Educator Resources
Faculty and students examine a 2-kilowatt solar electric system installed on the roof of the Hopkinton High School in New Hampshire.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program awarded funds to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and New Mexico State University (NMSU) to develop solar education and training resources for educators. Through Market Transformation activities such as these, the Solar Program's goal is to increase market acceptance of solar technologies.
Listed here are resources developed for solar educators. Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
IREC Workforce Development Project
IREC provides assistance to educational providers for solar energy programs. IREC also works with states and cities to develop training workshops for code officials (i.e., local code enforcement officers and electrical inspectors) to help identify codes and standards applicable to solar installations.
IREC Training Best Practices (PDF 289 KB)
IREC published this report, which outlines best practices and recommended guidelines for renewable energy training.
Occupational Profiles for the Solar Industry (PDF 229 KB)
IREC has compiled information on occupational descriptions and titles for the solar industry, focusing primarily on photovoltaics.
Institute for Sustainable Power Quality (ISPQ) Training Accreditation
This international standard provides accreditation for training programs and trainers, specifying requirements for competency, quality systems, resources, and curriculum. IREC is the North American licensee for the ISPQ Standard (PDF 440 KB) and manages all aspects of accreditation and certification designations. IREC lists recent accreditations, and its Renewable Energy Training Catalogue indicates which programs and instructors are accredited and certified.
North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)
NABCEP provides a voluntary national certification for energy practitioners, including installers of photovoltaic and solar hot water systems. While it is not a license, NABCEP certification demonstrates that a practitioner has met rigorous requirements, including passing a 4-hour exam. Via its task analyses for both photovoltaic (PDF 46 KB) and solar hot water (PDF 173 KB) installers, NABCEP details the skills and abilities that system installers should possess.
Workshops and Conferences
2009 Workforce Education Conference
Plans are underway for the third national conference on New Ideas in Educating a Workforce in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. This event will be held in the fall of 2009 in Albany, New York.
Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center's Sustainable Energy Education and Training Project
The Sustainable Energy Education and Training (SEET) Project, developed by the Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center (ATEEC) and its partners, provides professional development training for 50 upper-level high school and community college technology instructors. Training focuses on the areas of sustainable energy and energy efficiency and is offered through two 10-day workshops annually.
Solar Thermal for Code Officials
These workshops will give inspectors an introduction to solar thermal energy, including types of systems in the field, the Solar Rating Certification Corporation program, and safety and energy issues that need to be addressed during inspection. Workshops are planned for early 2009.