Happy Halloween everyone! Before we all dress up in our favorite costumes and enjoy a cool night of trick-or-treating in the triangle, I wanted to give a shoutout to the NC Solar Center at North Carolina State University. If you live in or near North Carolina and want to expand your knowledge on renewable energy, gain training and certification for solar and wind, or simply want to learn more about something good for the planet, check out their website, http://ncsc.ncsu.edu/
 |
| The NC Solar Center House on campus of North Carolina State University |
The aim of the NC Solar Center is to advance clean energy for a sustainable economy, and they do this primarily through education and training of students and professionals in the industry or have a desire to enter the solar world. I've been familiar with the solar center since 2005 when I began my graduate studies at NC State, but it wasn't until this year that I became more involved and registered for their Solar PV training class, taught by David Del Vecchio from Stata Solar in Chapel Hill. It was an intense 5 day course that was both extremely educational and enjoyable. I couldn't believe how much I had learned in such a short period of time. It discusses not only the overall solar landscape in North Carolina, but dives well into the makeup of a solar array including panels and panel types, racking, max point trackers, inverters, batteries, evaluating solar availability, using PV Watts, string sizing, wiring, safety, and much more. At the end of the week we were all given the option to take the NABCEP PV certification exam, which I did and passed relatively easily with 100% credit given to the strong teaching skills of Mr. Del Vecchio. On the last day of class, we were all escorted to the NC Solar center's outdoor training facility for a tour of the grounds and a hands-on learning experience on how to properly install an array on a pitched roof. Everyone was given the opportunity to drill, mount, connect, and place the solar array into service. Given that the day was reasonably nice out, we were fortunate enough to see some electricity flowing from the inverter! If you are looking for a short, intense, and fun course on PV education and training, I highly recommend this course. Their is also an online course offered as well for distance education starting November 6th, check it out at http://ncsc.ncsu.edu/index.php/education-training/workshops-special-events/
 |
| The NC Solar Center Provides On-Site Training for installation of Solar Arrays for students and professional |
I was very impressed with what I learned in the PV classes and wanted to further my education in the field, so I registered for the solar heating class and the CREM course, Certificate in Renewable Energy Management. If you complete 3 classes from the NC Solar Center, you receive a Renewable Energy Technology Series Diploma, a great accomplishment for your work and also an advantageous degree to list on your resume if you are seeking a job in the industry. The solar heating class was quite the undertaking. Again, it was an intense 5 day course with on-site installation training and a NABCEP certification exam, but the amount of material was simply overwhelming. There was SO much to know about the subject! I tackled the books and absorbed as much as my sponge-brain could soak up. I came out of the class feeling like a champ. Bill Guiney, our instructor, is a director at Johnson Controls group and an expert in Solar Water heating and cooling. With over 30 years of experience in this field, he may be one of the world's foremost authorities on the subject. It was a pleasure learning from him and there wasn't a single question he couldn't answer effectively.
The CREM class was my final course in my renewable series diploma and possibly was my favorite class. It was a perfectly balanced mix of renewable education, business class, and group-style working projects that I believe every student gained immensely from. There are 36 hours live and online classes spread over a 6 week course and includes quizzes, seminars, and finishes with a group project presented to the class and to local professionals. I felt like this class truly was the 'nugget' of information I'd been looking for, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The instructor, Lyra Rakusin, along with guest instructors from around the Solar Industry, provided insight into all aspects of renewable energy from the basics of PV to financial modeling, tax credits, partnership finance structures, legal procedures, sales, marketing, and performance contracting.
Finally, I want to thank everyone at the NC Solar Center for their work and dedication to renewable energy. I and my classmates worked very hard and learned a great deal and immensely enjoyed it. If you are interested in learning more about solar and renewable technology, visit the NC Solar center to find the right program for you!
Happy Halloween!
 |
| My classmates and I at the final day of the CREM course offered by the NC Solar Center |
Thanks! Please visit www.risingphoenixsolar.com for additional news links on the latest happenings in the solar industry in North Carolina and around the country!
ReplyDeleteHi! This is a good read. I will be looking forward to visit your page again and for your other posts as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about renewable energy in your area. I am glad to stop by your site and know more about renewable energy. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteRenewable energy resources and significant opportunities for energy efficiency exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and technological diversification of energy sources, would result in significant energy security and economic benefits.
Geothermal heat pumps 100% eliminate the need for fossil fuels for heating.
renewable energy massachusetts
I am more specifically inquiring about the effect of the secondary industry behind these "clean"energy sources. I am already familiar with the strip mining of the earth to collect the rare metals used in solar cells and the environmental impact on bird species with wind turbines. I want to know other negative side effects of "clean" energy for research. Thanks.
ReplyDeletephlebotomy schools NC
Yes Alice this is a very big question indeed and I don't believe has been fully investigated to provide a solid report. With the case of silicon type panels that are doped with III-V materials such as Phosphorus and Boron, there aren't really any rare earth materials that need to be mined to manufacture. But there is a 'total energy' cost related to the production of the panels themselves. As you probe deeper into more advanced panels that may have rare earth elements, there is a need for mining to collect those materials. This is an issue I brought up with LED companies that produce high efficiency solid state lights. The overall wattage and lifetime of the bulbs are quite long, but the total energy cost of production, including the rare earth materials required for production, is shockingly high and I don't believe the public is fully aware of this. Because energy demand is so high, public policy has shifted towards using LEDs over traditional incandescent bulbs. This might meet the goal of lowering electricity usage, but the long term viability and overall environmental impact is unknown. And to do a thorough study of this is extremely expensive, which is why we must support nonprofit agencies such as the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (www.energync.org) so they can fund these types of projects and studies!
DeleteThe one aspect I am confident about and believe in, though, is that once the solar panels are made, the energy cost required to maintain them is zero. This is far different than traditional fossil fuel plants that once built, (yes there are steep total energy costs to those as well) they need to be supplied with fuel to produce electricity, whether that is coal, oil, or natural gas. Those fuels must be brought out of the earth, mined or drilled out, and continues to add to a carbon footprint when combusted, as well as rises in cost due to increased mining and drilling costs and overall global supply and demand. To switch to renewable energy programs such as more efficient lighting, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal power will have a much softer long term environmental impact.
Thanks for reading my article. Please check back for more infortmation and visit www.risingphoenixsolar.com for the latest in news and reports from around the renewable industry. Take care!
Thanks for sharing! This page was very informative and I enjoyed it.Renewable energy Massachusetts
ReplyDelete