Tag Archives: grant

It’s All About The Jobs: More Funds Flow To Solar Workforce Development

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

How do you know the solar industry is now a serious player in the economy of the United States? More money is flowing from the government into research on how to develop the workforce that is necessary to fill the jobs it’s creating.

Following news that The Solar Foundation received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to foster training for veterans (among others) comes news that the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has received a grant from the office for $6 million – three times as much – to develop the data science and analytical skills needed to manage the more integrated grid of the future.

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EPRI, along with a collaborative of electric utilities and universities, will launch the Grid-Ready Energy Analytics Training (GREAT) with Data initiative before the end of 2018. The initiative will address workforce skills in four key, emerging technical areas: (1) data science, including descriptive, prescriptive, and predictive analytics, and machine learning; (2) cyber security; (3) information and communication technologies, with an emphasis on interoperability and standardization technologies; and, (4) integration of solar photovoltaic and other distributed energy resources such as energy storage, electric vehicles, and demand response.

This initiative will focus on engineers and computer scientists, with an expanded focus on the new technologies, datasets, and planning tools at the intersection of power system operations and technology (OT) and information technology (IT) in an advanced, electrical power system. Additionally, the program will develop certifications, credentials, qualifications, and standards for the training and education needed in the electric utility industry workplace.

“The engineers of today and tomorrow need to understand the tools and analytics necessary to make sense of the intersection of OT and IT that is transforming the grid,” said EPRI Principal Technical Executive and GREAT project lead Tom Reddoch. “This project is about growing and supporting that workforce with the skills they need to be successful.”

Because electric utilities rely heavily on regional resources from which they obtain assets and people, the GREAT team also will develop five strategic regional training hubs across the United States to prioritize, guide, and customize content development, feedback, and training to support regional workforce needs. The five-year initiative will build upon the existing GridEd program, which EPRI has run for the past five years for the Energy Department, to train and recruit power systems workers and develop university curricula for new engineers and computer scientists.

Utility participants on the project development team include: American Electric Power, Austin Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Con Edison, Duke Energy, Entergy, FirstEnergy, Lincoln Electric System, Portland General Electric, Riverside Public Utilities, Salt River Project, Snohomish Public Utility District, Southern California Edison, Southern Company, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Western Area Power Administration.

Collaborating universities include: Stony Brook University; University of California, Riverside; Virginia Tech; and Washington State University.

Solar Jobs Development Gets Infusion Of Government Cash

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

The Solar Foundation has received a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office to expand its solar jobs training efforts, focusing particularly on veterans.

This new program will include an effort to support solar industry apprenticeships for hundreds of transitioning military veterans, preparing them for leadership roles in a rapidly growing industry. The program will also provide expert assistance to help the solar industry leverage workforce development resources and hire more workers from underserved communities.

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The Solar Foundation was selected as a part of the Energy Department’s FY2018 SETO funding program, an effort to invest in new projects that will lower solar electricity costs and support a growing solar workforce. The Solar Foundation will work alongside other projects in the funding program to develop training programs that prepare the solar workforce for a more digital electric power system and enable veterans and transitioning military personnel to join the solar workforce.

This new program will expand on The Solar Foundation’s current and previous efforts to help build a pipeline of qualified solar workers across the country, through initiatives such as the Solar Training Network, Solar Ready Vets, and the National Solar Jobs Census.

“We’re committed to building a solar workforce that can meet the urgent challenges of the 21st century,” said Andrea Luecke, President and Executive Director at The Solar Foundation. “This new program will help veterans and other job seekers develop advanced technical skills and become America’s future solar leaders.”

Working with industry partners, the new program will create solar industry apprenticeships for hundreds of veterans departing the armed forces, and develop a scalable model to train even more in the future. This effort will take advantage of the transferable skills that make service members outstanding candidates for careers in solar.

The new solar jobs effort will be led by The Solar Foundation with partnership from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), and Cypress Creek Renewables.