Local company teaches workers solar energy skills

By Dylan Scott

Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010 | 4:38 p.m.

Finding himself unemployed as construction slowed in Las Vegas, Donald Beckman decided to look to the future. He had some experience with solar-power projects, but knew of nowhere that offered workers training in the relatively new field.

So in April, Beckman opened the Solar Institute of Nevada, which he says is the first training program of its kind in the state, to introduce newcomers to solar energy. Upon graduation, participants will also be prepared to take Nevada’s test for an installer’s license, which is required for a person to work on any solar projects.

The institute’s first session of classes will begin in September.

Beckman, who was laid off from the Cosmopolitan construction project, said he took a comparable course in San Jose, Calif., while pursuing his own license and reasoned fellow Nevadans could benefit from such a program.

“With the country moving toward green energy, it’s going to be an ever-expanding thing,” Beckman, 57, said. He previously worked on solar-power projects in California – in San Francisco and San Bruno. “Solar is one area where work is still going on.”

Beckman pointed to solar endeavors in Boulder City and at the Nevada Test Site as local examples of the sector’s potential for growth.

The curriculum, based on the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners’ learning objectives, will cover solar cell history, electrical integration, utility interconnection, maintenance and other topics related to solar energy. The weeklong sessions run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The learning environment is a combination of lecture, discussion and hands-on lab work, Beckman said. Classes are $900 for a session.

The Solar Institute of Nevada is at 4100 W. Flamingo Blvd., across the street from the Palms, and its main office can be reached at 367-9002.