How to Start a Solar Career

Here’s how you can get the training you need to become a solar installer or technician.

By Linda Pinkham
February/March 2010

Solar installer
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Train to be a solar installer through organizations such as Solar Energy International.
SOLAR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL
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I’m thinking about a career as a solar installer or technician. Where can I go to get training?

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Jason Casey
Denver, Colorado

Despite a sluggish economy and a serious slow-down in the construction industry, solar installers and technicians are in short supply in some regions. This is a great career choice!

Some states have particular licensing requirements, such as participating in a solar apprenticeship program, so you should start by checking out what’s required in your state. It’s possible to get into the industry simply by working with an established solar energy installer, but you can make your application more attractive to potential employers by acquiring a basic education in solar energy.

A number of renewable energy training programs have recently sprung up across the country in the private sector, and at universities and community colleges as well. While many excellent programs are available, two are noteworthy because they have been around for more than a decade, successfully training many of the renewable energy entrepreneurs in business today. These two successful models should be the standard against which you compare any other solar education programs you’re considering closer to home.

Solar Energy International (SEI) has been teaching the basics of solar energy since 1991 through hands-on and online workshops held year-round nationally and internationally. You can find a list of these workshops on SEI’s website. SEI’s workshops provide the basic training you will need to take the entry-level exam in solar electricity offered by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

The key advantage to SEI’s respected programs is that you can fast-track your career by taking as little as two weeks of intense workshops — sort of a crash course in solar energy, which is best followed by some supervised hands-on experience.

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