GRID Alternatives is kick-starting the school year with Solar Futures, a hands-on solar installation program designed to inspire the next generation of solar leaders. The program, created in partnership with SunPower, pairs classroom learning with real-world application of solar technology. Teams of high-school students from three Inland Empire school districts will apply the skills they’ve learned in class when they install solar panels on four Habitat for Humanity houses in Moreno Valley on November 2.
“Our students really look forward to the installation,” said Arroy Valley High School CORE Academy advisor Laura Gallardo. “They spend time in the classroom studying photovoltaic systems, and GRID provides them an opportunity to put their knowledge in action.” Gallardo has been involved with CORE (Cultivating Organic Recycling Environmentalists) since its inception in 2009. “We faced a few challenges initially recruiting teachers and business partners. But as CORE has grown I am pleased with our interaction with partners. GRID Inland Empire regularly contributes resources for both younger students as well as juniors and seniors.”
John Mesicek, an advisor with Desert Hot Springs High School REAL Academy (Renewable Energy Academy of Learning), voiced similar accolades. “Our students are excited to work with GRID. The installation gives them an up-close, first-hand experience. They learn the process of how a solar system is electronically connected,” he said. “Students are particularly interested in the final step as the system is engaged and the meter runs backwards.”
Norte Vista High School students are also participating through their GREEN Construction Academy (GCA). Their program is focused on college and career readiness. GCA’s goal is to build entry-level skills for students entering the emerging green economy through affiliation with industry leaders such as GRID and SunPower. Students recognize that California’s unique environment presents favorable conditions for solar power and the its many employment possibilities: In 2014 alone, the solar industry added more than 31,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, a growth of more than 20 percent over 2013.
Global solar energy leader SunPower partnered with GRID Alternatives to create Solar Futures as a way to enhance classroom learning about solar power, such as through SunPower’s Solar Science Academy, with the hands-on solar installation training that GRID provides. SunPower has donated 1 megawatt of high-efficiency solar panels and inverters to GRID as part of this initiative—enough to power approximately 300 homes. “Real change starts with our youth, which is why SunPower invests in solar and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education initiatives,” said Tom Werner, SunPower CEO. “We help students experience the technology first-hand and learn about diverse career paths available to them in the growing renewable energy sector. We look forward to working with GRID on the Solar Futures program, building on our combined expertise bringing solar from rooftops to classrooms.”