Solar Workshop Returns to Columbia
February 13, 2011
Nationally Recognized Solar Expert Returns to Columbia for Workshop
COLUMBIA, SC – February 11, 2011 – The person highly involved withwriting the photovoltaics (solar electricity) section of the NationalElectrical Code will be in Columbia, SC on May 3rd conducting a full-dayworkshop entitled “Photovoltaic Power Systems (Solar and the NationalElectrical Code)”. John Wiles is a Program Manager at the SouthwestTechnology Development Institute at New Mexico State University. Hehelps the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, electrical contractors,electrical inspectors, and PV professionals to understand the solar PVrequirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Mr. Wiles serves asSecretary for the PV Industry Forum, a task group involved with Article690 regarding solar of the NEC. Specifically, he drafted text forArticle 690 in the 2005 and 2008 NEC Handbooks.
The seminar is a result of the huge success of last year’s event hostedby the City of Columbia. Ryan Coleman with Columbia’s EconomicDevelopment Office agrees with solar installers that “bringing JohnWiles to South Carolina continues to be the most efficient way to bringthe state’s level of solar education up to where it needs to beinspectors and professionals in the building industry and to continue togrow the renewable energy segment of our state’s economy.”
The title sponsor for the event is Comfort Services/Lennox. Comfort isthe largest installer of Lennox heating and air conditioning systems inthe Midlands. Lennox is the only manufacturer of solar-assisted HVACsystems in the country, branded as SunSource. More SunSource units havebeen sold in Columbia, SC than in any other city in the US. The workshopwill provide six hours of continuing education credits to NABCEPphotovoltaic installers, seven hours to American Institute of Architects(AIA) members, seven hours for electrical inspectors through the SCChapter of the International Assn of Electrical Inspectors, andprofessional engineers will receive seven Professional DevelopmentHours. The state of SC is going to pay for all municipal inspectors thatare registered non-contract code enforcement officers. That wouldinclude: electrical, building, mechanical, plumbing, but not fire. Theinspectors need to print this registration form Meade at LLR: SCBuilding Codes Council as soon as possible.
“We are fast approaching what many are now referring to as the perfectsolar storm, when in only a few years, the cost of generatingelectricity through solar will not only equal, but will begin to dropbelow the traditional methods of electrical generation”, says ChrisSalmon, NABCEP certified solar installer and head of Comfort Services’Energy Solutions division, adding: “The solar industry is thus poised toexplode and this workshop is a great way to prepare regulators,inspectors, and others affected.”
John Wiles bought his first code book in 1960 and installed his first PVsystem in 1984. He lived in an off-grid, PV/wind-powered home(permitted and inspected, of course) with his wife Patti, two dogs, and acat for more than 16 years. His home currently has a 5 kWutility-interactive PV system will full-house battery backup. He has aMaster of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering.
The seminar, including lunch, will be held 8am to 5pm with sign-instarting at 7:30am on Tuesday May 3rd at the Columbia MetropolitanConvention Center and will cost $89 per person or $69 per person formore than one from the same organization or $59 for students with ID. A$10.00 early bird discount is available for those registering by April4, 2011. For more information and to register online for thepresentation, visit http://johnwiles.eventbrite.com/ or click here for a registration form you can mail in.
To download a tri-fold brochure, click here. For other questions, pleasecontact Mike Switzer, the workshop manager, at (803) 348-2236 or [email protected].
