Solar Technicians Trained at Truckee Meadows Community College Will Help Advance U.S. Solar Energy
By Truckee Meadows Community College
At the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, near Lake Tahoe, Reno is home to the solar energetic Truckee Meadows Community College.
State-of-the-art curriculum developed by national experts, together with a growing need for technicians trained in renewable energy is powering the growth of a robust solar technology program at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC). The TMCC is a partnering institution under the Rocky Mountain Solar Training Program (RMSTP), one of nine Regional Training Providers in the Solar Instructor Training Network.
“Students are involved in becoming the researchers and engineers of tomorrow as technologies are developing,” said Scott Walker, Energy Technologies Instructor at TMCC.
An outdoor training facility is being constructed at TMCC’s Redfield Center as part of the Rocky Mountain Solar Training Program grant’s third year expansion. Grant funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.
“TMCC’s new outdoor lab will be designed to give students a more hands-on installation and troubleshooting training experience,” Walker said.
Solar energy programs at TMCC are:
- Energy Technologies Degree – Associate of Applied Science, Solar Energy Emphasis
- Solar Energy Technician Skills Certificate
All solar instructors at TMCC have received extensive training themselves in solar PV design, installation and maintenance through the grant funded train-the-trainer program.
Curriculum at TMCC meets guidelines of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. (NABCEP). “Our program materials are aligned with standards of the NABCEP, an independent group that has created the standards for workers in renewable energy,” Walker said.
Graduates of these programs work with solar energy systems on three levels; residential, commercial and at the utilities scale.
“In the solar industry, we need organizations that take initiatives and know how to make things happen,” said Elias Bishop, training and project manager, RMSTP. “Truckee Meadows Community College has been great to work with because they are one of these organizations. TMCC’s professionalism, resourcefulness, and ability to network is a significant part to the RMSTP’s solar training of numerous professionals from across the State of Nevada.
Nevada is a superb environment for solar power generation
Most of the expansion in solar applications in the state has been with utility scale solar power plants, government buildings such as Washoe County School District and the Nevada National Guard, and non-profit organizations such as the SPCA of Northern Nevada.
“In Nevada, we’re rapidly building utility scale installations and they will need technicians to run these plants,” Walker said. “The Western United States has excellent solar resources, with minimal power production interference due to clouds and inclement weather.
“Nevada is ranked number two in solar electricity capacity per capita,” according to the Governor’s Office of Energy “State of Nevada 2015 Status of Energy” report.
For more information about TMCC’s Energy Technologies programs, including the associate degree and skills certificate, call 775-856-5300.
Image: TMCC
Solar technicians trained at Truckee Meadows Community College will help advance U.S. solar energy.
At the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, near Lake Tahoe, Reno is home to the solar energetic Truckee Meadows Community College.
State-of-the-art curriculum developed by national experts, together with a growing need for technicians trained in renewable energy is powering the growth of a robust solar technology program at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC).
“Students are involved in becoming the researchers and engineers of tomorrow as technologies
are developing,” said Scott Walker, Energy Technologies Instructor at TMCC.
An outdoor training facility is being constructed at TMCC’s Redfield Center as part of the Rocky Mountain Solar Training Program grant’s third year expansion. Grant funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.
“TMCC’s new outdoor lab will be designed to give students a more hands-on installation and
troubleshooting training experience,” Walker said.
Solar energy programs at TMCC are:
- Energy Technologies Degree – Associate of Applied Science, Solar Energy Emphasis
- Solar Energy Technician Skills Certificate
All solar instructors at TMCC have received extensive training themselves in Solar PV design, installation and maintenance through the grant funded train-the-trainer program.
Curriculum at TMCC meets guidelines of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. (NABCEP) “Our program materials are aligned with standards of the NABCEP, an independent group that has created the standards for workers in renewable energy,” Walker said.
Graduates of these programs work with solar energy systems on three levels; residential, commercial and at the utilities scale.
Nevada is a superb environment for solar power generation
Most of the expansion in solar applications in the state has been with utility scale solar power plants, government buildings such as Washoe County School District and the Nevada National Guard, and non-profit organizations such as the SPCA of Northern Nevada.
“In Nevada, we’re rapidly building utility scale installations and they will need technicians to run these plants,” Walker said. “The Western United States has excellent solar resources, with minimal power production interference due to clouds and inclement weather.”
“Nevada is ranked number two in solar electricity capacity per capita,” according to the
Governor’s Office of Energy “State of Nevada 2015 Status of Energy” report.
For more information about the Energy Technologies programs, including the associate degree and skills certificate, please call 775-856-5300
In the solar industry we need organizations that take initiatives and know how to make things happen. Truckee Meadows Community College has been great to work with because they are one of these organizations. TMCC’s professionalism, resourcefulness, and ability to network is a significant part to the RMSTP’s solar training of numerous professionals from across the State of Nevada.
