Safety & Training

On Friday, September 15th MREA offered an industry designed training for installers working with solar + storage systems. Presented by Lones Tuss with OutBack Power, the course was a one-day industry designed workshop focused on Outback Power Systems battery based inverter technology, along with balance of system components, web based monitoring, and their new grid-tied three-phase inverter product. Topics included: -- Battery Based FXR and Radian Inverters -- Integrated Combiner Solutions—ICS Plus (Rapid Shutdown) -- Optics RE—Web Based Monitoring and Control -- ProHarvest—3-Phase Grid-Tied Inverter Attendees who completed this course were eligible for 6 NABCEP credits. We are grateful to have been able to partner with OutBack Power and have Lones present to members of Montana's renewable energy industry. The event was a great success, and was a perfect way…

Last week, 25 future members of Montana's renewable energy industry gathered at the Weatherization Training Center in Bozeman to attend a week long training course on solar photovoltaics. This course, taught by Solar Energy International, was an introductory-level training for those interested in becoming solar photovoltaic installers. The goal of the course was to create a fundamental understanding of the core concepts necessary to work with all solar PV systems, including system components, site analysis, PV module criteria, mounting solutions, safety, and commissioning. Students who completed the weeklong course had the option of registering for a 6-week online course on Battery-Based PV System Fundamentals, also offered by Solar Energy International, which will be held February 27 through April 9. Students who complete both the in-person and online courses will be…

The Montana Renewable Energy Association is dedicated to expanding the use of renewable energy across the state of Montana. Greater adoption of renewable energy technologies by the public requires a well-trained workforce; without trained individuals using best practices in the field to produce code-compliant installations, renewable energy systems are bound to perform poorly and/or become a hazard to the property and its occupants. Of equal importance is the need for this workforce to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety regulations for the construction industry. Non-compliance with OSHA safety standards on the jobsite can result in business-ending fines, life-altering injuries, and even death – all of which represent a step backward for the renewable energy industry and the broader adoption of its technologies. For these reasons, in…

In January 2008, The Montana Renewable Energy Association and the US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration executed a Strategic Partnership Agreement to ensure workplace safety in the growing renewable energy industry in Montana. The MREA is attempting to foster a safer working environment for themselves and their member companies. The purpose of the partnership is to prevent the four major hazards (falls, electrical, caught in/between and struck-by hazards) that account for the majority of fatalities and injuries in the construction industry. This partnership will focus on improving the safety and health programs of the MREA and their Participating Member companies and strive to eliminate hazards in the targeted areas. The OSHA Strategic Partnership Program for Worker Safety and Health (OSPP), adopted on November 13, 1998, is an…