Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Online Solar Courses - PV Courses

In the distant past, one's occupation was rarely questioned. Men typically followed in their father's footsteps, learning a specific skill over a life-long course. Today, men and women have every opportunity imaginable at their fingertips. Although many do follow their parents' footsteps, most venture on a different occupation path. With this freedom comes the ability and desire to change careers. With the recent recession (2008-2010+), many individuals have lost their jobs and become confused about where to take their lives next. 

One emerging industry, renewable energy, specifically solar, has claimed many individuals seeking a new career in a blooming industry. With a large workforce and little training/knowledge of solar has come the emergence of solar courses. These courses provide information and skills for individuals interested in transitioning into the solar industry.

Solar courses are courses focusing on training hard-working professionals from various industries to understand how solar works, install solar systems, sell pv solar systems, and research solar technology. Solar courses are extremely rewarding. They inspire individuals to protect the earth through sustainable energy resources, help homeowners manage large electricity bills, and alleviate the demand for energy.

While taking a solar course, students learn what a solar panel is, how to set up a solar system, solar-lighting options, solar-thermal water heating (pools and hot water), and more. Throughout the course, students receive hands-on training to perform tasks required upon graduation. By the end of the solar course, students are qualified in installation, construction, design, business-management, sales, or marketing.

Taking advantage of current technology, courses are offered both in the classroom and online. The courses vary in length, some, like Rich Hessler's Solar Sales Training, lasts 2 days while others, like Mira Costa College's Solar Installation Course, lasts one week. 

Solar courses are being taken by both young individuals desiring a career in solar and seasoned professionals of other fields, wanting to change career paths to a new, blooming industry.

If you are interested in solar, taking a course is typically the easiest way into the industry. Do your research online or consult an individual in the field.

Solar is a blooming industry. With energy prices destined to increase as supplies continue to diminish, solar will only become more economically feasible and demanded.

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Solar Sales Training

  • Discover the 18 questions you must ask before presenting solar
  • Quickly create solar estimates
  • Confidently explain the math behind the financial benefits of solar
  • Give a killer solar sales presentation
  • Uncover the top 5 reasons homeowners buy solar
  • Samurai objection handling techniques
  • 21 solar technical terms to learn
  • Solar sales kit check list
  • Calculations provided in Excel
  • Customizable PowerPoint presentation

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Solar Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Act - Colorado Solar Industry

Senator Mark Udall from Colorado revealed the Solar Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Act yesterday (March 18, 2010). The SUN Act allows residents who invest in solar system projects for their communities to receive the same 30% tax credit as homeowners. This provides an excellent incentive for communities around Colorado to invest in renewable energy systems to power their communities.

This will increase the demand for solar in Colorado, bringing solar jobs when they are needed most. In addition, Senator Udall hopes that it will push Colorado to set the solar standard for the country.

Just like the 30% solar tax credit for homeowners, the SUN Act has no limit and expires in 2016. With the implementation of solar credits, state and federal governments are hoping to decrease the cost of photovoltaic solar systems (so the tax credit is no longer needed). This will usher in a new era of abundant, renewable energy to power a renewable economy.

This should be the break that communities are waiting for. Why would you wait for energy prices to go up when you can get 30% off a solar system? It provides a steady flow of electricity, protects communities from blackouts, protects from rising energy prices, and provides a stable return on investment. Where else can you find an investment that is as secure as the sun rising in the morning?

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Typical Online PV Solar Classes

The development of the new, lucrative solar industry excites the minds of entrepreneurs. In order to thrust their ideas forward, entrepreneurs need an educated workforce. Many organizations have stepped up to the challenge by providing quality solar installation classes, but few solar classes provide practical sales experience required for the solar industry.

A typical solar class covers:

  • Art and understanding of energy independence through
    • Solar
    • Wind
    • Hydro
  • Solar fundamentals
    • What electricity is
    • How solar panels produce electricity
  • Solar equipment
    • Solar panels
    • Inverters
    • Wiring
  • Solar system design
    • Shading
    • Arrangement of panels
    • Wiring
    • azimuth
  • Solar system installation
  • Solar system monitoring
    • Locating electricity-production errors
    • Finding a defective panel
    • When to replace an inverter
  • Solar system repairs

Why is it important to provide quality solar sales classes? Many solar sales professionals do not fully understand what they need to sell solar: reading an electric bill, determining the amount of electricity a solar system needs to produce, pricing a system, and factoring in rebates, determining return on investment.

Worst of all, many solar sales professionals cannot explain this information to a homeowner (which is vital to making a solar sale). This is why solar sales classes and training are vital. One company, Rich Hessler Solar, provides a course that emphasizes selling a system to solar prospects. The solar class teaches the fundamentals of solar, how to price a system with rebates (and includes a FREE Excel solar calculator), how to present solar (with a FREE customizable presentation), how to handle common objections in the presentation, and to close the deal.

When choosing a solar class, be certain to choose a class that provides both practical experience and background knowledge.

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Test

Renewable Energy - Replenishable Energy of the Future

Renewable energy is created by natural resources that are regenerable or replenishable. This means that after energy is consumed, natural processes regenerate the source. These resources include sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal, biofuels, and more.

Unlike fossil fuels, these resources will not run out and produce little waste. Here is an overview of how humans harness sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal, and biofuels.

Sunlight:

  • Photovoltaics - converting sunlight directly into electricity
  • Solar Thermal - using sunlight to heat up water/oil. The hot water is used in homes and hot water/hot oil are used to spin a turbine to generate electricity.

Wind:

  • Turbines - spinning turbines generate electricity

Rain:

  • Dams - rain collects into rivers to return to the ocean. Dams harness the "downward" movement of water to spin turbines to generate electricity. Someday, water might be pump behind a dam during the day (and maximum photovoltaic electricity production) to be used to generate electricity at night.

Tides:

  • The movement of tides can be harnessed to generate electricity. Since the tide is almost always moving in or out, electricity production is consistent.

Geothermal:

  • Heating - water warmed by geothermal resources is circulated in floors and walls, providing home heating.
  • Electricity Generation - hot water can be used to spin a turbine and generate electricity.

Biofuels:

  • Algae - nutrients, algae, and sunlight are combined to produce different types of fuels. Unlike the fuels underneath the earth, fuel produced by algae is renewable and removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
  • Corn - Corn is converted into ethanol, which is used to power cars and generate electricity.

We all know that renewable energy is the future of our civilization. Someday, fossil fuels will run out and force us to adopt renewable energy. Right now, renewable energy is supported (to a very small extend) by governments worldwide. With government rebates, it is economically feasible to switch to photovoltaic for electricity production. If you want to discover how photovoltaics are economically feasible, sign up for this free photovoltaic webinar.

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