Training Vets for Solar Jobs; Deadlines Approach for Funding Opportunities

Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
SunShot Initiative
Veterans Graduate from Solar Job Training Pilot Program The first set of transitioning military service members graduated last week from the solar job training pilot program at Camp Pendleton in California. Minh Le, SunShot Initiative director, spoke at the ceremony. The pilot program provides participating military service members with four to six weeks of intensive solar training courses at no cost. Participants learn how to size and install solar energy systems and develop other related solar job skills. SunShot also announced two additional military bases that will host the solar job training pilot program – Fort Carson in Colorado and Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. The Camp Pendleton graduates have all been offered interviews with five prominent U.S. solar companies. Read more and see photos of the program’s first graduation ceremony. The first group of Marine trainees graduate from the Department of Energy’s solar job training pilot program at Camp Pendleton in California with SunShot Initiative Director Minh Le. Funding Opportunity: Solar Powering America by Recognizing Communities Announced on February 5, the Solar Powering America by Recognizing Communities (SPARC) funding program will establish a national recognition and technical assistance program for local governments, which will drive greater solar deployment and increase access to solar energy. SPARC will establish prominent national leadership recognition and technical assistance programs for local governments. The submission deadline for concept papers is March 5. Learn more and download the full funding opportunity. Postdoctoral Research Awards Accepting Applications SunShot is now accepting applications for postdoctoral researchers in solar energy to participate in the EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards. Up to five recent Ph.D. recipients will be selected for the program to conduct applied research projects at universities, national laboratories and other research facilities in order to advance breakthrough solar energy technologies. The application deadline is May 7, with the selection announcement coming in July.Read more about the proposed research topics and apply. SunShot Catalyst Innovators Take on Challenge The SunShot Catalyst Prize program was launched in 2014 to create connections and opportunities for collaboration among solar experts, business innovators, software developers, and entrepreneurs to address near-term challenges to greater solar deployment and reduce soft costs using data, apps and automation. Last week, SunShot launched a largest-of-its-kind online hackathon, where 17 teams selected to compete in Catalyst’s “prototyping” phase were awarded up to $25,000 worth of tools to run coding competitions for 60 days. Following the prototyping process, the teams will publically demonstrate their products before a panel of investors, judges, and their peers during the “demo day” in May, and based on their performance, the Department will award up to $500,000 in additional funds to advance these early stage solutions toward commercialization.Learn more about how SunShot Catalyst is driving the next generation of software solutions to cut solar costs. New Consumer Guide Answers Homeowners’ Solar Financing Questions The Clean Energy States Alliance has released a new guide to help homeowners learn the best ways for them to finance residential solar PV systems. The guide describes three popular financing choices – leases, loans, and power purchase agreements (PPAs) – and explains the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as how they compare to a direct cash purchase. It also provides a list of questions homeowners should ask before deciding if and how to proceed with installing a solar energy system. Download the free guide. Blog Post: A Rebound for the U.S. Solar Manufacturing Industry In the past nine months, U.S. solar manufacturing has shown unmistakable signs of growth. Three solar manufacturing companies that have received research and development funding from the SunShot Initiative have recently announced new factories or factory expansions in the U.S. These include a new 200 megawatt plant that is up and running in Michigan and an expansion of an Oregon manufacturing facility, with plans to create 200 new jobs there. A third company just broke ground on a 1 gigawatt capacity factory in New York. Read more about growth in U.S. solar manufacturing. Blog Post: No Roof, No Problem: Shared Solar Programs Make Solar Possible For You Don’t own a house with a suitable roof for solar panels? No problem. Shared solar programs enable renters, neighbors, and even small businesses, local nonprofits, and other entities to benefit from solar energy. Several projects funded by SunShot’s Solar Market Pathways program are exploring shared solar business models to support local approaches to develop multi-year plans, streamline deployment, and launch innovative programs that spur solar market growth in communities all across the U.S. Read moreabout the 15 Solar Market Pathways projects. New Technology to Help Desert Solar Sites The Environmental Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory has developed technology that will potentially reduce the soft costs of installing solar plants in desert locations. The newly developed remote sensing technology uses very high resolution imagery to detect and characterize detailed landscapes of desert environments. This technology will aid in developing low-cost solutions for monitoring changes in important landscape features, facilitating low-impact development and operation and timely responses to undesirable effects. Read more. New Report from NREL Investigates PV Interconnection Time Frames NREL's new report, “Understanding Processes and Timelines for Distributed Photovoltaic Interconnection in the United States,” presents a first-of-its kind analysis of residential and small commercial PV interconnection process time frames in the United States. This study includes an analysis of data from more than 30,000 PV systems across 87 utilities in 16 states to better understand how solar interconnection policies align with actual project completion timelines, which include application review and approval, system construction, inspection, and permission to operate. Read more.	Events Webinar: SunShot Incubator Virtual Showcase March 4 | 4:00 – 5:00pm ET This webinar will review SunShot’s popular Incubator program, including one-minute pitches from each awardee to discuss their project, upcoming plans, and needs.Register. 2015 Hands-On PV Experience (HOPE) Workshop July 19 – 25 | Golden, CO This workshop is an opportunity for Ph.D. graduate students and professors leading PV-related research groups to learn more about PV research at NREL in a hands-on, small group setting.Register. Webinar: FY16 EERE Budget Deep-Dive for Renewable Power March 5 | 2:30 – 3:00pm ET This webinar, hosted by Dep. Asst. Sec. for Renewable Power Doug Hollett, will provide an in-depth review of EERE’s proposed budget for solar, geothermal, wind, and water energy. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.Register. SunShot in the News "As public perception changes, solar energy poised for explosive growth" –Clean Energy Authority "DOE funding aimed at cutting soft costs of solar" – Fierce Energy "U.S. SunShot Initiative chief applauds jobs growth as program reaches 70% of target" – PV Tech "World's largest solar plant opens in California desert" – USA Today "Why the Dept. of Energy is Going Big on Community Shared Solar" –Utility Dive