionate people from all walks of life that are excited to learn more and network with others wanting the same. It's an inspiring group of committed individuals to be involved with."

The RE100 Intro to Renewable Energy Online Course has allowed SEI to:

• Reach broad social, economic and international audiences from close to 100 different countries from around the world

• Familiarize our students with the online campus format

• Connect like minded individuals from around the world in our discussion forums

• Inspire, excite and educate a new generation of renewable energy and energy efficiency practitioners

Student quotes:

"You guys are right about renewable energy being addictive. Just with the few units I've completed my mind is racing ahead with the immense possibilities. I want to start small with an experiment in my New Delhi [India] home."

"I had no idea of how much energy is being wasted on a daily basis by my actions alone! For now on I will be more energy conscious and contribute to a greener more energy efficient world."

"I was very impressed by the free course and appreciate the service SEI is providing world-wide. After competing the course I remain subscribed to the forums and am enjoying the interaction. Your organization's global perspective is a highly desirable aspect for students in the relatively insular Midwest."

"Knowledge is power, and educating the general public on energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives is important if we want to change course with our energy consumption in this country."

Many of these 5000+ people served in 2011 participated in both our free online course as well as our industry leading 6 week online courses and CE Series:

• REDW101 - Renewable Energy for the Developing World
  

• PV101 - Solar Electric Design and Installation (Grid-Direct)
  

• PV202 - Solar Electric Grid Direct Design and the NEC
  

• PV203 - Solar Electric Battery Based Systems
  

• PV206 -Solar Business and Technical Sales
  

• SEI Continuing Education Series - On Demand Online Courses

• Free RE100 - Introduction to Renewable Energy

• ER100 - Introducción a las energias renovables

Solar Energy International invite you to become part of this big and continuously growing SEI family through the Online Campus or in-person workshops and labs. Help us make 2012 an even bigger year in renewable energy education - Join us online at solarenergytraining.org and solarenergy.org.