Solar Energy International

A nonprofit organization

We've trained over 80,000 people from 145 countries. SEI Alumni have designed, installed, commissioned, or maintained over 10% of the WORLD's installed solar PV. This is having a real impact on climate change, and we're just getting started.


OUR GOAL: SOLAR JOBS THAT COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

To reach this target, we must work together to create a safe, skilled, and equitable solar workforce. As a leader in technical solar training internationally, we see the urgent need to step up, scale, and transform our operations to significantly grow the global solar energy workforce in the next 30 years. That is why we have set the following big, audacious goals to honor the urgency of action needed to combat climate change.



Your Colorado Gives gift is vital in helping us reach these ambitious goals!



Testimonials


"In 2008 I took a chance, with no previous experience with electricity or power tools, and attended SEI's women's PV Design and Installation Course. Those two weeks of hands-on intense instruction and bonding with my classmates gave me the confidence and knowledge to pursue a career in the industry and changed the course of my life forever. Now, in 2016, I'm proud to say that I designed over 200 MW of PV Powered Solar Farms (covering over 500 acres). - Kyra Moore Holt, SEI Alumni/Solar PV Designer

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"I love that I can do work that I believe in, and help others follow their passions as well. The energy and motivation of students and staff at SEI are beyond compare. Especially in an age where corporate culture, monopolies, and greed seem to be the main drivers for 'success', the community of folks that SEI brings together is a treasure to hold onto. Passing along knowledge and experience, and learning from each other is the culture at SEI, and in my opinion that is a much better definition of success! Working together, we will bring about positive changes in the energy industry for a brighter future." Lena Wilensky, SEI Instructor and Colorado Solar Business Owner

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Mission

We believe in a world powered by renewable energy! Solar Energy International is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational institution with a mission to train the global solar energy workforce at a pace that addresses climate change today.

Background Statement

SEI is headquartered in Paonia, Colorado. Unless you've been here, you may have never heard of this small town of 1,500 people on the Western Slope of Colorado. SEI has chosen our headquarters in this community of ranchers, coal miners, artists, retirees, hippies, and blue and white collar folks. Just down the street from SEI are many acres of organic cherries, apples, pears, and peaches. In fact, Delta County is the largest producer of organic fruit in Colorado. Within walking distance, you'll find farms growing vegetables and ranches of cattle and sheep. Less than ten miles away are three coal mines that once employed over 1,000 people and supplied over 1% of the nation's coal.

Paonia is a community in transition. Two of the coal mines have recently closed and gone are over 700 jobs. As you can imagine this has had a significant impact locally. As a community, we've had to reimagine our future.

Transforming communities and driving economic development is not new to SEI. In 1991, SEI was founded by Johnny Weiss and Ken Olson in Carbondale, another small western Colorado town. At that time there was virtually no PV in town. Johnny, Ken and the staff had a vision and the audacity to believe that renewable energy could change the world, and began working locally. Fast forward to today and solar PV is as ubiquitous in Carbondale as power lines.

As the coal mines began to close and our friends and neighbors began losing their jobs, we realized that we had to play a greater role in re-imagining our community's future. A few years ago, the only renewable energy systems you'd find in Paonia were at SEI and on the homes of staff and friends of SEI. Though rich in natural resources, Delta County is one of the poorest counties in Colorado. With the leadership of our Americorps VISTAs, we started Solarize Delta County. Our efforts have generated over $1.5 million in PV installations, jobs, and economic development locally. We've educated residences, businesses, farms, and ranches about solar PV and micro hydro.

Though we're pleased with the results of the steps that we've taken, there's something deeper and more profound at work. Our community has always been an energy-producing community and there's an awakening to the incredible potential to be 100% locally and renewably powered through solar PV, coal mine methane generation, and microhydro power from the water literally falling off of the mountains. How much more resilient would we be if our local rural electric cooperative did not have to annually export $42 million out of the community to purchase power from far-away power plants because we could produce our electricity locally?

We see this same kind of vision in the students who come to SEI. They come to Paonia with the same boldness that our founders had and the dream of using renewable energy in their homes, communities businesses, and countries. Though a lot has changed in the solar industry and at SEI, what hasn't changed is our commitment to empowering people through high quality, practical renewable energy training. We want to arm our students with the knowledge and experience to make their dreams a reality.

The journey of a world powered by renewable energy begins with a single step. Take your step. Donate today and help us do more good. We have a lot of work to do!

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Solar Energy International

other names

SEI

Year Established

1991

Tax id (EIN)

84-1223691

Category

Environment

Organization Size

Large Organization

Colorado State Tax Credits

Colorado Enterprise Zone Credit

Address

39845 Mathews Lane
Paonia, CO 81428

Service areas

Delta County, CO, US

Phone

9709638855

Other

970-527-7657 208

Other

970-527-5041

Other

724-989-3964

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