Program Overview
The Solar Installation Technician training program at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College trains students to become certified as a Photovoltaic Installer-Level 1 (PV1) through a six-week hybrid course instructed by Jay Warmke, co-owner of Blue Rock Station.
The course is designed to provide a solid foundation for those wishing to enter the industry, design and install their own residential solar system or simply understand how this emerging and important technology works. No prior experience or background in electrical systems and/or solar photovoltaics is needed.
Online Self-Paced Study
Upon registration, students will be given access to the 46-hour online course. This course is aligned with the provided textbook, Understanding Photovoltaics, and is organized into 11 chapters, with 11 review quizzes, 25 lab projects, over 500 narrated slides, dozens of integrated videos and resources. The instructor will be available to answer questions via email throughout the duration of the course.
Program Schedule
Training Seminar on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 6 p.m. on campus or over Zoom. Find the recording here: https://bit.ly/3T50N50
Six weeks of online education with weekly one-hour webinar sessions beginning January 16, 2024.
Followed by a two-day in-person session:
February 28 and 29. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Missed out on the first session in 2024? The next sessions are as follows:
Fall 2024
Training Seminar on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 6 p.m. on campus or over Zoom. Join here on the day of: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87860658380
Online Zoom Sessions: Sept. 3, 2024 - Oct. 8, 2024
In-Person Classes: Oct. 10, 2024 & Oct. 11, 2024
Program Costs
Adults: $400
High School Juniors and Seniors (16+): $200
*Rates include all supplies. Rates are for 2023-2024 and are subject to change. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
*Adheres to the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Jay Warmke
Jay Warmke and his wife Annie are co-owners of Blue Rock Station, a sustainable living center that features the first Earthship—a 2,200 sq ft passive solar home constructed out of garbage—built east of the Mississippi, with many straw bale buildings, a plastic bottle greenhouse, a solar shower, gardens, milk goats, cats and lots of summer interns.
In the years since establishing Blue Rock Station, more than 40,000 people have wandered through their living room—drawn by the vision of a truly sustainable lifestyle.
Jay and Annie host a weekly radio program on sustainability called "When the BioMass Hits the Wind Turbine" which is aired on WOUB in Athens, Ohio, WGRN in Columbus, Ohio, and is also syndicated through the Pacifica broadcasting network.
Jay is the author of numerous green technology books and articles, including Green Technology: Principles and Practices (Marcraft), Solar Photovoltaic Installer Certification Guide (Marcraft), Wind Turbine Installer Certification Guide (Marcraft), When the Biomass Hits the Wind Turbine (BRS Media), Understanding Photovoltaics: A Study Guide for Solar Electric Certification Programs (BRS Media), Designing & Installing Solar PV Systems (BRS Media) and many more.
He has served as vice president of the board of directors of Green Energy Ohio and as president of the International Certification and Accreditation Council. He has also served as a committee member on ETA's renewable energy committee since 2010. In 2015 he was elected to ETA's Board of Directors and, for the past eight years, has served as chair of the Renewable Energy Committee. He is on the advisory council of Ohio State University's renewable energy program and an adviser to Tolles Career & Technical Center's renewable energy program. He is an instructor of Renewable Energy at Zane State University, and Jay also served as National Chairman: SkillsUSA Sustainable Solutions Contest (2010-2014).
He was presented the 2009 Sustainable Living Award from Rural Action Ohio, and Green Energy Ohio named him "Pioneer of the Year" in 2011. He was also named the Electronic Technician's Association Educator of the Year for 2013 and received the 2017 ETA "Pete" Award as Outstanding Officer/Committee Person.
