PV Development for Institutions Course

The PV Development for Institutions course was inspired by and designed upon lessons learned from the MREA’s U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) award, the Solar Endowment: A PV Investment Roadmap for U.S. Universities and Foundations. Through this project, the MREA partnered with higher education institutions to develop campus plans for investing in large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) energy. The MREA guided campus teams through the project development process, including engaging relevant stakeholders, evaluating relevant legal and regulatory restrictions, analyzing energy use and potential sites, modeling investment returns, and preparing competitive solicitation documents. By expanding and applying these efforts to a new cohort of higher education institutions through the PV Development for Institutions course, the MREA seeks to further enable the higher education community to deploy PV and make investments that advance their foundation and sustainability goals.

The course will run January 29 through March 25, 2018, prefaced by MREA’s PV 101: Basic Photovoltaics course running in January 2018. 

View Syllabus.

The Winter 2018 cohort is now full. Please check back for updates regarding the next offering.

Nick Hylla – Executive Director, Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA)
Nick is the Executive Director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association where he works in partnership with organizations throughout the Midwest to advance renewable energy education and market development initiatives. Nick holds an MS degree in natural resource management, has more than 10 years of experience in non-profit leadership, and has served as the Principal Investigator on five U.S. Department of Energy assistance agreements as part of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). These efforts, focused on reducing cost and increasing market penetration for solar PV systems, have supported the development of the MREA Professional Certificate Program, Midwest Grow Solar Partnership, and the Solar University Network.  

Brad Rutledge – Independent Contractor, U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Before moving to Colorado in 2013, Brad Rutledge practiced for over 30 years in Michigan as an attorney, investment banker, or financial advisor in the area of public finance. During that time he helped municipalities, including public and private colleges and universities, issue billions of dollars of tax-exempt bonds. Since coming to Colorado, he has focused on clean energy matters and has worked with the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) on two separate contracts relating to the expansion of solar energy in the State. The last of these was a contract serving as an advisor to municipalities looking to achieve a designation under the SolSmart Program, a national program funded by the Department of Energy designed to help cities, towns, and counties gain recognition for streamlining their solar planning, zoning, permitting and inspection.

Mr. Rutledge has been a frequent writer and speaker on public finance. He also has extensive experience outside that field as a speaker, essayist, actor, director, playwright, and charitable volunteer and board member. Mr. Rutledge received his B.S. degree in Economics and Business, summa cum laude, in 1976 from Rockford College, Rockford, Illinois, and his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, in 1979 from the University of Michigan School of Law, Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is a member in good standing of the State Bar of Michigan.

Adam Mehr – Certificate Program Coordinator, MREA
Adam works out of the MREA’s Minneapolis office and supports the organization’s renewable energy trainings and workforce development initiatives. Prior to joining the MREA in 2015, he served as an AmeriCorps member with Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa and partnered with another Minnesota nonprofit, the Renewable Energy Alliance, to increase solar energy access to low-income households. Over the course of his service, Adam helped deploy solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems for over 60 low-income households in the Upper Midwest. He has degrees from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Eric Rehm – Solar Finance Manager, MREA
Eric came to the MREA with nearly 20 years of experience working in the public sector, specializing in sustainable policy development, clean energy financing, and program administration. Eric spent nearly five years working at the Minnesota Department of Commerce Division of Energy Resources where he was responsible for management of the State’s portfolio of clean energy financing programs, which provided cost-effective financial resources to the residential, commercial business, public sector and nonprofit markets in Minnesota. With over a decade of experience working in the municipal sector overseeing municipal operations contracts, comprehensive master plan development, and developing numerous energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, and financing programs, Eric offers his pragmatism, attention to detail, and experience with project delivery to assist municipalities, universities, and nonprofit organizations better understand the financial risks and opportunities associated with investing in solar PV projects.

Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, with emphasis in public policy and administration from Northern Arizona University and is currently enrolled in the Hamline University MBA Program.

Jared Schoch – Principal and Founder, TurningPoint Energy
Mr. Schoch is the principal and founder of TurningPoint Energy where he leads a team of veteran solar development executives focused on developing large scale solar and related clean tech power plants, advising utility, clean tech and corporate clients and investing in unique cleantech project opportunities. Over his career, he has managed more than 500 MW ($1.7 billion) of solar and energy efficiency projects working with utilities, school districts, cities, counties, hospitals, federal agencies and industrial clients throughout the United States. Prior to starting TurningPoint Energy, he worked for SOLON Corporation as its vice president and general manager of the U.S. power plants business where he helped expand and restructure the U.S. business leaving it positioned for success and profitability forward. Prior to that, Schoch spent nearly five years starting and organically growing SunEdison’s utility-scale solar development business throughout the United States. Schoch also worked as a leader in business development at Johnson Controls in energy efficiency services, and prior to that as a marketing consultant launching various products and services in the high tech space during the 1990s. He holds a master of business administration degree from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and a bachelor of arts from Loyola University New Orleans.

Shane Stennes – Director of Sustainability, University of Minnesota 
In this role, Shane works with staff, students, and faculty to advance campus sustainability, particularly as relates to energy, food, construction, transportation, water, and waste management systems. For the past two years Shane has been leading the campus’ renewable energy program, which currently has contracts for over 57,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity in 2018. Prior to becoming Director of Sustainability in 2015, Shane served in a variety of related roles including Chief Administrative Officer for the University’s Facilities Management department and Human Resource Manager for University operations. Shane has a BA in Political Science and International Relations from St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict, and a Master of Human Resources degree from the University of South Carolina.