Come join us in beautiful Hawaii! Learn about solar-electricity during the day and explore the beauty and beaches of Oahu after class. The classroom is located just minutes away from downtown Honolulu, with access to a plethora of nightlight and cultural activities. Use the following link to see a full calendar of events in Honolulu.
There are also round-trip, inter-island flights to the Kauai, Maui, or the Big Island for $150 and below per person. Each island has its own special charms, such as Kauai's dramatic ridges and lush coastlines, Maui's classic honeymoon spot with beautiful beaches and spectacular Haleakala crater, and the Big Island's flowing volcano. There is so much to see, we highly recommend extending your stay to take in some of the grandeur.
The classroom is located at Inter-Island Solar, which is the busiest warehouse for PV and solar thermal supplies in Honolulu. You will be surrounded by the equipment and parts that you’ll be working with in the PV industry. However, because the classroom is in an actual working warehouse, it’ll sometimes be noisy and hot, so come prepared.
Classroom Details
Class will run from approximately 9:00 am to 5:00pm. Please plan to arrive at the classroom no later than 8:45 on Monday morning so that the instructors can check you into the class. Lunch will be from approximately 12:00-1:00 pm each day, in addition to a short morning and afternoon break.
The Grid-Tied PV workshop will have 4 ½ days of classroom lecture and a ½ of day of tours and hands-on labs.
The Advanced PV: Design Criteria and NEC Compliance will have four days of classroom lecture and a day of tours and speakers.
Transportaton
Closest Airport:
Honolulu International Airport (HNL)—1.5 miles from the classroom.
Rental Cars:
For a list of rental car agencies and directions to the classroom from the airport, please click on the following links:
Honolulu Rental Car Agencies and Directions
Flights
The Honolulu International Airport is less than 2 miles from the classroom. There are also inter-island flights that are approximately $250 round trip per person. These trips are for sight-seeing and you can visit the Kauai, Maui, or the Big Island. Our local coordinator highly recommends this as it is well worth seeing the different islands' special charms, such as Kauai's dramatic ridges and lush coastlines, Maui's classic honeymoon spot with beautiful beaches and spectacular Haleakala crater and the Big Island's flowing volcano.
Taxi
Roughly a $30/trip for the 8 miles from most Waikiki hotels to classroom location.
Lodging
Below is a list of some local lodging options to consider. Please call them directly for more information on the cost and condition of the hotels. Make sure to mention that you will be there for several days in order to get extended stay discounts. For a complete list of hotels, please visit the following links for either mapquest.com or hotels.com
Most hotels in Honolulu will be no more than 10 miles from the classroom location. That said, the 8 mile trip from Waikiki to the classroom location will be in traffic and could take more than a half hour. However, if you stay in Waikiki you can enjoy the beach after class!
Hostel
Waikiki Beachside Hostel at 866-478-3888 or 808-923-9566
Camping
For information about camping on the beach, click here. Note: most state parks have a campsite fee of $5.00 or $10.00, and you need a permit (free). Also, there is no camping on Wednesday or Thursday night in most of these sites.
Food
Each day we will break for an hour around noon for lunch. There are plenty of restaurants within a mile of the classroom for lunch, in addition you are welcome to bring your lunch and eat at the classroom. As expected, there's a plethora of restaurants serving wonderful seafood. There are over 20 restaurants within a mile of the classroom, including a Chinese restaurant, a 'Jack-in-the-Box' a diner, and Ranch 99 Marketplace which is local hot spot with 20+ vendors specializing in Asian food. For a list of restaurants in the immediate area, please click here.
What to Bring
The weather in Hawaii this time of year should be mild and the evenings cool. But be prepared for rain. Since we will be doing outdoor labs during the week, we recommend that you bring a hat, raingear, gloves, sunscreen and a water bottle. Also remember we will be on a work site the last 2 days, so bring appropriate work clothes with layers of clothes to account for changing weather temperatures. Good work shoes are important with good tread and covered toes (ie. hiking boots or sneakers)... And of course, bring your surf board...
Weather: The weather in Honolulu in November should be in the 80s during the day and then drop into the 70s at night. For a more detailed look at the weather, go to weather.com.
Special Notes:
Please bring the following to the Grid-Tied and Advanced Workshops:
- Pen and pencil
- Paper for notetaking
- A calculator (preferably with trig functions)
- Black, red and green colored pencils for schematics
- Water bottle and anything you need in order to stay cool
Sunscreen and hat (for tours and labs)
Hawaii Renewable Energy Tax Credits
To find out more about the renewable energy tax credits for installing solar hot water or photovoltaics on your home in Hawaii, click here.
Co-sponsor: Thanks to our sponsor