Situated in a part of the country that gets 300 days of sunshine a year, it only seems fitting that this fall semester, UNM-Taos is offering the hands-on solar design and installation class, Photovoltaic Fundamentals and Applications (ELTR 3605). It is led by industry veteran Mike Bauer, whose experience spans residential, commercial, and international solar projects (as shown in the photo). Students will learn how to design, purchase, and install their own solar-electric PV systems while working on projects that fit their lives—from tiny homes and off-grid cabins to greenhouses, solar carports, and agricultural applications.
“This class will demystify it and simplify it so that anybody can design and build their own solar system,” Bauer says.
The class will also cover solar-related career paths, including installation, electrical work, design, sales, and marketing. It will examine Taos-area needs such as off-grid systems, mobile systems, reliable water pumping, agrivoltaics, solar-plus-storage, and local permitting.