Blue Planet Energy Upgrades Solar Training Curriculum
For practically 30 years, Solar Energy International (SEI) has been devoted to coaching the worldwide solar energy workforce. Instrumental in SEI’s curriculum is a Blue Ion battery with a recently-upgraded monitoring system, donated by Blue Planet Energy, enabling new digital coaching potentialities for future solar workforces.
Solar Energy International (SEI) was based in 1991 as a nonprofit instructional group. SEI’s mission is to supply industry-leading technical coaching and experience in renewable energy that empowers individuals, communities, and companies worldwide. Through a mix of hands-on coaching and on-line programs, SEI teaches all the pieces from the fundamentals of the {industry}’s main renewable energy applied sciences to the right design, set up, operation, and upkeep of solar-plus-storage methods.
Blue Planet Energy’s Blue Ion battery is SEI’s solely lithium-ion battery on campus, and its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry provides college students an introduction to the most secure, most environmentally benign battery chemistry in the marketplace.
“At Solar Energy International, our students learn how to safely install, test, and commission battery-based PV systems on our in-house Blue Planet Energy storage system. With the unit simultaneously providing our campus with robust backup power, it’s a win-win as the team takes our industry-leading technical training and expertise in renewable energy out into the world”
– Chris Turek, Director of Marketing and Communications, SEI
Blue Ion: Top of the Class
The troubling indicators of local weather change have created a rising reliance on solar to assist scale back world carbon emissions. But to allow mass deployment of solar, SEI knew that extra extremely skilled staff can be wanted – and shortly.
With over 80,000 alumni worldwide and roughly 500 college students enrolled in its hands-on lab every summer time, SEI gives energy professionals publicity to numerous applied sciences and expertise they’ll then take into the sector. For college students trying to change into devoted energy storage specialists, this implies understanding essential variations in battery chemistry, security, longevity, and extra.
With SEI’s donated Blue Planet Energy battery, college students learn the way the usage of LFP eliminates the thermal runaway and hearth dangers usually related to different lithium-ion batteries, like lithium-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC). This provides college students the arrogance to advocate and set up protected, dependable battery storage to clients sooner or later.
Blue Planet Energy battery storage methods may also be constructed for each on- or off-grid methods, require no upkeep, are extremely scalable, and are available backed by an unmatched 15-year guarantee – making it versatile sufficient to power any home, enterprise, or essential infrastructure venture.
In addition to donating its Blue Ion 2.0 battery, Blue Planet Energy most not too long ago retrofitted the battery’s monitoring system to incorporate the corporate’s new Namaka platform. Now, SEI can provide a coaching course on monitoring particular to battery storage. The retrofit additionally demonstrated to college students that Blue Planet Energy gives upgraded monitoring capabilities for patrons with Blue Ion 2.0 batteries.
“Supporting SEI through our donation program allows us to align with like-minded organizations in creating a cleaner future for all.”
– Chris Johnson Blue Planet Energy, CEO
Shared Commitments to Sustainability
“Through Blue Planet Energy’s donation program, we are privileged to work with organizations who share our environmental values,” stated Chris Johnson, CEO of Blue Planet Energy. “Collaborating with SEI is another avenue for our focus on workforce development and training the next generation on safe, reliable technology, which is essential in building a clean energy future of which we can all be proud.”
True in its dedication to supporting a extra sustainable planet, Blue Planet Energy’s use of LFP additionally contributes to the batteries’ smaller environmental footprint.
Other lithium battery chemistries with nickel, cobalt, or manganese are estimated to make use of 50 p.c extra energy to provide than LFP batteries. They are additionally reported to have the very best environmental influence with regard to useful resource depletion, ecological toxicity, and human well being. LFP batteries, nevertheless, use no uncommon earths or poisonous metals and as an alternative make use of generally obtainable supplies. These supplies are extra plentiful, pose far much less threat to the setting, and are much less poisonous to provide and recycle.
“While SEI’s staff and board are often focused on how our training can directly impact the effects of climate change through workforce development, we are always on the lookout for tangible ways to employ the most environmentally-favorable technologies at our school. Blue Planet’s batteries ‘fit the bill’ in this regard – having safe, high-quality, and responsibly-sourced energy storage on our campus easily demonstrates that we care both about the planet and our student’s well-being,” added Turek.
Project identify: Solar Energy International
Project location: Paonia, Colorado
Project kind/utility: Nonprofit Donation
Battery system product and storage capability:
Blue Ion 2.0, 16 kWh whole capability
Solar integration:
SMA Sunny Island inverter, Sunny Boy grid-direct inverter,
ASCO Transfer change, SMA Smartformer Auto-Transformer
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