Over the course of only six days, students who enroll in the Solar Photovoltaic Training Series at Pellissippi State Community College will be prepared to enter the growing field of solar design and installation. Those who complete the classes also will be eligible to take the optional North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners exam.
The field of solar photovoltaics—the conversion of solar systems to electricity—is a growing one. J. K. Inabinet, P.E., an electrical engineer who designed and teaches Solar Photovoltaics for Pellissippi State, says he is seeing rapid change in the industry.
“We’re on the leading edge of a large upswing in solar energy,” he said. “I foresee a lot of companies hiring. People who get the training now will position themselves for those earliest job openings. One student who took the series already got a job offer in Nashville and is doing really well in his new career.”
Inabinet says that no specialized knowledge is required to take the classes. Basic, high-school-level math is reviewed in one four-hour session, while the basics of electricity and electronics are covered in another four-hour segment.
Students spend the next five days acquiring the skills needed for design and installation of photovoltaic systems. The math and electricity classes are prerequisites for the design and installation coursework.
Here are the sessions offered this spring:
- “Math for Solar”—March 7 or April 4, 8-noon
- “Basic Electricity and Electronics for Solar”—March 7 or April 4, 1-5 p.m.
- “Photovoltaic System Design and Installation”—March 8-12 or April 5-9, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The 48-hour series offers a total of 4.8 CEUs (continuing education units). The fee for each four-hour review class is $99, and the fee for the 40-hour design and installation class is $799. There is an additional fee of $125 for the optional NABCEP exam.
For information on this or additional courses offered through Pellissippi State’s Business and Community Services, visit www.pstcc.edu/bcs or call (865) 539-7167.