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from the editor...
Jane Pulaski
It's been a busy and productive spring. Just last week, the Regional Training Providers met in the Bay Area for two days of discussion and planning for the Solar Instructor Training Network. Earlier in the month, IREC and the American National Standards Institute launched the pilot for accreditation to the new IREC Standard 14732 for renewable energy and energy efficiency training certificates. IREC participated in regulatory or pre-regulatory work in California, Illinois, Iowa, Texas and Virginia for net metering; California, Colorado and PJM for Community Solar; California, Hawaii, Ohio, Massachusetts and Washington for Interconnection; and Hawaii and Texas for Energy Storage.
Over the course of the past year, IREC has been able to invest in substantial research and outreach regarding the nuances of the local permitting processes across the United States to understand the problem points most in need of attention. IREC compiled the result of these efforts into Sharing Success: Emerging Approaches to Efficient Rooftop Solar Permitting,which is a comprehensive report on rooftop permitting that examines the permitting process and provides examples of reform efforts from across the country. The report will be released later in May. Watch for more details.
Over 60 proposals were submitted for presentations for the November Clean Energy Workforce Education Conference. These proposals cover the full spectrum of workforce and instructional issues and strategies. Exciting progress has been made. We'll be building the Conference's program once the Committee meets to select the presentations. Check the web site for news about the plenary sessions and workshops.
A new short film is out on IREC's training credentials. In their own words, credential holders talk about the value of their IREC credential. Looking ahead to September, the preliminary agenda for IREC's 2012 Annual Meeting is now out (add link). Paula Mints, Navigant Consulting, is our keynoter. As usual, the IREC Team will give you new information and insights on current regulatory, market and workforce trends and what's on the horizon. We hope you'll join us on September 10 in Orlando. And yes, applications for IREC's 2012 Innovation Awards are out. Deadline to submit is June 29th. Get busy!
Until we see each other again, here's to your continually inspiring work.
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Four months and counting. We've got a few updates:
- Preliminary agenda is now online. Paula Mints, Navigant Consulting, is our keynote. See what else we've got in store
- Call for IREC's Innovation Awards is out. 2012 is the 19th year we've recognized exemplary programs, projects and individuals. Deadline to submit applications is Friday, June 29th. GET BUSY!
- Our 30th birthday celebration is Sunday, September 9th, at The Groove, also in Orlando. Please join us. We can't imagine celebrating without you.
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Connecting to the Grid
Distributed Energy Storage: coming soon to a grid near you by Laurel Varnado
 Energy storage technologies have existed as long as the grid itself. As a result of several recent advancements in smart grid communications and material sciences, however, distributed energy storage is primed to become a much bigger player in the next few years. As the crucial link between variable renewable energy resources and a stable utility load, it has the potential to add considerable value to many renewable energy applications. Why focus on distributed, rather than utility-scale storage? While both are important, distributed storage is often smaller in size so it can be placed along multiple different points on the utility grid, making it a more flexible option than many utility-scale facilities. More
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News from our friends at DSIRE (4/27/12)
CT- ZREC, LREC Funding to be Announced
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IREC ISPQ Credentialing Program 
In their own words: credential holders talk about the value of IREC ISPQ by Pat Fox
 IREC ISPQ credentialing drives quality workforce training, and gives credential holders an edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace. That's easy for us to say, but for someone considering going after the IREC ISPQ credential, it's powerful and inspiring to hear it from those who have already gone through the process. The short, five-minute video was produced with the generous support of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). More
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Solar Instructor Training Network
Real Estate Valuing Tool Webinar-catch the replay by Joe Sarubbi
 In a webinar, the SITN heard from Geoff Klise from Sandia National Laboratories, and Jamie Johnson from Solar Power Electric about the recently released PV ValueTMspreadsheet tool developed for the appraisal and real estate industries to aid in making a market value determination for residential and commercial solar PV systems. This webinar is part of the SITN Seminar Series designed to inform the Regional Training Providers on timely and relevant topics in solar training. And watch for the Spring issue of The SITN Quarterly, due out 5/15.
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Small Wind News
The Small Wind Newsletter, Spring 2012
by Larry Sherwood
The Spring 2012 issue of the Small Wind Newsletter is out. Learn about two recent small wind installations in New Jersey and Wisconsin. AWEA informs us about distributed wind markets, including a decline in installations in 2011 compared with 2010. A number of public policies were released, including new NYSERDA incentive program guidelines, and new U.S Fish and Wildlife Service wind guidelines. More
2012 WindSenator Training Program
Are you a K-12 educator interested in wind energy science? Looking for a wide array of curricula and educational materials to use in your classroom? KidWind is looking for 25 educators to become a WindSenator, and is offering training July 29-August 4 at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME. Applications are due TODAY, May 1, 2012. Check to see if there are any scholarships available for your region. Find out how to apply.
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of note...
Home Energy Professional Certifications
Dr. Richard Knaub, a Project Leader in Weatherization & Workforce Development at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has been actively participating in developing Weatherization training and standards both at the state and national levels for the last several years. In anticipation of four new Home Energy Professional Certifications (offered by BPI and funded by DOE and NREL) that are almost ready for prime time, Richard has penned a couple of articles about them and why they matter. We posted them on the IREC website:
Greening the World of Work: Revisiting Occupational Challenges This updated version, published in December 2011 for the U.S. Department of Labor, presents the current state of the green economy, outlines major workforce development challenges facing the green economy, and presents updated research on green new and emerging occupations. More
SunShot Solar Outreach Partnership Helps Local Govts. Go Solar The Solar Outreach Partnership (SolarOPs) is designed to help accelerate solar energy adoption on the local level by providing timely and actionable information to local governments. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative, SolarOPs achieves its goals through a mix of educational workshops, peer-to-peer sharing opportunities, research-based reports, and online resources. Led by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability USA, along with their teams, help governments take a comprehensive approach to solar energy deployment. IREC, along with the North Carolina Solar Center, The Solar Foundation, The Solar Electric Power Association, and The Meister Group, are part of the ICLEI team. More |
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Extensive offering of technical, hard-to-find, and thought-provoking workshops offered on Tuesday, November 13th at The Albany Marriott.
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Developed by Dr. Sarah White and IREC for the Solar Instructor Training Network, explores the many job opportunities available in the solar industry.
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In their own words: credential holders talk about the value of IREC ISPQ
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Read IREC's Newsletters
The IREC Report
Connecting to the Grid
Small Wind News
The ISPQ Insider
The SITN Quarterly subscribe |
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Where in the world is IREC?
May
5/7-5/9: NAWDP, Las Vegas
June
July
Sept
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IREC thanks these very generous sponsors for our Annual Meeting.
Want to see your name here? Contact Jane Pulaski for sponsorship details.
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Like what you see here? Have suggestions or comments? We want to know. Let us hear from you.
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September 10-13
Orlando, FL
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ABOUT IREC
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) is a non-profit organization accelerating the use of renewable energy since 1982. IREC's programs and policies lead to easier, more affordable connection to the utility grid; fair credit for renewable energy produced; best practices for states, municipalities, utilities and industry; and quality assessment for the growing green workforce through the credentialing of trainers and training programs. Visit us at www.irecusa.org.
Disclaimer The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) does not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process that is referred to or linked to in this newsletter. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply IREC's endorsement or recommendation.
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