You may think the students get to have all the fun with the hands-on component of the training, but you would be wrong. Our instructors actually have as much fun as the students, simply seeing them learn from doing, especially when they get it in that flashbulb moment when a piece of theoretical knowledge becomes real in practical application.
Prior to their first hands-on experience, we tell the students to make sure modules are straight, that junction boxes are well-positioned, that conductors are secure--and to plan ahead. Once in the lab, we separate students into groups. Each of the groups builds a roof mounted rack and mounts the modules on that rack. On the table is a tape measure and a multi-meter, to ensure proper connections and placements.
In a fairly typical instance, the students began to build the rack and mount the modules immediately. In the course of construction, the junction boxes got caught underneath the rail, which made the conductors difficult to secure and therefore difficult to support. The result: the modules were uneven on the rail, and students got to experience what it means to do it wrong and then figure out how to correct the problem. As the saying goes, your last mistake is one of your best teachers, so instead of stopping the students when we saw the direction their build was going, we let them discover for themselves the hands-on issues and experience the problems that can arise from inexperience or insufficient preparation. The lab is the best place for these kinds of lessons, since students are allowed the freedom to learn from their mistakes without having to worry about costs in terms of lost time and resources. They are allowed to learn how to do it right by experiencing the result of having done it wrong. The second time, after some discussion, the students picked up the tape measure and began mounting the modules, this time practicing good workmanship, learning a method for supporting conductors, aesthetics, and mounting clips. We, thereafter, showed the students how to identify a defective module, demonstrated a method for removing the defective module from the array, and instructed them in a procedure whereby they could test modules prior to installation using a multi-meter. We then continued our discussions and practiced commissioning a PV system. "Now I understand why we are the students and you are the instructors," said one of the students.

We see a variety of students pass through our courses; in addition to recent high school grads, since many are licensed electricians, plumbers or construction business owners who are looking to add renewable energy alternatives to the services they can offer and provide to their clients. But every now and again we see someone completely new, someone whose career experience is in a completely different profession, someone you might not expect to be working toward a career in renewable energy. Someone like the student in the following story:
Not long ago, an experienced paramedic enrolled in our Master Certification in Renewable Energy course. On the first day of class, he appeared intimidated by the wealth of information that seemed so unlike his medical training. Essentially, he was being asked to learn a new language and become familiar with new key terms, a prospect that can seem overwhelming. At Boots on the Roof, we make it a point to recognize these fears in our students and to address them through what you might call best educational practices. That is, teaching by analogy, through recounting anecdotal experience, through reference to the experience of others, and so on. After his second day with our experienced instructors, our paramedic student felt more comfortable and came to understand the concepts of the course.
During our one-on-one time, he explained his newfound confidence in learning photovoltaics. Specifically, he was able to calculate V(mp) and I(mp) and understand that current is directly proportional to sunlight while voltage is primarily impacted by temperature, by relating it to the shock path of a heart. In essence, the student was able to understand that power is a factor of both photovoltaics and sunlight and derive power-watts with his understanding of joules.
Now the story gets even better than that. In the course of completing his Master Certification and Renewable Energy coursework, our student was able to reapply skills he had learned as a paramedic with regard to setting safety and practical guarding of arrays, as well. For example, if a module were tilted directly toward the source of the sunlight, he was able to confirm that it definitely would cause a hazard, based on the I(sc) of the module and the voltage.
Theres an old proverb which holds that when a student is ready, the teacher will appear. The teacher isnt always a person; the teacher may sometimes be a moment of clarity or an epiphany. At that moment, our student began his journey to becoming a qualified Renewable Energy professional. Its our mission at Boots on the Roof to ensure, through delivering a high quality theoretical and practical education, that all of our students reach this point of qualification, the point at which they become Renewable Energy professionals.

In addition to educating installation professionals, Boots on the Roof provides a solid foundation for a variety of careers in renewable energy, including giving building professionals-construction contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc.--the knowledge to make the solar business their business. As students gain experience, viewing a number of installations and watching over the shoulders of professionals as they prepare proposals for competitive bidding, for instance, they increase their knowledge of the business end of renewable energy in addition to learning about technical issues and troubleshooting in the real world. Our students not only learn the critical formulas, but also gain the ability to differentiate module and inverter manufacturers in product selections, and best practices keep the sales practitioner from overselling systems beyond the 120% projection (based on elevation as a factor).
The following anecdote illustrates this point. The story this time is about an electrician and a method to identify Direct Current (DC) ground faults. Most electricians work with Alternating Current (AC) indoors, and working with DC electricity outdoors is quite different. As a result the techniques to identify problem issues are also different. For example, in their Boots training, electricians are introduced to the technique of locating a ground fault by measuring from the equipment grounding conductor to the negative or by measuring from the positive side of the string and counting the number of modules based on the Voltage at Open Circuit, or V(oc), and the temperature coefficient of the voltage correction factor. This was just one of several techniques the electrician in question learned, and in doing so, he learned that the process is simpler than AC. Needless to say, when our electrician friend graduated from Boots on the Roof, he was quite confident of his level of preparedness.
Then theres the story of the student who arrived at 7:30 am every morning of his boot camp. After reading the text and the material provided, students have a more in-depth understanding and are more prepared to absorb information discussed in class and during labs (students may receive their books before classes begin--contact your enrollment adviser to do so). The student in question was changing careers, and came early every morning to get his questions answered before class. One formula we share with students is how to calculate the number of solar modules a customer can use based on location and insulation, and this student, with his experience in sales and marketing, was able to quickly calculate a rough estimate of the value proposition of a solar system installation. He picked up the calculator and, using only the elementary arithmetic functions, specifically only the divisor (÷) and the equals key, roughly estimated the number of modules needed from the energy requirements, similar to an accountant quickly using a paper tape calculator of yesteryear.
Electricians learn new techniques and tables to add to their store of knowledge and experience at Boots on the Roof, and Green energy amateurs/enthusiasts from many fields--like Sales and Marketing--become more qualified and valuable professionals. Boots on the Roof students find it easy to make the transition to the Renewable Energy future because theyre able to combine their new skills and experience almost seamlessly with the professional skills and experience theyre already acquired--easy to go from what they learned then to what they can do now.

For more information, please send your e-mails to pved@infothe.com.

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