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

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.

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.

Watch President Obama’s speech on Jobs and Clean Energy.  See why it’s important to get solar energy training now.

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.

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.

Originally, solar street lights have been designed for use in isolated areas, or in locations where the electricity supply was damaged by certain unexpected events. Fortunately, the technology has progressed immensely in the last decade. Solar street lights are now easy to install, affordable and reliable. They last for years and require minimum maintenance.

Such features really count in times of economic distress such as the ones we go through. Public lighting has become expensive, slowly affects the environment and consumes a large part of the electrical energy produced for utilities. Considering the fact that we simply cannot cut off the street electricity, we must adhere to cost-convenient and reliable sources like solar energy for street lights. Few of the benefits of switching to solar street lights are:

• solar street lights deliver the same light intensity as the classic lights;
• solar street lights are economic;
• Solar public lighting is environmental-friendly.

It is recommended to integrate solar street lights in a well-designed network in order to provide the scouted results. Take note that solar street lights don’t just work anywhere. The specific of the environment and the implementation process will determine the required type of solar street lights. There is a big difference between solar street lights and the average solar garden lights we buy from the local store. Solar street lights must ensure road safety and security; therefore, authorities must implement highly effective solutions. There are endless opportunities in the Solar Energy Industry.

Boots on the Roof is currently enrolling students into its upcoming Solar PV training boot camp. To learn more about dates, locations, and course details,  click here.

The benefits of solar training are not just for entrepreneurs or engineers seeking to carve out a niche for themselves. Even individuals with well-established careers can advance their professional knowledge by taking solar training courses as they become more and more familiar with the technologies of tomorrow.

The simple familiarization of green technologies that comes with solar training is in itself a desirable merit in a company or organization, and could prove to be the edge you need in order to get that promotion. You could even use the knowledge you gained from solar training courses to propose structural changes in your home or office in order to minimize heating bills and electricity expenses. The benefits of applying the knowledge and expertise gained solar training are wide and versatile in your workplace, and will only be limited by your creativity and ingenuity.

In addition to career advancement, solar training is just one of the many ways we can support the green trend in order to help preserve our dwindling natural resources. This is especially so now more than ever, since we are already beginning to observe the effects of our unfettered consumption of natural resources. Even the disposal of waste products from mainstream energy production has placed a serious burden on the Earth’s ability to heal itself. Getting solar training and switching to cleaner technologies will help us solve the problem now, while we can still do something about it.

Capitalizing on a growing market, advancing a career through specialized skills and supporting an eco-friendly energy source are just some of the reasons why solar training is needed as soon as possible. Start early, and you will reap the rewards in the long run.

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

In the face of the current energy crisis, with virtually all of the traditional energy sources rapidly dwindling, there is an increasing interest in alternative energy sources. More and more sectors are realizing the bigger role that alternative energy will play in the coming years, and it is a trend that will likely continue for the foreseeable future. As you can imagine, this will result in plenty of job opportunities in alternative energy, particularly in the field of solar energy.

At present, thousands of new graduates from varying educational backgrounds are considering careers in the field of renewable energy. These fresh graduates are ideally positioned to fill the needs of financiers, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, provided they have the skills and capabilities required in the industry. And that is where the quandary lies.

While there is undoubtedly an increasing demand for experienced and qualified personnel in virtually every aspect of renewable energy, the demand greatly outweighs the supply. At the root of this wide demand and supply gap in the labor market, is the incessant lack of programs which train students for careers in environmental jobs or green jobs. This void has begun to be addressed by a few educational institutes such as Boots on the Roof, a growing Solar Training institute in the heart of California, which is running a series of very successful solar training boot camps for students nationwide.

Interestingly enough, many of the professionals currently working in the renewable energy field began their education in other areas, even in fields that are totally unrelated. That being said, the best way to break into the solar energy industry is still by way of a thorough solar education as provided by traditional learning institutions, and Boots on the Roof is a good example to cite here.

The younger generations in particular have taken advantage of courses offered by an increasing number of colleges and universities in sustainability and renewable energy.

In spite of these programs and similar others, solar companies are still dealing with under-staffed teams due to lack of skilled manpower. Some renewable energy organizations that are currently existent are now offering corporate solar training programs which are targeted towards applicants of different capability levels and interests. Some companies even offer solar training courses for military veterans who are looking for careers in the private sector.

While technical knowledge and background in solar courses is undoubtedly essential for those who are seeking careers in renewable energy, some basic business knowledge will come in handy as well.