The Ironworkers International is pleased to announce the development of the very first SolarWall® installer training program. The launch of a certified solar air heating training program for commercial and industrial applications is the first-of-its-kind in the world. It is generating a tremendous amount of political and industry interest, and the Iron Workers are pleased to be on the cutting edge of this new and exciting green technology.
The SolarWall® technology has always been synonymous with solar air heating and the widespread endorsement of the technology from government agencies and past clients is spurring significant uptake. This represented an opportunity for the Ironworkers to establish their members as essential contributors to the solar air heating sector in the United States and Canada, while at the same time providing SolarWall® clients with the highest quality installation. The certification program will also create a trained labor-force across the country to help with more widespread deployment of the SolarWall® technology.
SolarWall® systems are building integrated and therefore require a skilled installer to ensure proper integration into the building envelope. SolarWall® was developed by Conserval Engineering, who partnered with the Ironworkers and Pennsylvania contractor G.M. McCrossin to develop the curriculum.
"SolarWall systems are part of the exciting and emerging green economy and it is a great thing that Iron Workers are an integral part of the workforce making the world a better place to live for future generations" said General President Joseph Hunt. "Adding this new technology to existing buildings and erecting it on new construction projects will not only help put Americans back to work but it can also help this country in the battle to achieve energy independence and reduce the greenhouse gases produced by using conventional means to heat buildings. The Iron Workers have the training in place across North America and are positioned as the workforce which is trained to properly install this new technology."
According to Conserval
The SolarWall® technology was developed by Conserval Engineering, who commercialized solar air heating around the world. SolarWall® systems offer large-scale energy reductions by heating the ventilation air required in commercial, industrial and institutional applications. They can also be combined with photovoltaic (PV) panels to create a hybrid system generating both heat and electricity. The SolarWall® technology has received commendation from both the U.S. Department of Energy and Natural Resources Canada, and has been used in 30+ countries around the world by private and public sector organizations like the U.S. Army, Canadian Government, NASA, Ford, FedEx, Auchan, Owens Corning, Wal-Mart and 3M. Conserval has offices in Buffalo-NY, Toronto-Canada, Paris-France and a distribution channel in 25 countries..
About G. M. McCrossin
G.M. McCrossin, Inc. (GMM) is a full service union contractor, with planning, scheduling, budgeting, permitting and design-build capabilities. They maintain comprehensive general, mechanical, foundation and electrical construction divisions. For over fifty years, GMM has been providing a multitude of specialized heavy construction services for a wide variety of commercial, institutional and governmental clients throughout the mid-Atlantic region. GMM is proud of their formal safety program, outstanding safety record and the numerous safety awards they have earned.