Forum: Do it yourself energy conservation; Solar PV training, Solar thermal training

Thursday, April 21st, 2011 7pm-9pm Wayne Conservation District Office in 648 Park Street, Honesdale PA 18431

Do it yourself energy conservation; Solar PV training, Solar thermal training

Well, Spring is here and SEEDS is busy doing what SEEDS does. Here are a few of the exciting things we’ve got lined up:

Free Educational Forum on Do It Yourself Energy Conservation
April 21, 7-9PM
at the Park Street Conservation Complex in Honesdale

If you came in February to our forum, you’ll remember that the folks at PPL got carried away with giving us so much good information about their energy efficiency programs, that Cyril Mansperger, local green-minded resident, never got to give his in-depth presentation on the simple things you can at home to become more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

In addition to Cyril’s talk, we will have an expert on hand to discuss possibilities for grants and funding for larger-scaled renewable energy projects you may want to do at your home, farm, or business.

As usual, there will be a free will offering, along with baked goods and refreshments.

Solar Thermal: Installation and Maintenance Training
May 6-9, $300

SEEDS will be offering a course on installing and maintaining a Solar Thermal system, in cooperation with the Wayne County Conservation office. The first two days will consist of classroom instruction; the final two days will be spent on-site installing a solar thermal system in a local home. Those interested should have some experience in plumbing, electricity, or HVAC.

The course will be taught by Chuck Marken, a New Mexico license plumber, electrician, and HVAC contractor. He has been installing and servicing solar thermal systems since 1979. Hundreds of hands on jobs include batch solar water heaters, thermosyphon systems, closed loop antifreeze systems, drainback systems, solar heating systems integrated into radiant floors, solar air collectors and solar pool heating systems. He is the Thermal Editor for Home Power Magazine. Chuck has taught solar heating and hot water workshops for Solar Energy International and throughout the US.

Registration is required and courses fill up quickly, so call or e-mail us as early as you can.

Solar PV Installation and Maintenance
June 3-5, $175

Roy Butler returns for our third Solar PV Installation and Maintenance Training. This course sells out quickly whenever we offer it, so please contact us early if you are interested in taking the course. Roy Butler is a NABCEP certified installer of Solar PV. His company is called Four Winds Renewable Energy.

The course will provide the participants with the basic knowledge of how to properly site, size, specify, install and maintain a residential PV system. The course is designed around the NABCEP Objectives and Task Analysis for the Solar Photovoltaic System Installer, the foundation document for the NABCEP PV Installer Certification program.