Lawmakers want to explore sun, wind

Submitted by lstolzen on Thu, 10/30/2008 - 11:18am

• News Item

By Anton Caputo - Express-News
January's legislative session could be a big one for renewable energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal.

That's the message state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, Rep. Mike Villarreal and others brought to the Solar San Antonio Legislative Breakfast Thursday morning.

Lawmakers said they expect to build next session on the recent political momentum generated by the state's decision to spend $5 billion on transmission projects to move wind generated power from West Texas and the Panhandle to the state's larger cities. The results could mean several pieces of new legislation to help jumpstart a wide array of renewable energy sources. Texas already leads the nation in wind production.

The legislation will likely include a $250 million state bond for renewable energy projects, an expenditure that would also have to be approved by voter referendum. The bond nearly passed last session, said Van de Putte, but was dropped late in the session in favor of other spending priorities.

Renewable energy proponents are also eyeing a statewide requirement to produce a certain amount of energy, possibly 3,000 megawatts by 2020, by renewable energy other than wind.

Such requirements have been key in the state's wind energy success, which proponents like Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, are seeking to emulate with solar.

“Next session I think we're really going to be looking at solar in a different light,” she said. “It is no secret to anyone that we have the perfect weather conditions.”

The Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association will also lobby the legislature to boost the market for residential solar power by requiring that a certain amount of energy be produced by small-distributed power projects like home solar panels and small-scale windmills.

AltE Positions Itself for Cost Effective DIY Alternative Energy

AltE, formerly the Alternative Energy Store, is experiencing a sharp rise in interest in alternative energy technology for individual homeowners. Despite the economic downturn, with the passing of the Alternative Energy tax credits and incentives and the cost effectiveness of DIY renewable energy, AltE is excited to be positioned to help consumers get ahead.

"Our goal has always been to help people integrate cost effective renewable energy technology into their homes," said Sascha Deri, CEO of AltE. "Unless utility companies themselves start to complete installations of alternative energy, encouraging do-it-yourselfers is one of the only ways the alternative energy sector can truly be assured of adoption at the residential level."

In today's economic climate, many are concerned about where to put their money or what will offer the best return on investment. Additionally, many are faced with rising heating costs and escalating living expenses and homeowners are looking for ways to offset those rising costs in the most effective manner. One of the best ways to invest wisely and offset the costs of running a home or rental property is by looking at renewable energy and technologies like solar thermal, solar electric and wind turbines. Renewable energy offers a 10-30% return on investment and the technology is designed to last for decades.

"When we started this company almost ten years ago, we did it because we saw the long term benefits of offering consumers a DIY solution for renewable energy. Not only is the technology green and harnessing solar or wind power, it's also fiscally sensible. Today's economic climate absolutely supports what we've always tried to do - encourage people to make a smaller impact on the earth and invest wisely in technology that is a sure win," said Deri.

As much of the Alternative Energy sector can attest, the largest obstacles in widespread adoption of these technologies are knowledge about how they work and financing the projects. Now that the tax incentives have been signed into law and extended for years to come, some of the financial obstacles have been removed, and companies like AltE are working hard to begin closing the knowledge gap as well.

"We have spent a great deal of time building out a comprehensive library of articles, developing webinars and live seminars and training our technical sales staff to help guide our customers towards the right renewable energy solution for them. We want to act as a guide, helping people choose the most cost effective, efficient system for their home. We help folks to understand the initial investment and how quickly their system will pay for itself. That is, of course, what we love best - that even the largest systems will eventually yield a return!" said Deri.

The way AltE differentiates itself in the market is by catering specifically to the DIY alternative energy homeowner. They have long proselytized the idea that Renewable is Do-able™ and in today's economic climate, that message resonates with many. The average grid-tie residential solar electric system costs between $9 and $12 per watt to purchase and install in a home. That means that a home using an average of 500 KW Hours per month will need a system that costs between $37K and $50K.

By eliminating the expense of an installer and limited use of a licensed electrician, homeowners can knock the cost down to between $7 and $10 per watt, so a house needing a monthly average of 500 KW Hours will need a system that costs between $30K and $42K. With added tax incentives and utility company rebates, this kind of savings makes solar power a reachable goal for thousands more residential homeowners.

"We work with a huge variety of consumers and so many of them initially believed that this technology is too difficult and complicated to install themselves. The truth is that a huge percentage of "handy" men and women could absolutely install most of the existing technology today with some assistance by licensed electrician or plumber to assure code compliance. That's why we've built out a huge resource section with tons of articles and that's why we've begun offering seminars and classes. We want to empower consumers and help them get ahead in the most economical way possible," continued Deri. "We want to be your friend in Renewable Energy - that guy or gal next door who knows about this stuff and makes the installation and benefits of alternative energy an attainable goal."

Commercial use of Renewable Energy

Commercial use of Renewable Energy Renewable energy represents a viable alternative to grid sourced electricity for most sections of Commerce and Industry. In all cases there is an environmental benefit to an appropriately installed system, in the majority of cases, the installation can show real cost and business benefits. Solar Water Heating can be more appropriate for commercial activities where a regular supply of hot water is required during the daylight hours rather than the domestic environment where there is a need to balance storage of hot water for use in the morning and evening with generation during the day. Electricity generated from solar electric panels is available during the hours of business, a Solar PV installation can be tailored to provide electricity up to the normal level of consumption, thus there is no requirement for export metering nor associated administration. Perhaps the most appropriate installation would be Wind Turbines, in particular where there is a continuous process. Though the majority of energy might still be grid fed, 100% of the electricity from a tailored wind turbine system would supplant mains fed electricity. Thus the relative value of the per Kwh wind generated electricity would be the same as the 'delivered' value of mains electricity. Though the capital cost of renewable energy installations might appear un-economic. For the business user there are grants and significant tax incentives. BrightLightSolar has many years of experience in energy and utility cost management including understanding the grant application process and tax incentives available. We are able to provide a full service including identifying and sourcing additional funding, recommending and installing the most approriate renewable energy equipment

Telecommunications As more areas are linked to the expanding GSM network the need for reliable, remote power increases. The power required by GSM transmitters, receivers and Microwave links is reducing as technologies improve. This means that solar energy in this field is becoming more and more competitive and cost effective, especially as a carefully designed solar power system will provide uninterrupted power 365 days a year. Systems of this type operate by charging a large battery bank when the sun shines. This stores energy for cloudy days and for operation at night time. Regional solar data is used to provide monthly average forecasts for power output from the solar and using the worst solar month as a base line a system can be dsigned that will provide clean, reliable power to the equipment all year round. Since each piece of equipment is slightly different in the way it operates and the precise amount of power it consumes, and because every area of the world has quite different sunshine levels, it is necessary to take each application on a case by case basis. If you have a potential Telecoms application then we would be pleased to hear from you and would be happy to work with you to produce a solar power system engineered for your application. Please use the questionnaire provided to give all the relevant details.

Businesses around the world are discovering that solar can provide real advantages as a source of power generation.

If your business is located in an area that lacks a reliable supply of grid electricity, you should consider solar for your needs. Bright Light Solar Ltd has the technical and practical expertise to deliver cost-effective energy solutions to your business. Our systems can be used either by themselves or in conjunction with an alternative (but intermittent) energy source - such as grid electricity or diesel generation.

Energy Facts

Energy Consumption

• Though accounting for only 5 percent of the world's population, Americans consume 26 percent of the world's energy. (American Almanac)

• In 1997, U.S. residents consumed an average of 12,133 kilowatt-hours of electricity each, almost nine times greater than the average for the rest of the world. (Grist Magazine)

• Worldwide, some 2 billion people are currently without electricity. (U.S. Department of Energy)

• Total U.S. residential energy consumption is projected to increase 17 percent from 1995 - 2015. (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

• World energy consumption is expected to increase 40% to 50% by the year 2010, and the global mix of fuels--renewables (18%), nuclear (4%), and fossil (78%)--is projected to remain substantially the same as today; thus global carbon dioxide emissions would also increase 50% to 60%.

• Among industrialized and developing countries, Canada consumes per capita the most energy in the world, the United Sates ranks second, and Italy consumes the least among industrialized countries.

• Developing countries use 30% of global energy. Rapid population growth, combined with economic growth, will rapidly increase that percentage in the next 10 years.

• The World Bank estimates that investments of $1 trillion will be needed in this decade and upwards of $4 trillion during the next 30 years to meet developing countries' electricity needs alone.

• America uses about 15 times more energy per person than does the typical developing country.

• Residential appliances, including heating and cooling equipment and water heaters, consume 90% of all energy used in the U.S. residential sector.

• The United States spends about $440 billion annually for energy. Energy costs U.S. consumers $200 billion and U.S. manufacturers $100 billion annually.

Global Warming

• Worldwide, 1995 was the warmest year since global temperatures were first kept in 1856. This supports the near consensus among climatologists that emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases are causing global warming. (Chivilan and Epstein, Boston Globe)

• On average, 16 million tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere every 24 hours by human use worldwide. (U.S. Department of Energy)

• Carbon emissions in North America reached 1,760 million metric tons in 1998, a 38 percent increase since 1970. They are expected to grow another 31 percent, to 2,314 million metric tons, by the year 2020. (U.S. Department of Energy)

• The United States is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide, accounting for 23 percent of energy-related carbon emissions worldwide. (U.S. Department of Energy)

• An average of 23,000 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted annually in each American home. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

• The transportation sector consumed 35% of the nation's energy in 1990; this sector is 97% dependent on petroleum.

• Fossil fuels are depleted at a rate that is 100,000 times faster than they are formed.

Health

• Approximately 30,000 lives are cut short in the U.S. each year due to pollution from electricity production. (ABT Associates study)

• About 81 tons of mercury are emitted into the atmosphere each year as a result of electric power generation. Mercury is the most toxic heavy metal in existence. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

• Burning fossil fuels to produce energy releases carbon dioxide and other global-warming-causing gases into the atmosphere. Global warming will increase the incidence of infectious diseases (including equine encephalitis and Lyme disease), death from heat waves, blizzards, and floods, and species loss. (Chivilan and Epstein, Boston Globe, April 10, 1997)

Transportation

• The United States consumes about 17 million barrels of oil per day, of which nearly two-thirds is used for transportation.

• The United States imports more than seven million barrels of oil per day.

• While the world's population doubled between 1950 and 1996, the number of cars increased tenfold. Automobile congestion in the United States alone accounts for $100 billion in wasted fuel, lost productivity, and rising health costs. Still, analysts project that the world's fleet of cars will double in a mere 25 years. (Worldwatch Institute)

• Americans use a billion gallons of motor oil a year, 350 million gallons of which end up polluting the environment. (Department of Energy and Maryland Energy Administration)

• A car that gets 20 miles per gallon (mpg) emits approximately 50 tons of global-warming-inducing carbon dioxide over its lifetime, while a 40-mpg car emits only 25 tons. Over the average lifetime of an American car (100,000 miles), a 40-mpg car will also save approximately $3,000 in fuel costs compared to a 20-mpg car. (Natural Resources Defense Council)

• The cars and trucks reaching the junkyards this year have higher gasoline mileage, on average, than the new ones rolling off dealers' lots, for the first time on record. (Matt Wald, The New York Times, August 11, 1997)

Renewables

• Only 7.5 percent of total U.S. energy consumption came from renewable sources in 1998. Of that total, 94 percent was from hydropower and biomass (trash and wood incinerators). (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

• For the 2 billion people without access to electricity, it would be cheaper to install solar panels than to extend the electrical grid. (The Fund for Renewable Energy Everywhere)

• Within 15 years, renewable energy could be generating enough electricity to power 40 million homes and offset 70 days of oil imports.

Photovoltaics

• Providing power for villages in developing countries is a fast-growing market for photovoltaics. The United Nations estimates that more than 2 million villages worldwide are without electric power for water supply, refrigeration, lighting, and other basic needs, and the cost of extending the utility grids is prohibitive, $23,000 to $46,000 per kilometer in 1988.

• A one kilowatt PV system* each month:

  • prevents 150 lbs. of coal from being mined

  • prevents 300 lbs. of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere

  • keeps 105 gallons of water from being consumed

  • keeps NO and SO₂ from being released into the environment

  * in Colorado, or an equivalent system that produces 150 kWh per month

Wind

• Wind power is the fastest-growing energy source in the world. (Worldwatch Institute)

• The wind in North Dakota alone could produce a third of America's electricity. (The Official Earth Day Guide to Planet Repair)

• Wind power has the potential to supply a large fraction--probably at least 20%--of U.S. electricity demand at an economical price.

• In 1990, California's wind power plants offset the emission of more than 2.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, and 15 million pounds of other pollutants that would have otherwise been produced.

• Using 100 kWh of wind power each month is equivalent to:

  • planting ½ acre of trees

  • not driving 2,400 miles

Solar Thermal

• Research shows that an average household with an electric water heater spends about 25% of its home energy costs on heating water.

• Solar water heaters offered the largest potential savings, with solar water-heater owners saving as much as 50% to 85% annually on their utility bills over the cost of electric water heating.

• You can expect a simple payback of 4 to 8 years on a well-designed and properly installed solar water heater. (Simple payback is the length of time required to recover your investment through reduced or avoided energy costs.)

• Solar water heaters do not pollute. By investing in one, you will be avoiding carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and the other air pollution and wastes created when your utility generates power or you burn fuel to heat your household water. When a solar water heater replaces an electric water heater, the electricity displaced over 20 years represents more than 50 tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions alone.

Alternative Fuels

• Using biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine substantially reduces emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter.

• Biodiesel:

  • can be used at 100% levels or mixed in any proportion with No. 2 diesel or No. 1 diesel.

  • Contains no nitrogen or aromatics

  • Typically contains less than 15 ppm sulfur - Does not contribute to sulfur dioxide emissions

  • Has characteristically low carbon monoxide, particulate, soot and hydrocarbon emissions

  • Contains 11% oxygen by weight

  • Has the highest energy content (BTUs) of any alternative fuel and is comparable to No. 1 diesel.

• Over 4,000 electric vehicles are operating throughout the United States (with the largest number in California and the western United States).

• More than 20,000 flexible-fuel vehicles are in operation.

• Over 75,000 natural gas vehicles in U.S. and nearly 1 million worldwide.

Energy Efficiency

• By taking appropriate energy-saving measures, by 2010 the United States can have an energy system that reduces costs by $530 per household per year and reduces global warming pollutant emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels. (Energy Innovations report)

• Just by using the "off the shelf" energy-efficient technologies available today, we could cut the cost of heating, cooling, and lighting our homes and workplaces by up to 80%. (U.S. Department of Energy and Maryland Energy Administration)

• Replacing one incandescent lightbulb with an energy-saving compact fluorescent bulb means 1,000 pounds less carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere and $67 dollars is saved on energy costs over the bulb's lifetime. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Alliance to Save Energy)

• A decrease of only 1% in industrial energy use would save the equivalent of about 55 million barrels of oil per year, worth about $1 billion.

Building for the Future: Sustainable Home Design ONLINE

Building for the Future: Sustainable Home Design ONLINE

Register now!

Renewable energy is one of the most important tools we have to combat a changing climate. In order for us to make the most out of sun, wind, and micro-hydro power, we must start by making every home and building energy efficient. This can happen with smart design in new construction, smart consumer choices of energy efficient technologies and systems, and the know-how to build new and retrofit existing structures.

Whether you're building your own house or simply want to talk knowledgeably with those who will build it for you, these workshops will help you understand the home design principles that make use of both new and centuries old methods and materials for sustainable living. These workshops are also suitable as a prerequisite for those interested in becoming professionals in the field of sustainable design and for those design professionals interested in capably meeting their clients' demand for sustainable design.

Building for the Future Online will focus on the principles behind designing and building residential structures that achieve optimal year-round comfort, reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality, and limit environmental impact. The emphasis is on integrated design using a whole-building approach, applying building science and integrating green design strategies into the built environment. Also covered will be the synergistic relationship between climate-sensitive design and natural building materials.

Designed to compliment each other, the Building for the Future online & face-to-face courses can be taken independently to bring you up to speed or combined with each other to solidify knowledge. Both courses provide a solid overview of building a sustainable home with specifics in site analysis, building science, energy efficiency, passive solar design and alternatives to conventional building materials & techniques. In addition to online curriculum, participants will receive The Building With Awareness video, the book Your Green Home by Alex Wilson, and industry related hand-outs, and numerous Internet resource links. A course glossary, extensive resource guide and case studies of successful sustainable homes are included online. You can work on the Building for the Future Online course at ANYTIME, but you will generally need between 8-15 hrs/week to complete assignments/quizzes and participate in online discussions.


The Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technologies (CERET) offers certificates in Renewable Energy to provide students with the theoretical knowledge necessary to begin a career in energy management and renewable energy technology. Certificates are granted through Madison Area Technical College (MATC). SEI's online courses qualify for college credits through MATC and towards a Renewable Energy Certificate. Click here for more information on CERET's Renewable Energy Certificates."

Students residing outside the United States must pay an extra fee for shipping of course materials. Contact SEI for details.

Topics Include

• Building Orientation
• Solar Site Analysis
• Lessons Learned
• Building Science
• Moisture & Air Leakage
• Super-Insulation Strategies
• New Window Technologies
• Passive Solar Designs
• Energy Efficient Technologies
• Indoor Air Quality
• Sustainable Back-up Heating Systems
• Healthy/Green Building Materials
• Domestic Solar Hot Water
• Renewable Energy Options
• Practical Building Techniques

Sessions

Workshop Title	Dates	Location	Price	Duration	Status
Building for the Future ONLINE	Feb. 23 -April 5, 2009	Online	$ 695	6 weeks	open
Building for the Future ONLINE	Oct. 12 - Nov. 22, 2009	Online	$ 695	6 weeks	open

Related Reading

Home Energy Diet by Paul Scheckel

More Strawbale Building by Chris Magwood, Peter Mack, and Tina Therrien

The Solar House by Daniel D. Chiras

Photovoltaic Design & Installation

Photovoltaic Design & Installation

Register now!

The photovoltaic market world-wide has experienced an enormous 35% growth rate over the last five years. This course was developed for those seeking employment in the booming solar industry or for homeowners looking to install their own systems or hire a contractor. This workshop starts out with the very basics of electricity, and incrementally accelerates students to safely design a code compliant solar-electric system. PV Design and Installation provides a strong foundation in grid-tied, grid-tied with battery backup, and stand-alone systems.

This workshop is certified by the Institute of Sustainable Power (ISP) and fulfills the educational requirements for Category 'B' of NABCEP's Solar PV Installer Certification. This course also qualifies you to take the NABCEP PV Entry Level "Certificate of Knowledge" Exam. The test, which consists of 60 multiple choice questions, takes approximately 2 hours to complete. Test will be administered from 6-8pm on the last day of each PV Design and Installation workshop. The cost of the test is $100. Students must register in advance with the SEI main office (call 970.963.8855). For more information on the NABCEP Entry Level Certification, please see their website at www.nabcep.org.

If you are serious about getting into the solar industry, you should also plan to take Advanced PV: Design Criteria and NEC Compliance. This workshop is intended to follow our first tier of workshops with the next level of design criteria, wire sizing calculations, maintenance issues, troubleshooting skill, and more information on batteries, charge controllers and hybrid system. (Note: You must complete PV Design and Installation BEFORE taking Advanced PV.)

6-day vs. 10-day workshop
The Colorado PV D&I workshops include 5 days in the classroom and 5 days of hands-on installation in the SEI PV Lab Yard.

The off-site PV workshops are shortened versions of the workshops offered in Colorado. In the 6-day format, four days will be spent in the classroom and 2 days doing hands-on field work or mock installations.

Check out our Women's only PV Design & Installation workshop as well!

For more workshop details please click on the Location links below.

Students leave this workshop being able to:

• Cite energy efficient solutions to reduce the load of a home
• Incorporate local climate and site conditions in a PV system design
• Evaluate the differences between commercially available components: modules, inverters, controllers, batteries, and racks
• Obtain and apply module data from a spec sheet
• Perform load analysis for a home or business
• Size a grid-tied system: inverter, array, wire, disconnects, overcurrent protection
• List advantages/disadvantages for various mounting types
• List order of commissioning and decommissioning & safety hazards
• Define net metering and state incentive programs
• Size a stand-alone system and specify the appropriate components: inverter, wire, charge controller, batteries, and modules
• Perform detailed site evaluation for determining system location and installation details

Topics Include

• Basics of Electricity
• Solar Site Analysis
• PV System Components
• Energy Efficient Appliances
• PV System Sizing
• Component Specification
• Stand-alone Systems
• Utility-Interactive Systems
• Electrical Wiring
• Safety Procedures
• Operation and Maintenance

Sessions

Workshop Title	Dates	Location	Price	Duration	Status
PV Design & Installation	February 16 - 21, 2009	Tucson, AZ	$ 995	6 days	[FULL]
PV Design & Installation	February 23 - 28, 2009	Tucson, AZ	$ 995	6 days	[FULL]
PV Design & Installation	March 16 - 21, 2009	Austin, TX	$ 995	6 days	[FULL]
PV Design & Installation	March 23 - 28, 2009	Austin, TX	$ 995	6 days	open

* Four $375 scholarships are available for the Tucson PV Design and Installation workshops. Scholarships are only available for customers of Tucson Electric Power (TEP) or UniSource Energy (UES), and will be awarded on an as-needed basis. Please call SEI's Carbondale office for more information (970.963.8855).

Beat Those Rising Energy Bill Blues

Beat Those Rising Energy Bill Blues

Get The Very Best Deal From Your Energy Providers, then Slash Your Electricity and Gas Bills by up to 30% or more.

Enroll in... The Energy Management Course

Would suit Business Owners and Energy Managers wishing to expand their Professional expertise and apply it within their organizations and work places.

Would also suit Professional and Trades Persons wishing to expand into the exciting Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy fields.

Online Course Instructor: Emeritus Faculty Leader, Robert McMahon

Energy Consultant, C.Eng B.E(UNSW) F.I.Mar.EST. Cert. Energy Management

The Energy Management Course includes Eight Hours of Live Training with Mr. Solar Energy in 4 x 2 hour, Teleseminar Modules Plus Course Notes, Energy Audit Systems, Energy Manager's Manual, Forms, Materials and Q. and A. Sessions

Become a full time or part time Energy Auditor and add create another profit centre for your present work or business.

Heres what people say Online:

Qatar

"Im from Doha- Qatar. Working as a Quantity Surveyor.I m interested to know some about your course, since I would like to learn energy auditing.Please update me"Riza Doha, Qatar

Nigeria

"Thanks Robert. It is very important to always think and plan ahead to achieve optimum success in any field of human endeavour. The in depth research/information you roll out all the time on new alternative energy developments is helping mankind in particular and the world in general. Please keep it up.. Cheers"Tanko Abdu Lagos, Nigeria

Pakistan

"Dear Sirs,Weldone, I really appreciate that you are giving me lot of informationWhen we read your whole, we are getting very good information from your system.We also were looking to install sollar Energy Power System.Thank you so much I am really thankful to you that you are giving me the whole information.Thank and Regards"Agha Haider Mirza Hyderabad, Pakistan

Iraq

"Dear Robert;Thank you for sharing. I wish I have the chance to visit you in the future. Best regards."Sabah Al Jumaily Baghdad, Iraq

Philippines

"Hi Robert.I just want to say thank you for all the information you send me, it gave me more knowledge on this matter, to tell you frankly I really want to convert my power usage into solar so that I can help in reducing the greenhouse effect on our mother earth.Thank you "Phen b Manila, Philippines

Iran

"Dear robert ,Thanks for your information pleas give me some educational institu..I dicided to have academic study(solar energy) at university. I have M.S level (environmental planing) from tehran university. Best regards"MOHAMMAD MAJIDI Tehran, Iran

Singapore

"Dear Robert,I'm very happy with your proposal.Energy Auditing sounds fantastic to incorporatate.Do lets work this between us quickly.Best regards."Yong. Singapore

Course Fee $497.00($379 for a limited time only)

Enter Code: EAC3

at checkout to recieve the special price.

Could Be Worth $$$ Thousands To You - Money Back Guarantee

Click Here To Enrol Now

For a limited time only, enter code EAC3 to recieve a special price

Next Course commences 15th January 2009

Persons who enrol will be advised full log in details to the teleconference room in advance of the course.

Solar Electricity for the Developing World

Solar Electricity for the Developing World

Register now!

Learn to design and install photovoltaic systems for the developing world. Workshop participants learn system sizing, site analysis, hardware specification, and component selection. The workshop covers typical applications and case study examples. Install and upgrade real-world systems with current renewable energy equipment. This workshop is open to all who want to use PV and for those seeking employment in the solar industry.

Held at Rancho Mastatal, an environmental learning center and retreat located in the last virgin rainforest of Costa Rica's Puriscal County. Participants will stay at the center where they build using natural building techniques, including bamboo and cob, and support the use of renewable energy systems. Rancho Mastatal practices and promotes living responsibly in the tropics, while educating its visitors about the significance and majesty of the world's disappearing tropical forests. Take advantage of this great opportunity to enjoy one of Costa Rica's most undiscovered regions while learning about renewable energy.

In our sixth year at Rancho Mastatal, this winter's workshop builds on the success of our past workshops. Our program is focused on learning through hands-on work. We'll spend about one-third of our time in the classroom, studying renewable energy technology basics. The rest of our time will be in the field or lab, getting our hands dirty, learning by doing. The course is taught in both English and Spanish. Price includes dorm bed or camping, all meals and in-coutry transportation. Private accommodation may be available at additional cost (contact Rancho Mastatal). Ask about options for family members not taking the workshop.

Participants must arrive at the San Jose, Costa Rica airport by 2 PM on Thursday, January 1, and will be returned to the same airport by 2 PM on Friday, Jan 9.

Enrollment is very limited, so please register early.

Topics Include

• Applications
• Basics of Electricity
• Solar Site Analysis
• PV System Components
• Energy Efficient Appliances
• PV System Sizing
• Component Specification
• Solar Water Pumping
• PV for Lesser Developed Countries
• Safety Procedures
• Tours of PV , Wind, and Hydro Systems
• Laboratory Exercises
• Hands-on Field Installation