Archive for the Category ◊ Solar Energy ◊

What possible reason could anybody ever have for wanting to get a renewable energy training certificate? US companies that work in solar energy and with other renewable energy resources almost all require some type of vocational training in solar energy. Many government jobs require solar energy or renewable energy certification before you can even bid on their available green jobs. Whether you are looking for a renewable energy career so that you can do your part to save the environment or you are just tired of going from job to job and are now actively seeking out a secure, lifetime career, you will definitely want to check out some of the vocational programs for receiving a renewable energy training certificate. US government jobs may be difficult to come by but they are not impossible to get and with the right training and certification, your chances are a whole lot better.

The government is literally investing billions of dollars in green energy jobs, searching out new and improved ways of working with renewable energy resources and bringing them to the front so that they are primary sources of energy for the US and not merely reduced to being “alternative” energy sources. Once you have gained enough knowledge whether through education or experience, you will probably not have a difficult time getting a renewable energy training certificate. US law does not mandate the certifications in most instances but it is still required before you can bid on many government jobs for renewable energy. That alone should make the entire process worthwhile to anyone who is serious about looking for a career working with renewable energy and other alternative energy sources.

Perhaps the most profitable field when it comes to renewable energy is solar power. It seems as if the biggest “controversy” regarding solar power is the amount of space required for the solar panels to capture the solar energy which is converted to electricity. This may be an issue right now but with the new and improved, more efficient solar panel designs that are available these days, that will not even be an issue for much longer, much less any kind of real obstacle to get in the way of making solar power a primary source of renewable energy. It is also one of the primary reasons that the government is investing so much money into the solar power industry.

That alone should convince you that it may be a good idea to begin working now towards obtaining your renewable energy training certificate. US government funded jobs tend to create even more jobs and more demands for similar services and once the standards are set, it will be much more difficult to get in, get training and get certified to be eligible for those government renewable energy jobs. If you are serious about saving the environment or just looking for an excellent and open career opportunity with nowhere to go but up, start working now to get your renewable energy training certificate. US government subsidies and funding will not last forever.

When people hear the term renewable energy resources, many people think about fossil fuels. It is not that they can or cannot prove whether or not oil is actually a renewable energy source but that many people simply accept it on faith that it is. Reports back as far as the nineteen seventies indicated that we would be out of oil today and yet here we are, burning oil in even greater quantities and still not running on empty just yet. However, when people talk about renewable energy resources these days, it is hoped that at least someone will steer them towards truly renewable resources like wind power, solar power, hydroelectric power and other more natural methods of producing and generating electricity.

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Hydroelectric power is very practical as evidenced by the Hoover Dam but it takes great rivers to produce electrical power sufficient enough to supply even small segments of the population. The environmental issues associated with dam building also make hydroelectric power questionable as a viable renewable energy source for anything more than limited and generally local use. While it is quite efficient, it is not the ideal solution for utilizing new alternative energy resources and will not likely provide enough power to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels to any great extent.

Geothermal power is regularly produced in many areas but again there are geographical limitations that prevent it from being a viable replacement for oil and coal. When discussing renewable energy resources, this has to be taken into consideration as the ultimate goal is to produce zero or as little as possible of the electricity that is consumed using fossil fuels.

The most viable method for using renewable energy resources to totally replace the dependence on fossil fuels is using a combination of wind and solar powers. Still, even the solar power generators have issues and create more environmental controversy so perhaps even that is only going to be of very limited use in replacing the energy production currently undertaken by burning fossil fuels. This leaves one very promising alternative. When it comes to renewable energy resources, solar power is among the most viable of all of the options. At present, there may be some limitations due to restrictions of space and the size needed to create a solar energy farm of any real merit but those obstacles are quickly being overcome with new solar energy technology.

The new solar power technologies of today already provide extremely efficient solar panels that produce more electricity in much less space than their predecessors did. The use of improved photovoltaic cells has increased efficiency to the point that solar power may very well be the ultimate replacement for fossil fuels. For renewable energy resources to be a viable alternative, they have to be able to replace energy that is dependent on fossil fuels altogether. The sun currently produces over four thousand times the amount of energy being consumed by all of humankind. The only difficulty is that this energy is not currently being harvested and utilized. As solar energy and solar power technologies become more advanced, more energy will be generated in less and less space. When speaking about renewable energy resources, solar power may just be the talk of the town and the answer to our current energy crisis.

Solar Cells and Solar Photovoltaic Electrical generation are among the most common and renewable energy sources available to date. During these times when awareness is increasing, the government is greatly increasing government programs to finance renewable energy sources. Solar panel installation training offers you the opportunity to cash in on government grants for solar training for the use of your unemployment retraining benefits, finding new green job employment opportunities or even just to find one of the many new jobs installing solar panels.

Finding a solar panel training school is about much more than just discovering somebody to show you the way that photovoltaic cells and solar panels work, it involves discovering a school of solar energy that can help you to get the certifications you need to get a job in the ever-expanding field of solar and wind energy or green jobs. The American government is throwing massive amounts of subsidies into the creation and expansion of green jobs including solar energy, solar training and photovoltaic panel installation, maintenance and repair.

Solar Power Training Certification is now required in many states in order to get one of the increasing number of jobs in renewable energy and even to bid on these jobs, Solar Power Installation Training and certification is required in many other states. While it is important to understand all of the principles of solar panels, training should include more than just the basics of solar panel installation and maintenance. Not only will you have the chance to become comfortable working around renewable energy sources, you will also have the opportunity to grow more comfortable and relaxed in the same environment where you will be taking your Solar Certification Testing.

For those people who are more comfortable planting their boots on a roof than flying around the country, there is also online solar training available. You do not even have to put your boots inside the classroom at all if you are more comfortable that way. With Boots on the Roof’s online solar power training courses, you can still get everything that you need to pass the Entry Level Certificate of Knowledge of PV Systems or Photovoltaic systems. Boots on the Roof’s Wind and Solar Training is a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar Energy Training classes both online and on campus to better suit your needs. When you are looking for schools for Photovoltaic Design and Installation, you need look no further than one of Boots on the Roof’s 6 Day Boot Camps. On campus or online, this is THE resource for all of your wind and solar training needs.

New solar technology is advancing at rates never before seen and probably not even imagined. Gone are the days of the old, bulky and inefficient solar panels. These days, more efficient solar panels are being created and designed which should soon bring solar energy into the mainstream as a viable and fully renewable energy source to replace fossil fuels completely. At this rate, it will not be long before a solar panel the size of a home roof will be fully capable of producing all of the energy that the home needs. The new solar technology revolves around new and improved designs for solar panels.

The new solar technology is made by improved designs for the solar panels and their components. These days, solar panels take up a lot less room and work far more efficiently. The components are state of the art and there is more power generated and less power loss when the solar panels are tied in to the home or buildings commercial electrical system. These designs also allow for the new solar technology to be installed much cheaper than traditional solar panel installations and with a lot less mounting and housing required. This means that in addition for it being less expensive, the installation of solar panels on your home no longer has to be an eyesore to all of your neighbors.

A look inside the housing for the new solar technology is where the first and most obvious changes can be found. The housing for the photovoltaic cells is much more aerodynamic than ever before allowing the air to pass through the solar panels meaning they get buffeted around much less and thus, last longer and work more efficiently. Additional new solar technologies include the use of thin-film solar panels that are not only smaller but lighter weight and a lot easier for the final installation. What is really most amazing regarding the new solar technology is the actual photovoltaic cells themselves.

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While the old photovoltaic cells were very limited in scope and how they could absorb the sunlight to convert it to electrical current, the new solar technology for photovoltaic cells allows these cells to work much more efficiently creating more energy in the same amount or even less space as their ancient solar panel counterparts. The new photovoltaic cells have a cylindrical shape that allows them to collect the sunlight from all three hundred and sixty degrees making them a lot less limited in the amount of time throughout the day that they are absorbing sunlight and generating electricity.

The old photovoltaic cells only absorbed sunlight for a limited amount of time each day and could only produce electrical for that limited amount of time making them extremely limited in both scope and efficiency. The new solar technology for these cells allows them to capture and collect sunlight for the production of electricity no matter where the sunlight is coming from even if it is diffused or indirect sunlight. The new solar technology is very impressive but hopefully it is only a good sign of things to come.

The more efficient solar panels and solar energy become, the more people will be willing to use it and the more people will accept it as a viable energy source instead of as an alternative to power generated by burning fossil fuels. While the solar panels of yesteryear were bulky and inefficient, today we have much more efficient solar panels and the solar power technology is growing by leaps and bounds. The solar panels of the future are here today but that does not mean that they are not getting better all the time.

While the solar panels are the complete units, it is the actual design and the components of the solar panels that make them work and make them capable or incapable of producing a level of energy capable of being sufficient enough to actually help to reduce utility bills with the solar energy. The new solar collectors are both smaller and more efficient solar panels that help to increase the production of power using solar energy making them more useful and able to create a larger savings than their older counterparts could.

The components used in the newer and more efficient solar panels are what make them so incredible. One of the recent developments to improve the design of solar panels was actually coming up with a way for the airflow to pass through the solar panels. This resulted in solar panels that required a lot less framework during the installation which caused the costs of solar panel installation to be reduced and also meant that there was less chance of damage to the house or building itself. Another radical development in the production or more efficient solar panels was the introduction of thin-film solar panels.

The thin filmed solar panels allow for the production of solar panels that take up a lot less room, weigh much less and work more efficiently than the older, large, bulky and heavy solar panels from the days of old. Thin-film solar technology is being aided with the introduction of newer and more efficient photovoltaic cells or collectors that actually increase the efficiency of solar panels noticeably for the better. In fact, these new types of photovoltaic receptors are so sensitive and so capable that they have virtually transformed the world of solar power all on their own. While that may sound like an exaggeration, a look at the statistics will show exactly why the use of these is directly responsible for much more efficient solar panels.

Older solar panels were only capable of absorbing a limited amount of sunlight due to the restrictions of the older photovoltaic receptors but the new solar collectors are proprietary cylindrical shaped photovoltaic collectors that are much more potent and effective. The new photovoltaic receptors used in the more efficient solar panels collect sunlight from a full three hundred and sixty degree radius meaning that if the sun is heating these solar panels, they are generating electrical current. So efficient are they that not only can they collect sunlight from any angle but they can even generate electrical current from sunlight that is diffused (like when you have dirty solar panels) and even sunlight that is reflected on to the solar panels from a different location. This was unheard of in the past so the use of these cylindrical photovoltaic collectors is in truth, directly responsible for a new generation of more efficient solar panels.

LEED today has emerged as a very valuable certification and this has happened due to the increasing demand of solar energy devices and the installation of Solar Panels commercially and residentially. US Green Building Council regards the certification as one of the highest paid profession these days. The Green Associate Training is also accepted worldwide which is also a major advantage. All you have to do to get certified is to pass the 400 questions LEED examination with the help of available training courses and these will teach you how to pass the certification examination successfully.

iStock_000010930278Smallresized The first part of the examination is called as Green Associate Exam is basically a part of the LEED v3.

According to the statistics used by GBCI and the criteria they have mentioned on their website, it can be concluded that the green associate exam is basically for the people who want to go one step ahead in the field and make it as a profession. The success in this exam can really be boosted if you choose some prior Green Associate Training. New open jobs will become accessible and by taking the LEED green associate exam. Some of the sectors one can easily choose to work in after taking the exam are: construction, green energy manufacturing, design or installation.

This exam can be done by anyone who is interested in this field. Anyone who is a marketer, student or people who are in the construction business can successfully complete this Green Associate Training. The course at least provides a decent certification even for those who are not able to enroll them in specialty LEED courses because of the hefty fee structure which makes the certification even more valuable. The group training programs are also a very common type of training which is mostly done for the work inside houses and is capable of reducing the cost up to 50% making the whole system pretty much economical on an individual basis.

The Green Associate Training course and exam will let you know of your hidden skills and knowledge listed below:

  • Application Process of LEED
  • Water Management
  • Project Site Factors
  • Project and Energy Systems
  • Design and installation of the project materials
  • How much stake holder should be involved in innovation?
  • Public outreach and the environment of project

Green training is very basic knowledge of this field and provides the first step towards better handling of the energy problems. If you have successfully achieved this training then you are ready for the next stage which is a bit tough but also will provide you the quality and knowledge you need in order to master the field.

-       Will surely give you the competitive edge in terms of success

-       This will save the time and you will achieve success within no time

-       You will also become focused on building a green collar career

-       You will also learn a lot by the experience of LEED professionals

-       Understand the working strategy of LEED certification.

Want to get into residential solar panel installation?  Get solar energy training!  Watch this video and where you could be!

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Boots on the Roof, one of the best solar/wind training providers in the San Francisco bay area, is currently enrolling students into its upcoming Solar PV and Wind Energy training boot camp.  Students can get certified as solar PV installers. The training program includes hands-on labs, classroom activities focusing on solar electric system design, safety regulations, installation and extra business topics related to photovoltaic.  To learn more about dates, locations, and course details,  click here.

Solar Electricians are the backbone of the solar power industry. After all, photovoltaic solar cells convert sunlight into electricity, and that electricity then must be distributed throughout a building. Attending a solar school to get solar panel installation training rather than a regular vocational school, however, to get an Electrical Engineering degree specializing in solar power will provide you with a strong advantage in getting hired as an electrician in the solar power industry.

Why? The answer is because wiring a building to run off of solar power requires very different technologies and skill sets than wiring a building to run off of the local electrical power grid.

Using local grid power, regular home construction electricians are used to accessing a constant, regulated, steady flow of electricity from the local power grid. All they have to do is distribute that constant flow of electricity throughout the building via the standard residential electrical wiring network.

Solar power, however, is much more complex. Under solar power systems, electricity comes not from the local power grid, but from the sun. Solar panels in the roof convert sunlight to electricity. Consequently, the flow of electricity is neither regulated nor constant. To overcome this problem, electricity generated by the solar panels is stored in battery banks. The batteries, in turn, provide a regulated, steady flow of electricity to the building. If the batteries are depleted, the home electrical network needs to be able to switch seamlessly back over to the local power grid.

All this, obviously, adds an extra layer of complexity to wiring a building’s electrical network. Any electrician specialized in dealing with it will be in high demand in the solar power industry.iStock_000003896824Large

How will I use my Solar Power Training Certification–What Does a Solar Electrician Do?

In addition to wiring a home or building with the usual electrical network, a solar electricians must also set up the solar energy battery banks. This is not as easy as it sounds. The solar electrician must know what type of batteries to use, and how many will be needed. If there is more than one battery (as with all but the most basic solar power system there will be), the solar electrician will need to set up load-balancing equipment to charge and deplete the multiple batteries evenly. The electricity will also need to be converted from DC power to the 120-volt AC power used in the building’s wall outlets.

Solar electricians also need to be also to install instrumentation to measure the charge in the battery banks, and control mechanisms to switch over to local grid power when the battery banks are almost drained. Today, very few homes are capable of being powered entirely by solar energy. Most use a combination of solar and grid power, using the solar power produced merely to reduce their monthly power bill.

How Do I Become a Solar Electrician?

At least an Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field would be the required to qualify as a Solar Electrician. Obviously, a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree you be preferable. If possible, attend a solar school rather than a community college or a vocational school program to get solar panel installation training. Not only will a solar school train you in the specializations needed to work with solar power systems, but you’ll learn more about solar power in general. Both of these will make your degree more attractive for a solar power company, and increase your chances of being hired.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable Energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Solar PV Installation Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

This is the kind of job most people imagine when they think about a career in renewable energy.  Solar Laboratory Technicians are the scientists working in research & development laboratories for renewable power companies.  They constantly research and invent new and better technologies to generate and utilize green energy sources.

Specifically, Solar Laboratory Technicians pioneer new ways to improve and diversify ways of gathering sunlight, turning it into electricity, storing it, and utilizing that energy.  Similar research & development laboratory positions exist, however, in other areas of the renewable energy economy.  Green power companies involved in wind power, geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, and biomass gases all need research scientists and technology architects.  And this isn’t even mentioning the many other new alternative energy technologies that are currently being explored, but have yet to become well-known household terms.

Obviously, being a Solar Laboratory Technician requires a large amount of detailed knowledge of solar electronics.  The most common and well-known type of solar power systems are photovoltaic solar arrays  that convert sunlight into electricity.  The development of solar cells that can generate more electricity, automatic tracking systems to follow the movement of the sun to optimize the efficiency of solar arrays, and batteries that can store more electricity for longer periods of time are all things that Solar Laboratory Technicians research, build, and test.

There are many other types of non-electric solar power, however, that a Solar Laboratory Technician should be familiar with.  An example is thermal solar cells, which convert sunlight into heat.  Other areas include passive solar systems, an area of research that seeks to optimize variables such as location, weather, architecture, windows, and insulation to heat or cool a building by either absorbing or reflecting sunlight.  Finally, another form of solar energy utilizes focusing lenses and mirrors to concentrate sunlight and thermal energy.  Applications of this technology include warming homes, heating water, and even boiling water for electricity-producing steam turbines.

Requirements for Becoming a Solar Laboratory Technician

Obviously, Solar Laboratory Technicians must possess a greater knowledge of solar power systems that solar panel installer-roofer or maintenance technician.  In fact, Solar Laboratory Technicians require some of highest education and most thorough training of all careers in the green energy economy.  Solar Laboratory Technicians need to understand applied and theoretical science, as well was the design, development, engineering, construction, and testing of electronics, particularly electrical power systems.

Solar Laboratory Technicians should also have practical experience using scientific equipment, tools, and instrumentation.  Advanced mathematics, including calculus and statistical methods and applications, will most likely be a prerequisite.  The ability to read, interpret, analyze, and compile scientific data, charts, and graphs is also necessary.

To become a Solar Laboratory Technician, you would need at least a Bachelor’s degree in physics, chemistry, engineering, or material science.  A Graduate degree in any of there fields would be better.  Some companies might also accept an Associate’s degree if combined with at least two or more years of work experience in this field.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Alternative Energy Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.

Don’t be fooled by the fancy title.  Solar Fabrication Technicians are essentially specialized construction workers for the rapidly growing green economy.  These are the people who build and erect the solar panels of sun farms.

It is important to point out this is an industrial, not residential, construction job.  Being a residential Solar Fabrication Technician (usually referred to as Solar Installer-Roofers) requires a slightly different skill set.  Residential solar fabrication involves a lot of retrofitting solar power systems into existing buildings.  This most commonly involves setting up solar panels on the roof and wiring them into the building’s electrical power grid.  Consequently, residential Solar Fabrication Technicians are a combination of carpenter, roofer, and electrician.  Industrial Solar Fabrication Technicians, in contrast, work more with metal, concrete, and heavy construction equipment.

Being an industrial Solar Fabrication Technician involves a slightly different set of trade skills than residential technicians.  It involves less carpentry and more metalworking.  Furthermore, on an industrial scale, construction positions are more specialized.  Industrial Solar Fabrication Technicians build and erect freestanding solar collectors and can leave the wiring to the electricians.

Solar Fabrication Technicians need to be proficient in working with metal sheeting and tubing, usually steel and copper.  You must be able to cut, bend, file, drill, rivet, weld, and paint metal, using machine shop equipment such as jigsaws and band saws, drill presses, power brakes, pneumatic drills, and rivet guns.

Requirements for Becoming a Solar Fabrication Technician

A Solar Fabrication Technician is one of the careers in the green power segment that doesn’t necessarily require a college degree.  Work experience and training in construction and the trades are more that sufficient.  You’ll need to complete either a vocational school program, or a trade apprenticeship program in an area such as metalworking or pipefitting.  Even if you haven’t completed such a program, enough years of work experience in the trades may be enough to qualify you for a position as a Solar Fabrication Technician.

That being said, an academic degree certainly doesn’t hurt.  In some sun farms, the solar panels are mobile, designed to be able to tilt and rotate to follow the sun across the sky to collect the most direct sunlight.  In such cases, Solar Fabrication Technician positions might require varying degrees of mechanical aptitude as well and trade skills. An Associate’s or even Bachelor’s degree in engineering or material science would certainly increase your chances of landing a Solar Fabrication Technician position at such a sun farm.  It would also help you get promoted to foreman or other supervisory positions.

If you are looking for a job in the green economy, keep in mind that a Solar Fabrication Technician job is mostly a construction position.  If you take pride in your craft, are willing and able to perform sometimes strenuous manual labor, and don’t mind working outdoors in potentially very hot weather (most sun farms are located in California and the Southwestern deserts for obvious reasons), then you’d be a good fit for the Solar Fabrication Technician job.

Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Alternative Energy Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.