Greenville Tech offers solar and geothermal education
November 22, 2011
GREENVILLE, SC – November 22, 2011 – Greenville Technical College is one of three Solar Training Centers inthe South Carolina State Technical College system, with funding providedin part by a grant from the S.C. Department of Energy.
Classes in photovoltaic and thermal solar application may be taken for college credit through a certificate program offered by the Construction Engineering Technology program or as professional development through the college’s Corporate and Career Development Division.
The advantage of this combined approach between curriculum and continuing education is that students just beginning their professional careers have the opportunity to learn beside seasoned professionals who already have years of work experience and understand what it takes to be successful in the construction industry. Professionals who do not want to enroll in a two-year degree program can take the classes for continuing education credit and can choose only courses of interest.
This fall, the Solar Training Center obtained approval from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) to become a registered NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam Provider. Designed to raise industry standards and promote consumer confidence, NABCEP offers certification and certificate programs to renewable energy professionals throughout North America and is considered the gold standard for PV and solar thermal installation certification. There are currently 280 providers of the Entry Level Exam and more than 10,000 students nationwide who have passed this important step toward certification.
The SC Department of Education recently filmed Greenville Tech’s SOL 220 Solar Photovoltaic Design and Installation class for a piece they are producing intended to generate interest in solar technology careers among high school and middle school students.
Greenville Tech is also a Geothermal Training Center, one of two in the SC State Technical College System and also funded in part by a grant from the S.C. Department of Energy. The center is accredited by the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA), a non-profit organization established in 1987 to advance geothermal heat pump technology on local, state, national, and international levels.
The center will hold its first Geothermal IGSHPA/NATE Certified Installer Training class on December 14-16, 2011. This three-day comprehensive installation workshop is designed for geothermal distributors, dealers, installers, HVAC contractors, trenching/drilling contractors, and other building professionals who want to expand their business opportunities by learning more about geothermal technology. The cost for this class is $995 per person, which includes a complete set of IGSHPA training manuals and a three-year IGSHPA Installer Membership.
