2018 Schedule | Athens, Ohio

Athens, OH workshops are still in development for 2018.
Check the public calendar for time and dates.

Workshop Descriptions

1-Day Comprehensive Overview of Solar Electric (PV) — Blue Rock Station (learn more here)

“You have heard about solar electricity. Perhaps you have even explored putting solar panels on your home. Or your boss wants to know if solar power will work for your company use competition. Or you are an architect or engineer and your clients are beginning to ask questions that you don’t have the answers for (and also you need continuing education hours to renew your license). Or perhaps you are thinking of taking the 5-day certification course but are not quite sure you want to commit the time and money to make that happen. Then this one-day introduction to solar electricity may be just the course you are looking for.

This workshop is a slimmed down version of our complete 5-day course that leads to ETA certification in PV. As such, if you take this course and then later decide to pursue the full certification course, we will apply the registration fee of this class to the certification class if and when you sign up (so we will deduct the $100 fee from the longer class registration fee).”

5-Day Solar Electric (PV) Certification Workshops — Blue Rock Station (learn more here)

Want to learn how to install solar? Maybe you even want to become certified to work in the solar field. Now you can spend just five days of training (4 1/2 classroom instruction and 1/2 day taking the certification test) in a location near you – to realize your goal. We have quite a selection of courses set for 2016 – located across the state (and even in Pennsylvania and Indiana).

A recent study shows that Solar jobs are growing at a rate 10 times the national average – and that PV installers average starting salaries are in the $20-24 per hour range (about $40,000 – $48,000 per year).

ETA Examination fees (normally $150) and course materials (installation toolkit and student workbook – also valued at around $150) are included as part of the course fee.

The course will consist of lectures (about 60%) as well as hands-on labs (also about 40%). You will work with a working PV system, dismantling and reinstalling it, troubleshooting and ensuring its proper operation. During the course you will learn to size your system according to your electrical needs, select the type of system that works best for your situation, select all the components for your system, size the wiring and over-current protection, price the system, size and select the battery bank (if needed) – basically, when you leave you will be able to design from start to finish a residential solar PV system and install it as well. This is an introductory course. We assume you have little or no background in electrical work. And while there is some math involved, it is basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Registration is limited to 10 students. The fee for this one-week course is $970 and includes: Instruction, hands-on labs, textbook and lab material, installation tool kit, ETA examination, and (in most cases) lunch. This course is also eligible for VA and AmeriCorps funding.

Scholarships may also be available based on need.

DIY Solar Generator Workshops — Blue Rock Station (learn more here)

Use your generator to…

run your furnace fan and thermostat – giving you whole-house gas heat even when there is no electricity
connect to your refrigerator and/or freezer to keep your food from spoiling.
plug in a power strip and power lights, your computer, your television or whatever you wish to stay just a bit more comfortable during an extended outage
or use the generator for camping (even at sites that prohibit generators, as this one makes no noise and does not burn fossil fuels)

If you search online, you will find them ranging in price from $600 (for small units) to several thousand dollars for larger units. We will teach you how to make your own generator for a fraction of the cost (from as low as $250).

In partnership with