Solar Living Institute News
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| Vol. VI, No. 9
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Aug 5.2008
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Greetings!
Lucky SolFest XIII is just around the corner on August
16-17, and the energy at the Solar Living Institute is beginning to
rise. Over the next ten days, hundreds of volunteers, former interns,
and our extended network of family, friends and supporters will pour
onto the site to make the magic happen.
Don't miss a world-class lineup of sustainable living education and
entertainment, now posted online. Attend one of over 75 workshops
that take place throughout the weekend, covering topics from carbon
sequestration to green investing.
The main stage will be graced by speakers including Ed Begley Jr., Paul
Stamets, Caroline Casey, Congressman Mike Thompson, and Kevin Danaher;
panelists will debate the future of solar, climate change policy, and
the strength of the green economy. Musical acts include New Monsoon,
Maria Muldaur, and Blane Lyon, and we'll gather under a full-moon on
Saturday night to groove to Albino and more.
Tickets are available for purchase from InTicketing
through our website (for each ticket purchased through InTicketing,
they will plant a tree.) And to reduce your carbon footprint and save a
few bucks on gas, don't forget to check out SolFest SpaceShare options for carpooling to the event this year!
You won't want to miss this inspiring event. If you are interested in
volunteering (benefits of which include free admission and onsite
camping!), we are still looking to fill a few last shifts; visit
www.solfest.org to sign up online.
We look forward to seeing you at SolFest on August 16-17!
In gratitude,
Lindsay Dailey
Executive Direct
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 SolFest XIII
Aug 16 & 17, 2008
All Things Green in Hopland, CA
- Workshops: Choose from over 75 workshops to learn about all things sustainable!
OR call 707-263-1510, email solfestvolts@deem.net or
contact intern volunteer staffing at 707-744-2017 x 2011 |
Pre-SolFest
Solar Industry Trainings
August 13-15
Ukiah, CA
Looking for a chance to get top quality
solar training directly from leading manufacturers and renowned instructors?
Don't miss our Pre-Solfest Solar Industry trainings with manufacturer trainings by
Outback, Enphase,
SMA, Unirac, Midnite,and Kaco and with solar business and technical training
courses by Andy Black, Bill Brooks, Jennie Ditto, and Jeff Spies.
These full day and half day trainings will
be held on August 13-15 in downtown Ukiah California
at the Ukiah Conference Center
offering a comfortable conference atmosphere for professional
development. And join us in the evenings for networking mixers to
talk shop and rub elbows.
For details or registration
click on the course title below or call the Solar
Living Institute at 707.744.2017
Wednesday August 13:
The Right Way to Sell Solar
(8am-12:30pm)
presented by Jennie Dito of Marin Solar
Launch and Grow Your Solar Business (8am-12pm)
presented by Jeff Spies of AEE Solar
Charge Controller and Off-Grid inverter Installation (1pm-5pm)
presented by Robin Gudgel of Midnite Solar
Grid-Tied Inverter Installation and Operation (1pm-5pm)
presented by Ralf Schulze of KACO Solar
Thursday August 14:
Solar Sales and Marketing
(9am-5pm)
presented by Andy Black of OnGrid Solar
Grid-Tied Residential System Design (8am-12pm)
presented by Greg Smith of SMA
Racking and Mounting for PV Installation (8am-12pm)
presented by Unirac
Grid-Interactive System Design and Installation (part 1) (1pm-5pm)
presented by Roy Dyngen of Outback Power Systems
Friday August 15:
Permitting and Inspecting Code-Compliant PV Systems (8:30am-4pm)
presented by Bill Brooks
Economics of Solar: Making the Financial Case (9am-5pm)
presented by Andy Black of OnGrid Solar
Grid-Interactive System Design and Installation (part 2) (8am-12pm)
presented by Roy Dyngen of Outback Power Systems
Micro Inverter Systems: Introduction and Installation (1pm-5pm)
presented by Jeff Laughy of Enphase Energy
NABCEP credit hours are
available for some trainings,
see course descriptions for details.
Special thanks to Outback Power Systems & Enphase Energy for
sponsoring these trainings!
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Three or More (15% off):
Register for 3 or more courses and receive 15% off your total.
Use this coupon when you register: threeormore123 |
 Renewing Urban Communities
Through Renewable Energy
The Solar Living Institute, a California-based non-profit that provides
renewable energy education, celebrated the installation of a 2kw system
on the EcoVillage Farm Learning Center in Richmond this past Monday.
While a 2kw system doesn't usually make the headlines, this situation
is unique-the PV system was installed by 18 young Richmond residents as
part of a job training program designed to connect marginalized urban
youth with meaningful "green collar" jobs in solar. The
Institute has offered renewable energy and sustainable living courses
since 1998, and reaches over 2,000 students a year. Students come from
around the country to attend classes throughout California to prepare
themselves for careers in solar installation, design, sales, and
project management. Read more from Renewable Energy World.
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 Urban Eco-Skills
Mary Contrary's Eco-Garden
Has the cold concrete of your city
dwelling made you dream of greener horizons? Has the open area on your rooftop
been screaming for some sprucing-up? Or perhaps you simply want to bring a
little more eco- into the consciousness of your neighborhood. Well, we have the
solution for your urban botanical undertakings! Our Ecological Urban Gardening
workshop on August 23 in San Francisco
will provide you with the knowledge you need to turn a small open spaces into a
beautiful city garden. Topics of discussion will include sustainable urban gardening options, such as
planters, rooftop boxes, community/school gardens, and much more. Our hands-on
portion will enable participants to practice the fine arts of pruning, site/soil analysis composting,
irrigation,
and of course, planting. San Francisco Botanical GardensPO 131 Ecological Urban Gardening Aug
23 9-5pm
Register by August
8th and receive $10 off
Enter Coupon Code: GreenThumb
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In recent months
there has been a spate of national news reports on the successful use of
mushrooms and other fungi to return an environment
(usually soil) contaminated by pollutants to a less contaminated state. This innovative and earth-friendly process,
called Myco-remediation will be the topic of a new SLI workshop on
Sunday August 24, in San Francisco.
It is definitely worth checking out. As an added bonus you will also learn home
mushroom cultivation techniques you can use to enjoy a savory, abundant harvest
in your own backyard. San Francisco Botanical Gardens
PO 121 Myco-remediation Aug 24 9-5pm
Register by August
8th and receive $10 off
Enter Coupon Code: Mushrooms
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 Meet the Summer 2008 Interns!
Thanks to all our newest interns for being
tremendous forces that help move the Institute forward every day with their
hard work and great attitudes!
Alison Doniger
A Bay Area native recently graduated from Oberlin College,
Alison is a phenomenal asset to our rapidly expanding workshop program. She is working hard to develop her knowledge
of all things sustainable!
Marcelo Jaramillo
A Florida-via-Santa
Cruz import to Hopland, Marcelo is yet another amazing addition to our workshop
program. He is an avid world traveler
that has settled at the Institute for a sabbatical to expand his knowledge on
renewable energy.
Lauren Cobb
Hailing from the Deep South,
Lauren and her delightful accent join us as a SolFest intern this summer. She has been taking in the full California experience in
her off time and has been working hard to make SolFest 2008 a memorable
experience!
Skyler Willman-Cole
Coming to us from PennState, Skyler is also working to make
SolFest 2008 the best event of the summer.
He brings a strong background of event coordination to the Institute,
including participation in Dance Marathon and Relay for Life.
Albert Johnson
From the outskirts of Joshua Tree National Park, Albert
brings many years of building experience to our site maintenance
internship. When he's not helping build
our new intern housing, he's sweating at his regular Bikram yoga class.
Rebecca Blanck-Weiss
Just off a plane from Costa Rica, Rebecca has been making
a huge difference with her work as a landscape intern this summer. She is a Bay Area native that isn't afraid to
jump into outdoor work and get her hands dirty!
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 Cow Poo Power
By Wendy Lyons
"Biogass facilities that turn manure into methane are popping up nationwide..."
In Texas' Erath County, the manure from 10,000 cows...is expected to produce enough pipeline-quality methane
to power 11,000 homes.
Read the complete article. |
 Post-SolFest PV
To accommodate the increased interest and demand for
more workshops about Photovoltaic Systems we have added two additional PV
classes here in Hopland, right after Solfest.
PV 101 Intro to Photovoltaics Aug 22-23 9-5pm
PV 102 Wire Your Own PV System Aug 24 9-5pm
Descriptions for all of our workshops can be found on our website: www.solarliving.org/workshops. Sign up now; these workshops will fill quickly.
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 Globalization Waning?
By Larry Rohter
"High fuel prices causing globalization to lose momentum"
It was unthinkable mere years ago, but globalization is starting to
lose momentum. High and holding fuel prices -- shipping a 40-foot
container from Shanghai to the U.S. will cost ya $5,000 more today than
a decade ago -- are making global supply chains look far less
attractive. Read the entire article. |
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