We’ve recently upgraded the Website for the Solar Gold Mine Digest.  Mostly you will notice the cosmetic changes of the new site

as compared to the old site

But we have made some powerful changes behind the scenes too.  This will soon enable us to roll out even more powerful features and updates.

We’d love to hear your feedback, especially if you are having any difficulty finding anything that used to be ‘right there’. 

Alright, there are a lot of great solar gadgets out in the marketplace and over the last few months I’ve brought you a great deal of info regarding them. Today I want to mention, in brief, the most random and worthless solar gadget ever; The Solar Powered Dancing Panda. Granted, the Panda does dance and would be a cute addition to anyone’s dashboard, but I think the effort might have been better spent elsewhere. 

I mean, am I the only one who thinks that this “gadget” is totally random? As I mentioned earlier, yeah it is cute, but come on. The panda sells for about $16 dollars and can be ordered on the following site. If you’re into this sort of thing it might be for you, in fact, if you were considering wasting your hard earned money on some silly supplement like Decaslim then maybe you ought to buy the panda instead and at least get something tangible out of the transaction.

The Northern California Solar Energy Association will have been doling out awards this December to local homeowners and businesses for solar implementation, but has unfortunately had to cancel the ceremony due to a variety of issues. After visiting their website, it is unclear as to whether or not they will reschedule the ceremonies. In fact all they have to offer in the way of information is that the “Awards have been cancelled”.  

In the past they have awarded a number of individuals and businesses, but were apparently going to take the awards a step further and declare America’s most “Solar Friendly” cities. I suppose we will have to settle for Pinewood derby trophies in lieu of the 2008 Solar Awards. I hope that they will have an awards ceremony later on in the year or perhaps this spring to honor the folks driving our future toward a clean environment. I would say that you could find additional information on their site, but there really isn’t too much clarification there in regards to the event.

Description:
Senior Optics Engineer
While reporting to the Vice President of Technology, the Senior Optics Engineer will be responsible for the following:
• Design, fabricate and test optics for concentrator photovoltaic modules
• Research and select low cost optical solutions and manufacturing methods
• Engage with vendors and create in-house fabrication versus outsource business case
• All aspects of the optics, including documenting the system level specification, manufacturing process, test and releasing the optics solution to production

Requirements
Qualifications:
The ideal candidate must have either a Master’s or PhD in Optics along with 5-10+ years experience in Optics Design; Optics for concentrator photovoltaics experience desired. Ability to interface effectively with vendors, customers, consultants and other external collaboration partners, as well as the ability to perform tests and report performance required. Excellent project management skills essential. The successful candidate will be experienced in detailed optical design and analysis using Zemax and LightTools. Start-up experience desired.

Company
Headquartered near Research Triangle Park in Durham, North Carolina, Semprius, Inc. is commercializing an innovative process for printing high performance single crystal semiconductors on a wide range of substrates including glass, flexible or rigid plastic and other semiconductor materials. Our technology offers an unparalleled ability to create novel devices and systems by liberating the semiconductor from its traditional rigid substrate. We are developing capabilities suitable to a wide range of applications and creating partnerships to bring novel products to market. We are seeking Senior Optics Engineer to join our team!
Benefits:
In exchange for your hard work and dedication, we offer a competitive market based salary, excellent benefits and a positive working environment. Here you’ll be a part of something new everyday where your skills and ideas can make a difference. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Relocation:
None

Location:
Durham, NC

This year people and companies are making cut backs everywhere from spending at stores, to new cars to Disney vacations.  If you are in the southeast, this job, which doesn’t offer relocation, could be a good fit to become part of a great team working in a very important area.

I was running a search for solar power educators and clinics in the Austin, TX area and came across a pretty cool site for the Solar Living Institute of Hopland, CA. Granted the institute isn’t located anywhere near Austin, TX, but it is really a really cool institution that offers all kinds of great educational seminars and classes for people interested in learning more about solar energy and its numerous applications and advantages.  

I’ve been interested in solar energy and applications for quite some time and even signed up for their newsletter. If you recall, a few months ago I wrote a post regarding SolFest which is a workshop, live music and awareness event sponsored by the institute. I’m definitely impressed with this organization and all the cool campaigns they partake in to increase awareness for the solar cause. Granted, they are a drop in the bucket in regards to all the great institutions out there raising awareness, but I like to think of them as a bottle of diet pills used to supplement all of the great information and applications out there.

 With the holiday season rapidly approaching, many people are looking to go energy independent not only in their lives but there children’s. Sundance Solar, a maker of solar and wind powered toys and gifts has a wide variety of cool ideas and toys for children. Imagine being able to teach your children about energy independence with remote control helicopters, race cars and hobby kits!  

Some of these toys are actually pretty cool and rather inexpensive compared to some of the alternatives out in the marketplace. I can’t think of a better way to teach children about alternative energy without cracking open a book or lecturing on the pros and cons of solar or wind power. The website is pretty cool and I would definitely recommend checking it out! Source: Sundance Solar 

Description:
This is a multidisciplinary management position linking sales, engineering, construction and project management. Engineering management is a critical function and the company seeks an individual capable of both managing the day to day tasks involved and also looking forward to building the team and infrastructure required to grow the companies engineering and implementation capabilities.
Job responsibilities include:
Refine and document processes that company follows in the design and engineering of PV systems including such things as steps to be followed, review and sign offs required, order in which engineering tasks are performed, etc. Serve as the repository for documented engineering related processes;
Develop, refine and maintain standardized tools used by the engineering group on a daily basis in the design and engineering of PV systems. These tools include excel worksheets and CAD drawing library templates;
Monitor the pipeline of residential and commercial projects; anticipate engineering resources required, allocate resources to specific projects, establish milestones, monitor progress, mentor and support staff so that engineering does not bottleneck the flow of project implementation;
Stay current on codes, standards, new solar technologies, installation best practices and support other managers as well as members of engineering team as the “expert” on the technical and engineering aspects of PV systems. Serve as the company spokesman on engineering related issues both internally and externally;
Mentor and train members of the engineering team increasing individual and company engineering capability;
Build-out engineering team. Interview and hire engineers as company grows;
Assist the sales team in understanding the engineering impacts of site specific or customer specific requirements, preparing cost estimates and technical proposals. Build infrastructure that increases the company’s ability to perform high quality pre-sales engineering with minimal overhead expense;
Assist with contract review and negotiation in terms of engineering, testing or monitoring requirements;
Assist project managers and construction mangers with the successful completion of projects and participate in the resolution of field related issues that require engineering input;
Have overall P/L responsibility for the engineering team where the engineering department is considered a service provider to other departments in the company;
Assist purchasing manager to understand and evaluate various products from an engineering/technical standpoint. Periodically meet with vendors to learn about the technical aspects of their products. Disseminate this information appropriately throughout the company.

Basic Qualifications:
Degree in electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering.
Experienced engineering manager or construction manager for commercial /industrial construction projects;
Highly organized and detail oriented. Able to prioritize and multitask effectively;
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to convey technical concepts in a concise manner to customers, sub contractors, co workers and executive management;
Strong understanding of the NEC and UBC and other related codes and standards;
Fluent in ACAD, MSWord, Excel and MS Project;
Confident, assured and easy going style and able to manage to both timeline and profitability requirements;
Ability to translate company vision into actionable plans that result increased capacity for the company to efficiently respond to and secure commercial projects;
Experienced in large commercial photovoltaic power systems preferred but not mandatory. Training will be provided if candidate has no previous solar electric design experience;
Able to foresee the human resources required for growth and effectively hire, mentor and build a world class team that is able to parallel our fast- moving commercial sales team.
Preferred Qualifications:
California PE.

Company
REC Solar is a solar electric system integrator specializing in the design and installation of residential and commercial solar systems. Our vision is to make solar electricity a part of the mainstream energy supply. While still being a medium-sized employer, REC Solar is a market leader in the solar electric industry, experiencing growth rates in excess of 75%/year.
REC Solar’s vision is to make solar electricity part of the mainstream energy supply. By commercializing energy sources that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, we can contribute to a more secure and sustainable world.
We offer an attractive compensation and benefits package designed to reward you for your hard work and performance. Our benefits include competitive base pay, bonus, paid time off and health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision and 401K.
At REC Solar we consider the environmental impact of our business decisions whenever possible. To minimize paper waste, we request that all candidates send resumes via our website. Apply online at

Relocation:
Negotiable

Location:
San Luis Obispo

Now is the time to seize solar power jobs while the iron is hot.  Oil price plunges may temporarily alleviate the financial situation that makes some technologies viable in the short term, but that is all the more reason to focus on research that delivers energy solutions that is price competitive whether oil is $150 a barrel or $15, Other wise we will all watch pain pump lawsuits turn into pain-at-the-pump lawsuits, we just can’t afford not to do something this time around.