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Solar Living Institute News
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Vol. VI, No. 5
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May
29.2008
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Summer is on its way, and so is a season of fun-filled sustainable living
education!
This issue is focused on upcoming inspirational educational
opportunities. Read about a special series on solar business taking
place in Sacramento this weekend, and a variety of workshops covering
topics ranging from mycoremediation to building with bamboo to PV design and installation.
If you'd like to request a copy of our recently published summer/fall
workshop catalog, please email your mailing address to
sli@solarliving.org.
We also bring you a book review from our online
bookstore, and a 10% sale on all
books until Summer Solstice.
Last but certainly not least, SolFest
2008 takes place on August 16-17 and tickets are now available
online, so be sure to order them soon!
We hope to see you at an upcoming event.
For the future,
Lindsay Dailey
Executive Director
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SLI
Workshops
Not sure yet where to take your summer vacation?
Consider a Solar Living workshop for summer fun!
With over 300 workshop days offered in 2008,
there's something for everyone. We are offering a variety of workshops in
Southern California in both
Los Angeles and San Diego, and
internationally in Tlaxcala, Mexico.
We continue to offer workshops in Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, in Hopland at the Solar
Living Center and other locations.
Select a topic below for a listing of
workshops in an area of interest to you:
Register now for the workshop of your choice; our workshop
catalog has mailed, and workshops will sell out!
Check out our complete 2008
workshop schedule
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 30th
Annual Harmony Festival!!
Join the Solar Living Institute in
the Eco-Village of the 30th annual Harmony Festival, this June 6,7 and 8, in Santa
Rosa, California.
For many years now, the SLI has helped bring education and knowledge to
the festival, and we will be there all weekend, powering the village with
our solar trailer, and leading workshops with our instructors Massey
Burke, Mia Paltz, Aureliano
Davila and more.
The Harmony Festival is an incredible three days of music, art,
ecology, healthy living and spirituality. There will be world-class
musical entertainment on several stages running both day and night,
including the Mickey Hart Band featuring Steve Kimock
and Gearge Porter Jr., George Clinton and
Parliament-Funkadelic, Damian Marley, Paula
Cole, Angelique Kidjo, Arrested Development and
many many more. Speakers will include
Danny Glover, Greg Palast and others, and there
will be 350 vendors, a culinary expo, healing sanctuary, kids magical playground and much much
more.
For more information on the lineup, ticket ordering information, camping
and other details, go to www.HarmonyFestival.com.
See you there!
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 SolFest XIII
Solfest Tickets Available NOW!
More fun than
a winning lottery ticket...more powerful
than a pair of loaded dice!
We're rapidly
pulling together another amazing lineup of speakers, workshops, and
musical entertainment for the 13th Annual SolFest,
the greatest show on earth, August 16-17.
Come hear fabulous speakers like Ed Begley, Paul Stamets and many more. Enjoy the music of New
Monsoon and others. Check our website www.solfest.org over the
next couple weeks for the full lineup.
We're excited to be working with In Ticketing again this year, one tree is planted for each ticket
purchased! Your trees will be planted in worldwide tree planting projects
that help restore devastated forests in developing nations. Buy your SOLFEST
tickets now at www.inticketing.com.
We're a family friendly event that welcomes you to bring your children,
under age 14, for free. Please remember your furry family members, dogs, cannot
attend.
We can always use volunteers. If you're able to contribute time
and energy rather than traditional currency please contact us.
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 Featured
Workshops: Andy Black & Tyson Grul
Join Andy Black, renowned Solar Financial Analysis, Sales
Consultant and owner of OnGrid Solar Energy
Systems, and Tyson Grul, leading salesperson
for Marin Solar, as they share tips and secrets from years of experience
financing and selling solar systems.
Make the most accurate and compelling financial case possible for the
value of PV systems, and maximize sales effectiveness and marketing
opportunities. You will receive interactive and take-home examples of the
processes and tools that Andy has developed and successfully used for 6+
years. The strategic insights you'll glean from these courses will save
and/or earn you thousands in avoided mistakes and increased sales. Both
of these classes also qualify for NABCEP continuing education credit!
Sacramento, June 4 9am-5pm:
PV 920: Solar Sales &
Marketing
Sacramento, June 5 9am-5pm:
PV 912: Economics of Solar
Making the Financial Case
Sacramento, June 6 9am-5pm:
PV 913: Commercial Solar
Economics & Financing
Space is limited, call 707-744-2017 or visit www.solarliving.org today
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 Burning
Man Sculptures!
Crude Awakening at the Solar Living Center
Daniel Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, original
creators of the 8 amazing Crude Awakening sculptures that graced Burning
Man 2007, have relocated "Eileen" and "Kneela"
to the Real Goods Solar Living Center in Hopland where they are happily
enjoying the sunshine and renewable energy on site out of their dark
warehouse in Oakland.
Karen and Dan conceived of the piece over a 3 month trip in India and Nepal, where they were struck
by the great religious diversity and how it juxtaposed with the current
state of worshipful dependence we Americans currently have on oil.
"It was as if oil and the lust for its uses had taken over what is
left of religion. We wanted to make a statement about that relationship
and what would come next - nature and a newfound connection for a
sustainable future," says artist Das Mann.
The massive sculptures were built by a team of over 180 volunteer artists
over the course of 2 years, each with their own specialty collaborating
to build it. All materials used in figures are salvaged (pulled from
waste stream prior to recycling.)
Come visit Hopland to see these wondrous works of art, and to support the
arts in Northern Cali and help bring more living art to the Solar Living Center!
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 Featured Book:
Careers in Renewable Energy
Author, Gregory McNamee (2008) has compiled a resource book full of
information to put you on your path to a green energy job.
Energy produced by solar, wind and hydro; green building and green
transportation are just some of the topics in eleven chapters of
renewable energy job opportunities. Every chapter comes complete
with a job description, skill-sets required, range of employee-type
needed, the education necessary and where to study, a typical job
posting, and average salaries earned for that specific field.
Included is a practical list of related resources and associations in the
renewable energy field keeping names and numbers handy. For
example: the Solar Living Institute is mentioned for those seeking
a workshop or hands-on experience in Solar Energy.
This book is a helpful guide in planning your strategy to get the green job
that's right for you. Order now and discover
how green energy can be a part of your future.
Check out the rest of our titles in these categories:
Order by June 21, Summer
Solstice, and receive 10% off all book titles with coupon code SUMMER.
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 Make a Donation to
Support the planet!
We work hard to improve our future one
person at a time, but we need your help to continue this valuable work!
For every dollar you are able to contribute, we will be able to
increase our programs in defense of the earth. Here are the kinds
of things your contribution will support:
- Creating Green Economic
Opportunities
Since early September, the Solar Living Institute has provided
solar installation training to 75 low-income urban youth in the City of
Richmond, California. With one of the highest violence rates in the
country and a polluting oil refinery in their backyard, residents of Richmond have historically faced high
unemployment rates. Most of our graduates are working now, and over a
dozen are working full-time as solar installers!
- Environmental Education for Kids
The SLI
continues to be a magnet for thousands of children annually who come to
our site to learn about solar power, natural building and more.
This year we also have a program to take our education directly into
classrooms, so that all children will have the opportunity to learn about
the technologies and ideas of tomorrow.
We are one of the only training and educational
facilities in the US
providing these kinds of practical, approaches to solving our collective
crisis.
You can make
a difference by becoming a Partner of the Solar
Living Institute for $35, $50, $75, $100 or
more. For then many of you who are already partners, consider
making a gift of a partnership to a friend, colleague or loved one.
Your support
is vital to ensuring that our organization can thrive and rise to the
challenge of our mission -- to promote sustainable living through inspirational
environmental education.
Thank you for your support!
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Updates from the SLC
Solar-powered Carousel:
The Carousel opened on Saturday May 24th, 2008 and will continue through
September 8th, 2008.
Please purchase your ticket in the store prior to the ride times; each
ride costs $1.
Bring your ticket to the ride operator in order to gain entrance to the
carousel. Rides last approximately 10 minutes.
Weekday Mon-Thurs:
12 noon Carousel ride
12:15pm Carousel ride
Weekend Fri-Sun:
10:30am Carousel ride
10:45am Carousel ride
1:30pm Carousel ride
1:45pm Carousel ride
4:30pm Carousel ride
4:45pm Carousel ride
Bio-diesel:
The biodiesel purchase point is now located in the Real Goods Store.
The fuel is B100 & is produced from 100% recycled vegetable oil
supplied by Yokayo Biofuels.
Biodiesel may be purchased during summer store hours: 
Mon - Sat
10:00am - 7:00pm
Sun
10:00am - 6:00pm
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