Solar Pulling Veterans Out of the Trenches, Training Program to Expand

A program launched in 2008 by the Department of Energy (DoE) has provided training for more than 30,000 students in solar power and has certified nearly 1,100 solar instructors at more than 400 community colleges in 49 states. The department hopes to train 50,000 students by 2020.

The success of this program and the increase in solar financing for projects around the country has encouraged the U.S. Military to expand its Solar Ready Vets program. The Federal Times reported the pilot program initially launched in 2015 at three U.S. bases: Camp Pendleton, Calif., Fort Carson, Colo.. and Naval Station Norfold, Va.

Approximately 100 veterans have benefited from the program and have graduated with certifications in photovoltaic system installation, solar inspection and sales and financing. Forty more veterans are expected to graduate by the end of the year, per the Federal Times.

The job training program has been so successful that the military is increasing its financing and expanding to seven other bases in 2016. The specific bases have not been determined, nor has the number of veterans to be trained.

Solar has quickly become the top dog in renewable energy, with billions in financing pouring in and miles of farms being built across the country. According to the Federal Times, employment in the solar industry has risen 86 percent since November 2012 and one in 78 new jobs created last year was in solar. Additionally, in the solar industry’s push to be cost-competitive, prices will drop to encourage more projects. The DoE expects an additional 36,000 jobs in solar in 2016 and industry experts envision as many as 2900,000 new jobs by 2030.

Today, veterans make up 10 percent of the solar industry’s 174,000 employees, per the Federal Times. The military’s expanding training program–which is supported by solar giants SolarCity, Vivint Solar, Sunrun, SunEdison and SunPower–will offer invaluable training in renewable energy’s fastest growing field.

“Solar Ready Vets leverages the talent, work ethic and skills that our transitioning service members gain from the military, enabling them to enter the rapidly growing solar energy industry,” Dr. Lidija Sekaric, director of the SunShot Initiative told Federal Times. “During the first year of our Solar Ready Vests pilot, every single program graduate was offered a job in solar.”

According to Energy.gov, solar power has increased thirteen fold, and current projects produce enough energy to power 3.2 million homes. And solar, really, is just getting started. As financing increases and the industry grows, so will the job opportunities. With over 190,000 veterans leaving the service every year, Solar Ready Vets is a soft place to land and an unprecedented opportunity to grow.

AS Sekaric explained to Federal Times, “We are looking forward to expanding this initiative to ten total installations so that we can reach more transitioning service members and veterans, while helping to build the solar workforce of the future.”

Alex Kirkwood is a renewable energy writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Elements Capital Group. Follow on Twitter