Learning from German expertise in Renewable Energy

International courses in Photovoltaics and Solar-Thermal Energy for managers and engineers from April 2009 in Berlin

The Renewables Academy (RENAC), the Berlin-based  international training specialist for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency,  is offering new training programs in solar thermal energy and photovoltaics from April. The course program also includes, for the first time, seminars on large solar-thermal systems and specialized training in photovoltaic systems for sales personnel.

RENAC's courses are not just aimed at engineers and technicians, but also, depending on focus area, at managers, decision makers, financiers and project developers. The  course content includes not just the technology, but also brings in vital material covering economic and regulatory frameworks and market development, together with legal, commercial, financial and insurance aspects.

The technical training, covering planning, installation, maintenance and quality management for solar thermal and photovoltaic systems (both off-grid and grid-connected), takes place in the newly equipped RENAC Training Center. There,  numerous components for solar thermal, photovoltaic, bioenergy, heat pump and small wind-power systems are available.  Professional training material of  leading German equipment manufacturers is used, resulting in high quality, hands-on training.

Given RENAC's international orientation, a large proportion of the seminars are  held in English. RENAC's competence in the transfer of German's renewable energy and energy efficiency expertise has been demonstrated during the recently launched TREE project (www.tree-project.de) where, between December 2008 and February 2009, RENAC trained nearly 250 engineers and decision makers from 14 developing and emerging countries.

Renewable energies promote employment and economic growth, even in times of financial crisis. In 2008, the industry was worth some 30 billion Euros in Germany alone, and secured 280,000 jobs. The outlook for this booming sector is also very promising in the long-term. In order to utilize the potential of renewable energy sources effectively and sustainably, properly qualified personnel are increasingly in demand.