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]]>Do you believe today’s high school graduates are prepared to secure America’s energy future?
A continued lack of vision for an integrated energy network has left us with a sizable gap, most notably in human resources. America’s power grid needs an overhaul and renewables offer a sustainable solution to lower energy costs, improve resiliency through decentralization, and create equitable energy distribution. However, the US has been slow to implement the changes needed. To achieve this we will need a skilled and diverse workforce in every US county that will both build and maintain assets.
A Solution So Simple, Yet Challenging
Europe provides a fine example for retraining established trades or catering to fresh recruits. The region has taken an integrated approach to apprentice programs in renewables and EVs, building pathways for applied learning towards a university degree. Innovative utilities and power electronics companies, with support from the government, are driving both education and deployment, with natural pathways to employment. There is a clear understanding that workforce development and sustainable corporate growth go hand in hand.
In contrast, in the USA, blue collar jobs in coal and O&G, have typically been sourced from unskilled labor forces which are taught in the field and in the mine after being hired. Coincidentally, these skills were not transferable to other jobs and sectors. This was sustainable when these industries were growing and before the new generation of workers realized there are better and more importantly greener career paths. In 2022 these sectors continue to see reductions in their workforce as automation and digitalization are rapidly deployed to reduce costs.
Since solar has become cheaper than natural gas and coal, trade skills demand has outpaced workforce availability. With multiple career pathways in a disruptive and emerging industry, the US has an opportunity to quickly incorporate lessons to build our own skilled workforce.
Schools STEM Change
Solar education is pivotal for the US energy transition and students are eager to learn. Over the past 30 years, school districts around the country have largely phased out vocational classes in lieu of STEM only courses. More emphasis is placed on students achieving four year college degrees, while blue collar careers are not properly encouraged at the middle or high school levels. These types of jobs are needed and offer students alternative careers without student debt. The call for more vocational, alternative learning methods, is steadily growing, spurring educators to consider new options for their students to achieve career readiness in emerging industries with large growth opportunities.
Solar Pioneers of Del Valle
A case for success and scale is certainly the Solar Pioneers of Del Valle. The community-based program was led by Solar Austin quickly gained traction when Del Valle ISD partnered with community leaders, solar experts, teachers, and students to design a learning lab at their Opportunity Center.
Workforce development is not a regional issue when it comes to new energy careers. However, schools need curriculum, subject matter experts to “train the trainers,” and then liaisons between students and employers. A challenge multiplier is the fact that the Department of Labor has yet to designate an apprentice program for solar.
Del Valle illustrates an opportunity to learn by doing. Local leaders from NATiVE Solar and Solar Austin joined with community volunteers to drive success, until state or federal funding for solar jobs can formalize efforts. To scale beyond regional initiatives, state/federal funding for equipment, teacher salaries, scholarships, and administrators is urgently needed.
Ways to Engage and Educate
Schools are a gateway, but what about those that aren’t enrolled in public schools?
The Children’s Haven new solar array was installed by volunteers in the heart of East Austin and offered a one-day solar camp to educate the community. Green Careers Dallas takes on an additional challenge by offering support for the unique hurdles of criminal records while removing the cost burdens of training, certifications, and transportation.
Community engagement through town hall meetings, advocacy groups, trade organizations and solar installers offer support and access to reliable information. The recent shift towards remote and virtual workforces has created an opportunity to transition and potentially a breakthrough in delivery of dynamic content and curriculum, with all the elements of hands-on and classroom learning.
A Virtual Solution
The mission to integrate new curriculum, experimental education facility and innovative learning platform has an elegant solution. Augmented and Virtual (AR/VR) Reality are ways to engage the next generation of trainees and modernize tech training. The US Air Force illustrates a great use case for recruiting and training with a VR system coordinated by artificial intelligence. Austin also offers a few early adopters with Interplay Learning and Froliq.
Furthermore, remote access to energy assets is easily interfaced with a smartphone that instantly augments the user experience with troubleshooting tools as demonstrated by 60 Hertz Energy. Adoption of digital platforms in schools, construction and utilities will need to be abrupt, but offer immediate payback with increased energy efficiency.
Notwithstanding hands on learning labs, students can supplement learning and gain practical skills with virtual learning. Many volunteers who want to participate in the program may struggle to travel through Texas to teach the different classes across school districts. Lectures recorded by experts on emerging topics are important for students and need timely delivery methods. Additionally, the students could use custom VR “games” to practice their skills before touching live circuits. This could save time in the classroom, promote safety, and allow students more opportunities to practice.
Leveraging AR/VR would allow for collaboration and development of streamlined sharing between stakeholders. The curriculum and technology can be devised by a group of experts and then implemented with less work from local schools. Since it would be theoretically easier to implement the program, more schools may consider providing it for their students.
The mission and goal is to accelerate solar education to place students in well-paying jobs, help them avoid the financial burdens of student loans, and create more quality jobs for energy security and resilience.
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]]>The post Virtual Power Plants Catalyze Grid Stability in Texas appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.
]]>Bringing Energy Equality to Renters in Texas with Virtual Power Plants
Historically, choosing solar energy as a way to cut down on electric bills and add value to homes has only been a viable option for people with good credit and the ability to purchase a home. With a new program, however, the opportunity to power one’s place of residence with solar is being extended to renters and people with lower credit scores through virtual power plants, community solar and innovative storage.
Project TexFlex
The apartments at 2410 Waugh Street in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood will become the first installation of “Project TexFlex,” a program created by flexible energy provider PearlX Infrastructure and global leader in smart energy technology, SolarEdge Technologies. Together, these two companies have collaborated to create a novel residential clean energy solution for renters in Texas. NATiVE Solar is also a part of this innovative project, and has been granted an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract. These companies are working together to install community solar and battery storage in apartment complexes to create “Virtual Power Plants” (VPPs), also known as resilience hubs, which are meant to help stabilize the Texas grid. By installing these systems on the roofs of apartment buildings, Project TexFlex is empowering renters who would otherwise be shut out of the residential solar market.
How it Works
Project TexFlex aims to increase energy resilience in Texas by reducing strain on the grid. “A lack of localized renewable energy sources makes ERCOT vulnerable to failure and power outages such as the ones that occurred in the winter storm in February 2021. The battery storage in VPPs facilitate the delivery of energy back into the grid during a blackout which helps to both support and stabilize the grid. By increasing the number of VPPs within a community, power becomes more reliable for everyone. VPPs have the ability to significantly reduce grid strain during energy shortages, and as more VPPs are installed, the likelihood of mass power outages will continue to decrease” says Alex Rozenfeld, Founder and Managing Director of Climate Impact Capital.
Bringing Clean Energy Solutions to Renters
The ability to bridge the gap between renters and clean energy solutions is extremely important due to the growing trend in families with children who are renting their homes instead of buying them. According to an article posted by CultureMap Houston, this demographic is on the rise in the thirty largest US metros, with Houston being no exception. Many of these tenants are also low to medium-income families, and should benefit from the more affordable, flexible, and resilient energy that solar provides. PearlX’s mission is to use Project TexFlex to help reduce energy poverty and expand clean energy access.
Working Towards Energy Equality
In striving for energy equality, PearlX will not require tenants to present an industry-defined adequate credit score, but rather simply show proof that they have paid their most recent electricity bills on time. This allows tenants who live within TexFlex properties to access the benefits of solar even with inadequate credit scores. As stated by Michael Huerta, CEO of PearlX, “Mainstream solar and especially storage has traditionally been an amenity for the wealthy. If you don’t have good credit, you don’t have access…Payment for electricity we believe is the highest form of credit. When you look at the data, electric bills are paid before rent, cell phone bills, even car payments.” With PearlX underwriting the TexFlex project, tenants of all credit scores, provided that they have paid their last electric bill, will be able to access the benefits that solar energy provides to both them and their communities.
Texas and Beyond
While the Montrose apartment community is a smaller scale project with only fourteen individual apartments, PearlX has already signed an agreement with the complex’s developers to continue to scale up the project and offer it at other multi-family real estate properties across Texas. After developing further in Texas, similar projects will continue in California and several other US states later this year.
With the launch of this new clean energy solution, PearlX, SolarEdge, and NATiVE Solar are creating a widely replicable, decentralized model that will facilitate Texas’ energy transition, while offering safeguards against grid failures. At the same time, energy consumers across the state will benefit from more cost-effective and reliable power. This win-win solution is the first of its kind, and shows us how private entities can step in to provide energy solutions when public utilities are insufficient. By continuing to support projects such as TexFlex, we can make Texas more resilient and bring affordable clean energy solutions to those who would otherwise be locked out of participating in the solar market.
Learn more about NATiVE Solar and CIC Energy Holdings
The post Virtual Power Plants Catalyze Grid Stability in Texas appeared first on Climate Impact Capital.
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