State Approves First Solar School In Arizona

Jan. 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Millions of federal, state, and city renewable energy tax incentives and rebates have opened the flood gates for careers in solar energy, but for Arizona workers, formal training has been limited, until now.  This week, the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education approved eRenewable Resource Group, as the first private post secondary renewable energy school in the State. eRenewable recent collaboration with Advanced Resource Group (ARG), a full service staffing company headquartered in Phoenix, will provide graduates with career assistance.

The new license allows eRenewable to expand their current North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) approved classroom curriculum, required for the nationally recognized Solar PV Installer Certification.

“Last year I worked with construction and electrical professionals interested in the solar industry but lacked formal solar education, I was shocked that Arizona did not have any NABCEP approved programs. Students who wanted formal classroom training had to travel to California or Colorado,” explained eRenewable Resource Group founder and CEO, Donna Marie Bertault, “Arizona’s rapid growth in renewable energies combined with the need for qualified solar installers, motivated us to develop our programs based on nationally recognized NABCEP certification.”

NABCEP certification is a voluntary program in Arizona, but a prerequisite for Utah’s solar contractor license and a rebate requirement in Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Currently, there are only 22 NABCEP certified solar installers in Arizona.

In May, eRenewable partnered with Rio Salado College and began offering, PV100 Solar Design & Installation, a five day intensive class. Since then, 125 students have participated.  

“The PV 100 course is taught in such a way that is easy to understand and easy to relay back to your customers as well as your crew members back at the yard. The class touches on the basics of electricity which is great for newcomers or people from other industries breaking into the ever emerging world of Solar Photovoltaics,” said Adam Scott, Manager of Construction Training at American Solar Electric, Inc.

This week 20 American Solar employees are taking the PV 100 course and learning the technical skills and core concepts necessary to design and safely install residential and commercial PV solar-electric systems. They also learn design criteria for off-grid stand-alone systems. Students who pass the class qualify for NABCEP Entry Level Certificate of Knowledge Exam.

eRenewables’ PV202: Advanced Solar Design & Compliance class is designed for solar professionals interested in advancing their National Electric Code (NEC) knowledge. PV 200 participants evaluate system performance under various operating conditions. The class consists of six days of classroom lecture with tours of working systems.

Registration is under way for the next PV100 course begins February 15th. For additional information, fees, and registration visit www.erenewableresource.com or call (480) 446-0400.

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eRenewable Resource Group, is the first private post secondary renewable energy school in Arizona to offer hands on North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) approved curriculum to individuals interested in the solar energy field.