Providing Solar Energy Training and Certification
The field of renewable energy is an important one that has seen a lot of growth and expansion over the last few decades, especially in the solar energy and solar panel business. It’s also a field that is expected to continue growing into the future, as more and more businesses and government institutions commit to producing a greater percentage of their power renewably. This growth will result in a need for businesses and investors to provide the products and funding needed for expansion. Still, perhaps even more importantly, this growing field will need many workers: potentially millions of workers over the next twenty years or so. This makes it an attractive field to join, but how does one stand out from all of the others who will be making the same attempt?
If you’re interested in joining the solar workforce, one way to help jumpstart that career is to get training and certification in the field. Although there are several options you could turn to for this sort of training, one option you may wish to consider is online training from Solar Energy International.
What is Solar Energy International?
Solar Energy International is dedicated to bringing education and training to those who want to be involved in the solar industry. Solar Energy International (SEI) was founded in 1991 as a nonprofit company. Today, they still provide their teaching and services to individuals and businesses who want to improve their knowledge and skills. They help workers join the solar workforce. They provide services to help large organizations or entities work with their solar energy systems, whether that means installing, quality assurance, or planning and designing new systems to be the best they can be.
Solar Energy International actively increases the world’s ability to harness other renewable energy. They consistently lobby the United States Congress for increased solar power use, help communities improve their outlook with solar power, and helping provide scholarships to help new workers in the field.
Solar Energy International has locations in Colorado, USA; San Jose, Costa Rica (offering English classes); Centro de Capacitación de Energía Solar de SEI-CFIA, Costa Rica (where classes in Spanish are offered); and the Middle East (the United Arab Emirates and Oman). However, even if you do not live near any of those places, Solar Energy International also offers many of their courses online to reach even more potential students.
Their Goal and Vision
Solar Energy International says on their website that they are dedicated to helping create a world “where all people have equal access to clean energy resources.” To help bring about this goal, their vision is to “educate, engage, and empower.”
The “education” side of this vision is focused on helping train and grow the renewable energy workforce, which they do by offering online and in-person courses (in English and Spanish) to help interested parties learn about different aspects of solar energy, including installation, system design, maintenance, and much more. The “engage” part of Solar Energy International’s vision involves bringing a diverse group of workers, teachers, and students together to learn, teach, and improve their communities. Finally, the “empower” in SEI’s vision is reached as they attempt to help their students find careers and chances to make a difference using their new skills, with a focus on “personal and professional growth.”
In short, SEI is a company that exists to help the solar energy field and the people who either wish to work in it or already work in it by offering training and classes and participating in community projects.
What type of courses does SEI provide?
To try to reach their goals and vision, Solar Energy International provides a variety of classes. Some of these classes are free (including free energy courses) and some are paid.
Is Solar Energy International accredited?
In short, yes! Solar Energy International is an accredited organization.
SEI has a page on their website mentioning their accreditations and memberships. On that page, they explain that they are a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association, or SEIA, and that they work closely with the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). As a registered provider of the PV Associate’s Exam for NABCEP, SEI helps students pass this test and prove their knowledge and experience in the field.
However, this is not the only thing they teach, or the only way their teaching is presented. We will take a look at some of the details about how SEI offers their training.
Delivery Methods:
Online
As seen on their website, Solar Energy International offers training in several methods. Those include online classes, which are available both through live webinars and normal online classes. Among these are some of the free courses on energy training and more in-depth training on how to install solar systems, design PV systems, and more.
Their online courses are offered as part of an online “campus.” This means that students have access not only to videos or livestreams where they watch lessons, but also access online forums and places to hold discussions, as well as exercises and recordings of labs that accompany the instruction and can expand upon the ideas taught in classes. Their online campus also includes quizzes to test and prove understanding. All of it is supported by a help desk that offers technical support when needed.
In-Person
If online classes are not what you’re looking for, SEI also offers traditional classroom learning, covering much the same types of curriculum and more. Classes There are also classes offered which focus on practical experience, called “hands-on lab training.” These courses include theory and a chance to practice what students are taught on-site, making them especially valuable for checking your comprehension and seeing how well you actually know what you’re being taught.
Any of these classes will allow you to learn more about them and then register online, and students are offered different times and options depending on SEI’s schedule for the current year.
On-Demand Training
SEI also offers on-demand training, which is presented as a continuing education program. SEI explains that their program is “aligned with the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) approved topic list for re-certification.” These courses are intended for current professionals who want to get re-certified by the NABCEP or simply expand their knowledge. Because of that, the courses are designed to be flexible and work around a full-time work schedule. These courses are offered as both individual classes and as larger packages to help professionals get re-certified.
One of the course packages they offer is a 20-hour Solar Safety Training Package. According to their site, the package is “approved by NABCEP for OSHA-10 training equivalency for NABCEP Certification purposes.” As with other certifications offered, this one can be very useful for employees or prospective employees in solar energy.
Solar Professionals Certificate Programs
These classes are offered to help students gain certification in different areas related to solar and renewable energy. Under this umbrella, SEI offers the following certification programs:
- Residential and Commercial Photovoltaic Systems Certificate
- Battery-Based Photovoltaic Systems Certificate
- Solar Business and Technical Sales Certificate
- International and Developing World Applications Certificate
- Renewable Energy Applications Certificate
- Solar Professionals Trainer Certificate
Courses in Spanish
Many of the courses offered by SEI are available in both English and Spanish, so that they are available to even more potential students. You can look for these specifically on their website, or they will show up in lists with other courses of the same type.
How can learning about solar energy benefit you?
So, we have looked at a brief overview of the kinds of things that Solar Energy International teaches, but what are the benefits of learning about solar energy?
If you consider working in solar, these kinds of classes and training will help you prove your skill and knowledge. The classes that offer hands-on training are also excellent for offering practical experience and a chance to practice what you are learning. All of this, including passing the tests and quizzes needed for some courses, will give you the credentials that many employers will be looking for. This is a great advantage when looking for employment.
Additionally, it’s a great advantage for your personal knowledge, and an investment in your future. The solar energy field is likely to be around for a long while yet, and if trends continue, it will continue to be a promising, growing area of work and employment with great need for skilled workers.
What has SEI done for solar energy?
SEI is a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing training and consulting for renewable energy needs and to helping that field expand. More specifically, Solar Energy International themselves have participated in the following:
Scholarships for Women in Solar
In August of 2021, Solar Energy International and Nextracker announced that they were working together to provide a scholarship program for women in solar, called Half the Sun. Solar Power World’s article on the topic explains the following about this program:
“Each year for three years, the program will provide 10 students with a full scholarship for an SEI solar training course lasting six weeks. To best serve the global communities and markets Nextracker serves, the following regions will receive two grants each: Europe, United States, the MEIAT region (Middle East Africa, India, and Turkey); Australia and Asia Pacific; and Latin America. Open to women and non-binary individuals, applicants must have earned a degree in Science, Technology, Engineerin and Mathematics (STEM) fields or related area of concentration.”
This scholarship is a great opportunity to help women and others interested in the solar energy field to have an opportunity to expand their skills and join the workforce more prepared.
Solar Energy International Professional Services
SEI also offers field services, design, and consulting through their Solar Energy International Professional Services, a well-regarded solar contractor. This team works with other contractors to help create residential, commercial, and industrial solar energy developments, including battery storage and energy production.
This side of the company also provides quality assurance for solar projects, making them a valuable partner for large projects where risks need to be assessed. They perform inspections during and after constructing solar energy systems and offer performance testing and capacity modeling to ensure that these systems can be well understood. If a system has already been created, they can also evaluate how well it is working.
Conclusion
Solar Energy International is a strong provider of many services related to the solar energy field. It’s a great place to look if you want to improve your solar skills or certifications or need help with large-scale solar projects or quality assurance.
Suppose you’re interested in finding out about other solar companies, including ones that provide solar panels and solar energy systems. In that case, we have many more resources available for you to look through. We also have a guide to solar energy that will help you learn about the basics of solar panels and how they work so that you can make the best decisions for your home or business if you’re looking into solar systems!