Recently the MREA received national accreditation for their Site Assessment Certificate Program from The American National Standard Institute and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The program will launch in Madison, WI this March with offerings in other parts of Wisconsin later this year.

CUSTER, WI – February 19, 2013 – In an effort to improve the quality of renewable energy work in the marketplace and to help establish benchmarks for the sector, The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) developed a standard to evaluate and accredit exceptional educational programs in renewable energy.

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), a Wisconsin-based renewable energy education facility, took part in the pilot phase of the program and earned accreditation for their Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Site Assessment Certificate Program through ANSI-IREC. This accreditation demonstrates to students, policymakers, funders, and employers that programs have demonstrated meeting all requirements for issuing a market-valued certificate. "The ANSI-IREC accreditation program is of the highest quality in the field of renewable energy," says Nicole Rice, MREA Training Network Coordinator. "Students can be confident that the knowledge and skills they will gain from participating in MREA's Solar Thermal Site Assessment Program will allow them to provide quality services in the field."

The MREA is launching the 2013 offerings of their Solar Thermal Site Assessment Certificate accredited program in Madison, Wisconsin this March. The program begins with the course Solar Domestic Hot Water, offered on March 2 at Goodman Community Center, and Solar Water Site Assessor Training, offered on March 3 at Goodman Community Center.

For more information about the courses that lead toward the ANSI-IREC accredited Certificate, visit the course catalog at https://www.midwestrenew.org/workshops. For more information about the Certificate program, visit the professional credentialing page at https://www.midwestrenew.org/credentialing.

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization. Founded in 1990, the MREA promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living through education and demonstration. To learn more, call 715-592-6595 or visit www.midwestrenew.org.