December 16th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
One of the most unfortunate mistakes made in PV system design is the flat mounted array. You should ALWAYS mount modules in a tilted configuration. Lets explore the benefits of the tilted array…
1) More power production results from better sun angle - Modules tilted up toward the southern horizon in the northern hemisphere (or towards the north in the southern hemisphere) will produce considerably more power than modules that are flat.
2) Sheeting of rain water promotes module cleaning - Tilting your array promotes sheeting of rain to clean the modules. Flat modules are a wonderful catch basin and turn into a a shallow puddle every time it rains. An even bigger problem can result Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Solar Training, Tech Tips | No Comments »
November 19th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
This morning I had the honor of being an opening plenary speaker at the annual IREC conference in Albany NY. My presentation on “Photovoltaic Training – Maintaining quality in a rapidly growing industry” was delivered to a group of 400+ top solar educators, community college professionals, and continuing education organizations from the US, Canada, Germany, and beyond.
The rapid growth of solar training organizations has been tremendous. In less than 2 years, the number of solar training programs has expanded from under 10 to over 120 in the US. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Solar Training | 1 Comment »
November 13th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
The recent Solar Power International trade show confirmed that shade mitigation products like micro-inverters and dc-dc power optimizers are the hottest new products in solar.
Enphase micro-inverters provide a convenient solution for dc-ac conversion, shade mitigation, and module level power production monitoring. Micro-inverters convert DC to AC power at each and every module in the array. This eliminates the difficult process of string sizing and reduces the problems related to more dangerous high voltage dc strings.
The Tigo Energy Maximizer dc-dc power optimizer offers shade mitigation, module level mpp tracking, module level production monitoring and they work with any string inverter (SMA, KACO, Fronius, PV Powered, Xantrex etc..). An additional important benefit of dc-dc power optimizers is they cut the string voltage down to module level voltage if the AC power is lost. This means that when your main breaker is off, the high voltage strings drop to module level voltage making pv system servicing easier and safer. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Product Information, Tech Tips | No Comments »
November 10th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
Renewable Energy World has just posted an article titled “Solar Training – Choosing a Program that Works” that was published a few weeks ago in the August 2009 issue of “Electrical Product and Solutions” Magazine. This article will help you make an informed decision when selecting a solar training program. Click here for a PDF version.
Posted in Solar Training | No Comments »
October 26th, 2009 by jmccay
AEE Solar will be represented in a major way this week at the burgeoning Solar Power International (SPI) trade show and conference in Anaheim, CA. This is the industries largest North American solar trade show, and it promises to be a record setting event.
Two of the conference presentations at SPI feature David Katz – AEE Founder and CTO and Jeff Spies – AEE Solar Director of Training and NABCEP Board Member. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: SPI Solar Power International NABCEP
Posted in Solar Training, Tradeshows | 1 Comment »
October 25th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
I am pleased to annouce that AEE Solar has expanded the training program by hiring James McCay to serve as the AEE Solar Training and Tradeshow Coordinator.
James originally harkens from Australia, and has a background in marine biology and IT. James emigrated to the US in the 90’s and spent the last 12 years living in Scottsdale AZ and working on business computing systems in the financial sector. He also worked for the City of Scottsdale in Green Building and Environmental Quality and helped organize several green tradeshows and events.
James has passed the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional exam and has worked tirelessly to increase solar adoption in the “Valley of the Sun”. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Announcements | No Comments »
August 13th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
Greetings to all legitimate solar enthusiasts 
It’s been several weeks since my last post, and boy-oh-boy has it been busy. We completed another very heavily attended trade show (Intersolar), and we conducted 2 more Solar Energy International PV training workshops. I got my hernia successfully fixed up and I was appointed as a board member to NABCEP. Very exciting times indeed.
The purpose of this post is to caution our dealers, solar advocates, and end customers about the numerous scams that have been popping up. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Solar Training, Tradeshows | 5 Comments »
June 27th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
Last weekend was the 20th anniversary of the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair and everyone agreed this was the best one yet! The event set an attendance record with over 23,000 visitors.
We were able to meet up with a lot of old friends and make many new ones. Thanks to all that visited our booth. We hope we were able to answer your questions, and we hope you had as much fun as we did. I can’t wait for next year
Here are some pictures of the event and the festivities… (photos courtesy of Davy Rippner)
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Tradeshows | 1 Comment »
June 16th, 2009 by Jeff Spies
The discussion of PV systems and fire safety has been quite lively over the past 6 months for many in the renewable energy field. Misinformation is running rampant in firefighter circles, but Dan Fink is helping to clear the confusion with his presentation on Renewable Energy Systems and Firefighter Safety.
Posted in Tech Tips | No Comments »
June 3rd, 2009 by Jeff Spies
Join us at the first Solar Living Institute Green Career Conference at UCLA in Los Angeles on Sunday June 7 at 8AM – 5PM. Jeff Spies – AEE Solar Director of Training will participate in the “industry perspectives” panel discussion at 9AM and present the “Launch & Grow Your Solar Business” seminar at 1PM – 3PM. Entry to this event is $175, but you can save $25 if you pre-register at this link. Pre-registration price for students is $75, but you must present a valid student ID at the door.
June 8 UPDATE: The Solar Living Institute Green Career Conference at UCLA was a tremendous success with over 200 participating in the event. The presentations from industry leading experts were well received by the diverse audience. Attendees ranged from UCLA students to experienced businessmen and women looking for career opportunities in renewable energy and green technology.
I especially enjoyed the fire alarm ending to my presentation. Quite an exciting finale! 
Thanks to all those that attended the “Launch & Grow Your Solar Business” presentation. You can download the presentation here, and I hope to see you all at an upcoming industry event.
Posted in Solar Training, Tradeshows | No Comments »
