Do-Yourself-Solar Technologies

To contact do-yourself-solar technologies, SEADS of Truth, Inc. or Maine Solar Energy Association, please follow the easy instructions below and on previous pages. You may send email or phone. We will have directions available for the different locations of seminars, meetings and community centers as they become relevant. You may use the optional form below for ease of contact. This is a preliminary page and will be up-dated as necessary.

This section is available for directions and updates for seminars  and to allow a presentation of archival flyers and current photos of workshops and projects of do-yourself-solar, SEADS, MeSEA and Skyheat Associates.

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     Solar PV assembly workshop -              Humble Farm May 2008-

    Participants apply liquid silicon onto soldered PV strings, in place and ready for encapsulation process.

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Glass is placed on fresh liquid silicon. Weight is applied to glass and gentle pressure allows excess air to escape during encapsulation of 60 w module at humble farm PV assembly workshop.

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May '08 PV workshop participants remove encapsulated 60w module after curing. This module is now ready for finish wiring and framing at humble farm.

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Back of PV module showing placement of strings in series connection. The module is ready for final wiring, at humble farm PV assembly workshop, May '08.

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PV workshop participants solder finished wiring on 60w module before framing, humble farm, May '08.

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Solar Thermal Workshop 2008 -

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John and Soni solder copper pipes for humble farm do-yourself-solar hot water thermal panel - Sept. 2008!

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Soni Biehl, solders copper pipe during hot water panel workshop, Hiram, Maine, 2009 !

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Participants apply glass top on hot water thermal panel, Hiram, Maine, 2009.

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Humble farm - Four of eight solar thermal panels are installed on rack, adjacent to the south wall of farm house -

November 2008!

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Jonesport April 4, 2009

MESEA PV assembly workshop :

Workshop participants solder first PV strings for 60W module to be assembled at April 4, 2009 PV workshop at Home of MESEA - Jonesport, Maine

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Bridgton, Me. May 2009 PV workshop -

Rich Komp shows interested participants how strings of PV cells will be laid down for encapsulation. The Bridgton, Maine - May 2009 PV Workshop.

Bridgton, Maine PV workshop, May 2009. Participants test 60W PV module, before final wiring and framing.

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Manhattan Comp. HS PV workshop Series, June 2009, New York City

Diverse student group assemble PV module framing with MESEA - dadsolar facilitator John Burke - June 2009 - NYC

Final wiring of 60W PV module at NYC HS program, held in conjunction with community group - Solar1

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We will continue to perfect the methods of inserting archival flyers, photos and drawings of SEADS projects, demonstrations and memorabilia. Please bear with us while we reach for perfection. 

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Contact Info for Do-Yourself-Solar:

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E-mail - dadsolar@yahoo.com

             seads20@yahoo.com

             sunwatt@juno.com

Phone -               (516) 669-2442         (516) 669-2442

                           (207) 483-2764         (207) 483-2764

                           (207) 497-2204         (207) 497-2204

                           (207) 356-0225         (207) 356-0225

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Web links -

    www.mainesolar.org (MeSEA)

 www.seadsoftruth.webs.com (SEADS)

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60w PV module frame caulking, at humble farm, May '08.

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   GO SOLAR - 2010 !

Solar Workshops in Maine ...and  Nicaragua! -

 2010  - MeSEA PV assembly workshops -    see below for info: 

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Please check MeSEA seminar calendar at www.mainesolar.org for up to date info on PV and solar thermal workshops you and your family can participate in!

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Maine Solar Energy Association Calendar of Upcoming Events

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Winter  -  2010  -

PV assembly Workshop in Maine!

February 20 - 21, Sat & Sun

9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Skowhegan, Maine

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University of Maine Cooperative Extension Announces the 2010 Solar Electric –PV Workshop.

Are you a "Do It Yourself-er" who is interested in capturing the power of the sun to fuel home projects? If so, you may want to consider joining the Maine Solar Energy Association (MESEA) and learn how to assemble a photovoltaic module for producing electricity.

In this hands-on workshop you’ll participate in assembling a 60 Watt PV module, utilizing the encapsulation process developed in Nicaragua with Grupo Fenix. This 60W module is capable of generating solar electricity and charging a 12V battery system. It’s a good start for a small home orcabin PV system.

Bring your lunch, work clothes and gloves.

Registration deadline: February 12^th.

The workshop will be held at the Somerset County Extension Office in Skowhegan,

(7 County Dr. just off Norridgewock Avenue) on February 20th & 21st, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. The cost of this two day event is $85.00.

For more information, please call the Somerset County Extension Office at               1-207-474-9622         1-207-474-9622 or               1-800-287-1495         1-800-287-1495.

If you are a person with a disability and will need any accommodations to participate in this program please call Kathy Hopkins at the Somerset County Extension Office at                 1-800-287-1495         1-800-287-1495 to discuss your needs. Receiving requests for accommodations at least 10 days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however, all requests will be accepted.

The University of Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Cooperative Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

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Assemble a 60w PV Module -   or

Build a Solar Hot Water Collector !

This Spring, Summer and Fall  - 2010 -

 MeSEA / SEADS will offer more PV assembly and Solar Thermal

workshops.

             Check here for details soon !               Or check workshop calendar- MeSEA website - www.mainesolar.org

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MeSEA - Solar PV workshop description

Learn how to assemble your own Photovoltaic module for producing electricity. Richard Komp has pioneered PV module production as a cottage industry in Nicaragua, Mali, Haiti and India. In this workshop you'll get to participate in assembling a 60 Watt PV module, utilizing the encapsulation process, developed in Nicaragua with Grupo Fenix.

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Experience Solar Culture in Nicaragua

Grupo Fenix Solar Culture Course in Nicaragua       

Summer 2010 (check website below for exact dates)

Come to Nicaragua and engage your head, heart, and hands in the real work of developing countries. Our hands-on courses allow you to be immersed in the daily life of rural Nicaraguans by living with host families and working alongside local community members to create their vision of a model community through renewable energy and sustainable practices.

Discuss the theory behind solar energy and the challenges of development with your instructors and other course participants over lunch. Spend your days learning how to construct solar cookers or install photovoltaic systems. Laugh along with your host family as you try to recall your high school Spanish, balance water on your head or make tortillas. Most activities and classes are held in the new adobe Solar Center. Housing will be simple, like that of a typical rural Nicaraguan family.

Explore a beautiful country and its culture while learning about renewable energy and sustainable development in the field. Our courses provide a unique travel experience that is educational, rewarding, and fun!

This 11 day course, offered twice a year, has been offered by Grupo Fenix since 1999. It is a great introduction to the science and use of appropriate renewable energy technologies such as solar cookers, dryers and photovoltaic systems. Dr. Richard Komp, an expert from the United States with over 40 years experience working with solar technologies, teaches the technical classes for the January version of the course and may be a guest instructor for the July course.

Participants will:

• Visit SuniSolar, a renewable energy business in Managua started by Grupo Fenix
• Build a solar oven with the local women’s group, the Solar Women of Totogalpa
• Listen to talks on Solar Dryers and Medicinal Plants
• Learn about solar cooking and eat the final product of your class!
• Install a PV system with local solar experts
• Make a solar powered battery charger

Also, the course includes various tourist activities such as a visit to nearby beautiful spots in the mountains of northern Nicaragua. If weather permits, we will spend a day exploring the Somoto Canyon and swimming in its natural pools. Also, at the end of the course we will spend a night at a rustic eco-lodge in the Tisey Nature Reserve, which has hiking trails, fields of organic vegetables, a farming community that produces its own specialty cheeses and one of the best panoramic views in the country. 
   The course fee of $995 includes all food and lodging, with a $50 deposit to be sent to the nonprofit Skyheat Associates at 17 Rockwell Rd. SE, Jonesport ME 04649  before June 15th to inure a place in the  course, which has a limit of 15 participants and is often completely full. For more information, please contact thegrupofenix@gmail.com or sunwatt@juno.com  or look online at www.grupofenix.org for details of all our programs.

For info on the next opportunity for a workshop, see Grupo Fenix at www.grupofenix.org/courses.html

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Wolfe's Neck Farm - Freeport, Maine -   PV Training for trainers- June '09

Rich Komp explains the basic do-yourself-solar techniques for trainers at WNF !

     DADS / do-yourself-solar -                

          Contact Form below

      for easy communication:

Please feel free to ask questions on our programs or this site. We will strive to respond promptly.