ONTILITY Responds to Solar Jobs Growth

Nationally recognized solar training company ONTILITY and will offer its Solar Electric Training on October 24-28, on the campus of the University of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. Recent research findings show continued very strong growth in solar electric job growth nationwide.

Solar Electric Trainingprovides students with basic knowledge of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, modules, and system components; electrical circuits; PV system design, estimation, and code requirements; solar electric products and applications; an understanding of energy conversion from sunlight to electricity, and how to work with solar conversion equipment. The course is based on the photovoltaic installation job task analysis developed by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, NABCEP. The course focuses on real-world, site-specific knowledge. Hands-on training covers site surveys; mechanical and electrical design, safety and construction issues; tool and test equipment use; best-practice construction skills; national code and local inspection issues.

The course is suitable for anyone interested in solar energy. Those looking for new career opportunities have found it valuable as have entrepreneurs, electricians, electrical, mechanical and general contractors and others in the building trades who are interested in business opportunities in solar.

In a preview of its soon to be released, "National Solar Jobs Census 2011: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce", the Solar Foundation announced recently that the number of Americans working in the solar energy industry has topped 100,000 and that between August 2010 and August 2011, 6,735 new workers have been hired in all 50 states; an increase of 6.8% in the number of U.S. solar workers.

Jobs in the economy overall grew by only 0.7% during that same time period, and the fossil fuel electric generation sector lost 2% of its workforce.

Andrea Luecke, executive director of The Solar Foundation said, "The National Solar Jobs Census series provides a definitive measure of the U.S. solar workforce and its growth over time. It proves where smart solar energy policies are having the most impact both in terms of states and across the vast solar supply chain."

"Solar is a job-creating phenomenon in an economy that is flat-lining, with near 7% year-on-year increase in the number of Americans working in the industry," said Danny Kennedy, president of residential solar installer Sungevity and member of The Solar Foundation's board of directors. "This is a sign of a thriving industry - due to the demand for lower cost, clean electricity that creates value in America."

The full 2011 National Solar Jobs Census examines employment throughout the solar industry, including installation, sales and marketing, solar training, wholesale trade, manufacturing and other fields. It is highly detailed and includes state-by-state growth rates and job numbers for 31 separate occupations.

“The rapid growth of the solar market demands a well-trained workforce and is a key element in the long-term success of the solar industry,” according to ONTILITY Director of Education, Ken Whiteside. He continued, “A comprehensive introductory solar energy course which includes system design and installation is a great way for anyone to get started in solar.” The upcoming 40 hour ONTILITY class consists of five days of training, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day. Those who complete the course are eligible to sit for the NABCEP PV Entry Level Exam. The 40 credits earned by completing the class also satisfy the education requirement for NABCEP PV Installer certification.

About ONTILITY

In just over one year, ONTILITY has grown from a start up to a 60M Solar Distribution, Solar Training and Solar Projects Enablement leader. ONTILITY supplies top quality PV panels, inverters, mounting hardware and other solar products to solar integrators and other qualified solar contracting firms. Additionally, ONTILITY is one of the nation's largest solar training organizations, featuring NABCEP, DOE and IREC courses. To complement its distribution and training divisions, ONTILITY offers a full portfolio of solar project support services. ONTILITY is one of the largest solar players in the U.S. with a leading market share in many of the top solar markets.

ONTILITY is committed to the solar market and solar industry development. Learn Solar through our professional training. Buy Solar from our stocking warehouse of superior products at competitive prices. Accelerate Your Solar Business with our full range of partner support services including engineering and design consulting, due diligence and financial support, custom training and educational consulting. ONTILITY brings you best-in-class solar training, energy efficiency training, solar products distribution and support for solar installers, dealers and integrators.

• Solar Products - Over 120 Manufacturers / Maintains over 20M in Monthly Inventory
• Solar Training - NABCEP and IREC Training Courses and Certification Programs
• Design Support – End-to-End Design and Engineering Support Services
• Consulting Support – NABCEP Certified Installation Consultants to Support Your Projects
• Financial Support – Financial Solutions for Your Business and Customers
• Rebate Support – Rebate Assistance and Coverage Solutions
• Logistics Support – Remote, Field, Project Site and Rooftop Delivery Solutions
• Marketing Support – Websites, Collateral, Business cards, Co-branding

More Information, Please Call or Visit Us: 877.558.7479 or www.ontility.com.

ONTILITY's Solar PV, Solar Thermal and Greenovation Solution Expected to Turn Corporate Headquarter to Energy Neutral

ONTILITY Teams with Smith & Associates to Delivery Solar and Energy Efficiency Greenovation Project ONTILITY's Solar PV, Solar Thermal and Greenovation Solution Expected to Turn Corporate Headquarter to Energy Neutral HOUSTON, TX – (October 13, 2011) – Smith & Associates, a Houston based leader in the electronics distribution market, has teamed with Houston based solar and energy efficiency leader ONTILITY to go green and move closer to its 2020 corporate goal of being an energy neutral and zero waste global company. The Smith & Associates solar and energy efficiency greenovation project features many of the solar and energy efficiency industries leading firms, technologies and solutions, including; Solar Community, SANYO Solar, Schuco, Cooper, SoloPower, Lumeta, Advanced Energy, DECK, GE, Legrand, SolarBos, Fronius, and Green Mountain Energy. Financially and operationally, the solar and energy efficiency greenovation project is expected to save Smith & Associates between $220,000 and $300,000 annually.

"We love projects like the Smith & Associates project because they allow us to work closely with the client from the beginning of the process to the end of the process. Projects like this one allow ONTILITY and its value added partners to design and deliver a complete and high profile solar and energy efficiency Greenovation project." States Thomas Pash, ONTILITY's President and CEO.

"ONTILITY is a valuable and very knowledgeable partner. The ONTILITY team worked closely with us for over a year helping us set up a very complete green roadmap that aligned perfectly with what our organization wanted to accomplish today as well as 20 years from today. " Says Matthew Hartzell, Smith & Associates' COO. "Additionally, the project came in under budget and was complete a month ahead of schedule."

About the Project
Solar PV System Description: The Smith & Associates project will feature four, separate industry-leading PV systems utilizing a variety of proven and emerging solar PV technologies. The project will include a 47kW solar car parking structure using Sanyo 195W bifacial modules. Also incorporated in the project is a 30kW Lumeta Power Ply PV module system, a 25kW SoloPower thin film module system and a 36kW Schuco PV module system featuring Cooper Arista racking. To convert the DC electricity to AC electricity the solar PV systems will connect to industry leading inverters, including: two (2) 3-phase 12kw Fronius IG Plus inverters, two (2) 3-phase Advanced Energy 30kW inverters and one (1) 3-phase Advanced Energy 50kW inverter. Lastly, the project will feature DECK monitoring and ONTILITY's custom solar car parking structure. To maximize the solar power production and excess power, Smith & Associates is planning on teaming with Green Mountain Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy, by participating in the Renewable Rewards® Buy-Back Program.

Greenovation - Green Building: The complete project started with a comprehensive BPI energy audit to set the project baseline. A test out or final energy audit to verify actual performance and savings has also been completed. The Greenovation project features the following energy efficiency improvements; a brand new HVAC system and controls, LED parking lot lights, energy efficient HID exterior building lights, a new DOE approved white "Cool Roof" membrane with added insulation and six dual station GE electric vehicle charging stations. Lastly, a Schuco solar thermal system was added to meet all Smith & Associates hot water employee and manufacturing needs.

Smith and Associates Green and Sustainability Corporate Program: Smith & Associates has a green/sustainable corporate team that is focusing on making the entire global enterprise more sustainable as well as meeting the goal of becoming a energy neutral and zero waste company by 2020. Some initial components of the program include, free monthly Electric Vehicles (EV) for contest winners, an improved recycling and reuse program, a company sponsored and subsidized EV purchase program and a company sponsored and subsidized home solar PV power purchase and lease program. Smith is also providing free EV charging both at their corporate HQ and at home thanks to free GE EV residential charging stations.

See More About This Project
Smith and Associates have launched a dedicated section of Smithweb that provides a detailed overview of the Greenovation project, and a timeline of Smith's sustainability efforts. Please see more at: http://www.smithweb.com/en/company/smith-and-the-environment

About Smith and Associates
Founded in Houston in 1984, Smith & Associates is a leader in the independent distribution of semiconductors and electronic components to electronics and high-tech manufacturers. Smith offers shortage sourcing for commodity and obsolete parts, innovative purchasing and inventory management solutions, redistribution of excess inventory, and component stocking for warranty and repair programs. A privately held company, Smith & Associates employs more than 300 people worldwide, with annual revenue in excess of US$400 million. Smith's regional hubs in Houston, Hong Kong and Amsterdam are ISO certified and IDEA compliant. In addition, sales and purchasing offices are located in Silicon Valley, Barcelona, Guadalajara, New York, Denver, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Denver.

About ONTILITY

ONTILITY is committed to Connecting the Last Mile of the Solar Industry. Learn Solar design & installation through our professional solar training. Buy Solar from our stocking warehouse of superior solar products at competitive prices. Enjoy Solar Business Success with our full range of partner support services including engineering and design consulting, proposal support, sales and marketing programs, technology solutions, due diligence and financial support, lease programs, custom training and project consulting. Team with us on residential, commercial and large scale Solar Solutions. ONTILITY brings you best-in-class solar business and project training, products, support, services and solutions.