Solar
Train Green provides renewable energy and building science training in Denver, Colorado and along the Colorado front range. Our Instructors are experts in green building and renewable energy technologies and installation.
Courses are offered in Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs. On-site classes can be customized to your particular needs.
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Solar Courses:
ECOnomics of Green – Sales & Marketing Your Green Products & Projects
One-Day- October 9, 2009
How do you estimate the value of sustainable building practices and sell them to your customers?
Learn the value of Green! Payback, ROI, MIRR, Lifetime Cost, Perceived Value vs. Appraised Value, Financing & Lending, Resale Value and practical insight using case studies.
The afternoon session covers sales and marketing of your green products and projects. Topics covered include basic marketing and the solar and renewable energy segments, promotion strategies, lead generation & marketing tools, setting up & running a sales team, screening leads & qualifying your buyer, the sales process from presenting to closing and more. Come with your specific questions and learn to close the deal.
Instructors: Adam Stenftenagel & Stu Galvis
Basic Photovoltaic Design & Installation
6-days – November 2-7, 2009; January 4-9, 2010
This intensive 6-day class will prepare you with the skills needed to install a basic residential or commercial PV system.
Topics include system design, cost analysis & estimation, rooftop v. ground mount considerations and installation, economic and financial guidelines, evaluating the Client Site & Requirements.
The class consists of 60% classroom lecture and 40% hands-on labs.
Our Certified Instructors will review solar-electric system design and installation as well as the critical safety procedures involved. The class is optimized for home builders, electrical engineers, licensed or journeyman electricians, general contractors, and other home-imporvement contractors who are interested in adding solar solutions to their existing building offerings.
Our hands-on labs cover the common steps of a new system design as well as an existing residentail or commercial electric retrofit, Students will connect equipment and install solar panels on racking systems. Subjects include working with DC disconnects, inverters, ACD disconnects, as well as load center/ service panels required for connection to the local utility company. Methodology for tPV financial estimation and system design, sizing and placement will be covered using a combination of hands-on tools and exercises.
Upon completion of the course, as an option, students may take the NABCEP entry-level PV certification exam. For more information see the NABCEP’s website, www.nabcep.org.
The cost of the exam is not included in tuition.
Prerequisites: A basic understanding of electrical components and systems including familiarity with DC volts and AC wiring.
Course Outline:
Safe & Proper Installaion of PV systems meeting mechanical & electrical standards
How to conduct site surveys for porspective locations using multiple techniques
Analysis & review of current Vendor Systems selection
Assessment of equipment for both existing & nerw installations
Understanding basic electrical regulations pertaining to PV
How the NEC regulates the PV Industry & the role this governing body plays
Working on and installing both ground mount & roof mount systems
Trouble Shooting techniques on existing systems
Course Cost Includes:
Support Documentation including PV Basics and Design Book
Class Handouts
Vendor Product & Contact Information for Equipment Utliized
Knowledge Transfer from Certified Instructor
Actual Installation Experience on real world active systems with Instructor Q&A
Numerous reference materials
Advanced PV
5-days – November 9-13, 2009; January 11-15, 2010
This course expands upon the Basic PV Design and Installtion Course, focusing on the National Electric Code (Tuition includes a current NEC Code Book). The curriculum includes grid interface calculations, grounding considerations and wire sizing. Participants evaluate system performance under various operating conditions. Commercial system design elements, including inter-row shading, inverter selection and data monitoring solutions are covered. Instructor lectures are combined with system design exercises. There is NO significant hands-on component. This Instructor-Led workshop consists of 5-days of classroom lecture combined with student exercises and participation.
Prerequisite: Participants must have completed the Basic PV Design & Installation course or have Instructor permission. This workshop fulfills the educational requirements for Category “B” of the NABCEP’s Solar Installer Certification. This course also helps you prepare for the NABCEP PV Entry Level “Certificatte of Knowledge” exam. For exam information see: www.nabcep.org.
You will complete 32.5 cumulative hours of training that may be used toward NABCEP certification.
Students will learn to:
Evaluate grid-tied system production
Perform a commercial site evaluation for a grid-tied system
Perform NEC service panel bus bar calculations
Calculate and diagram appropriate series fusing
Determine NEC required workspace clearances
Size appropriate disconnects and overcurrent protection
Calculate spacing between modules to eliminate inter-row shading
Perform uplift force and lag bolt strength claculations
Evaluate different commercially available data monitoring options
Identify all required NEC labeling for solar-electric systems
Size grounding wires and grounding electrode conductors to NEC standards
Draw a three-line diagram of a residential grid-tied system and residential battery-based system
List the pros and cons of AC coupled and DC coupled systems
Identify the sizing considerations for stand-alone systems
Perform sizing calculations for a battery-based system
Calculate maximum charge rates for batteries.
Solar Hot Water
4-days – October 20-23, 2009; February 2-5, 2010
Students will learn the theory & design considerations and hands-on techniques necessary to install and maintain solar domestic hot water systems. Passive solar water heaters, drain-back and closed loop antifreeze systems, photovoltaic powered systems are discussed in this well-rounded course. An introduction to pool heating and space heating systems will also be discussed. Safety considerations, code compliance, system sizing and solar collector performance are covered for a variety of climate zones and applications. Mounting strategies and maintenance are additional topics that will be covered.
This 4-day format includes 3-days of lectures and a one-day hands-on installation training.
This class will educate students on the different types of systems and help choose the best system in a variety of settings. Perfect for general and mechanical contractors who are looking to expand their current business model in this rapidly growing industry.
Solar & Radiant Heat Systems
3-days – October 19-21; February 11-13, 2010
This 3-day course provides the information you will need to design practical and efficient solar & radiant heating systems for efficient and cost-saving comfortable underfloor radiant heating.
This Course will cover Radiant Heating Basics & Construction Details and Solar Radiant System Designs.  It will not only cover Solar Fundamentals, but further your knowledge and introduce you to Collector Mounting, Heat Load Analysis, Sizing Collectors and Control Strategies, Installation Standards and Performance and Cost issues.
Perfect for General Contractors, Home Builders, Mechanical Contractors & Engineers and Entrepreneurs that want to expand their current business model.
