Solar School

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          SOLAR SCHOOL

        

 You don't have to go to school to learn the basics of a solar power system. Read about solar pv and solar hot water systems. Check out our page of FAQs and a list of important facts about solar energy and its feasibility from our friends at the Sierra Club in San Antonio.                                                                            

   Courses, Workshops Degrees & Certifications

The information provided is from a number of sources and is reliable but not guaranteed. We encourage you to research any educational opportunity in the renewable energy field. Requirements for certifications, degrees, local state and federal laws and utility specifications change and it's not always possible to post them on this website. The schools listed below post class schedules on their websites.

The Texas Green Jobs Guidebook looks at training and placement for more than 200 types of jobs in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Chart your career path and the training you will need to achieve your goals with the Solar Career Map, an interactive tool designed to assist persons interested in joining the solar energy workforce.

 

ACC Solar Installation

Texas Renewable Energy Education Consortium (TREEC) is a group of twelve Texas colleges committed to investigate, develop, and teach curricula in emerging renewable energy technologies and to meet the demand of the Texas workforce. The programs range from professional certificates to two-year degrees. Go to "Consortium" on the homepage for a list of the schools and contact information. Austin Community College has RESA, a strong student chapter of the American Solar Energy Society.

Eastfield Community College Mesquite, TX offers a Alternative/Sustainable Energy  associate degree and certificate program, established in 2011.

Western Texas College in Snyder has developed a curriculum for both wind and solar energy technologies.

Alternative Energy Institute  Canyon, TX   AEI's primary emphasis is wind energy with some research and education on solar energy. Their wind testing facilities are the major source of data on wind energy for the State of Texas as well as for landowners and wind project developers.
 

North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners-NABCEP  offers certifications and certificate programs to renewable energy professionals throughout North America. Their certification is recognized as the gold standard for renewable energy professionals. 

ImagineSolar  offers workshops and training in solar installation and design, technical sales and marketing, and encourages its students to become NABCEP certified. Based in Austin and serving Texas and surrounding states, it is the first licensed school in Texas dedicated to the solar and smart grid industries. Scholarships are available. See the calendar of workshops and note their Solar Business Professional Series offered in the Spring of 2012.
 
Ontility offers workshops and trainings in solar installation and design, technical sales, energy efficiency, EV charging, manufacturer workshops and encourages NABCEP certification. Their courses are offered in major cities in Texas and throughout North America. Scholarships are available. Check out their calendar of courses.
 
SolPower People  is a national solar photovoltaic training organization based in Texas,  dedicated to providing the highest quality solar training at a competitive price to the far corners of the country. They have just launched a FREE NABCEP Exam Prep "Massive Open Online Course", or MOOC, a more structured way of connecting people in a collaborative, guided course. It covers all sections of the JTA and provides more specific practice problems and answers, reading assignments, just like an online course, but with more student feedback.
 
Solar Energy International    Solar Energy International (SEI) is a  non-profit organization whose mission is to help others use renewable energy and environmental building technologies through education. They are the oldest (20 years) solar training organization in the country and also the largest, offering  courses in the US and abroad.
 
Boots on the Roof  provides Wind and Solar Energy training the United States, with the mission of training the next wave of Renewable Energy Contractors, Engineers, Architects, Sales Professionals and Business Entrepreneurs.
 
Solar Energy and Biofuels Lab- University of Texas, Austin  Research integrates thermal-fluid sciences with bio- and nano-technology, focusing on exploiting a wide range of renewable energy sources. In particular our group is interested in using solar energy to produce transportation fuels, electricity and sequester CO2. Check out Dr. Mack Grady's website for calculating kWh from solar panels for any tilt and azimuth angle. This is cool!


                        K-12  Solar Education and Teacher Guides

Many of the utility providers in Texas provide energy conservation and renewable energy programs to schools in their territories. Please contact your local utility to discover what is available!

Texas Solar For Schools   Since 2001, Texas State Energy Conservation Office's Texas Solar for Schools Program has supplied many small-scale solar energy systems and complimentary educational tools to school districts across the state. The schools save energy, thus save money on their electric bills, and the students learn first hand about renewable energy and energy conservation.  

Infinite Power of Texas Renewable Energy Educational Campaign Created specifically for Texas schools and incorporating TEKS requirements, these K-12 lesson plans were commissioned by the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO).

National Energy Education & Development Project  Created in 1980, NEED is made up of teachers, students, partners, and sponsors who are striving to make energy education a priority in the nation’s schools. 
 
TXU Solar Academy   TXU Energy has partnered with NEED  to implement their nationally recognized solar energy education program into Texas schools. www.txu.com/residential/Solar_Academy4.htm
 

The Solar Car Challenge was established in 1993 to motivate students in science and engineering. The Challenge, a part of The Winston School in Dallas, teaches high school students around the world how to build roadworthy solar cars.  

More resources are available at The Infinite Power of Texas and on the ASES Resources for Educators page.                                                                                                                                            

 

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