Jalen Jacobs, a junior at H.D. Woodson Engineering Academy, was in the middle of a story Tuesday afternoon when the shrill sound of an impact driver yanking up screws cut him off.<\/p>\n
Screws scream, so to speak, when they pass through rafters and rattle through the tight holes of metal rails that hold up solar panels. The racket is the soundtrack that accompanies the installation of solar panels on rooftops.<\/p>\n
When GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic partnered with the H.D. Woodson to bring the Solar Futures program \u2014 which Jacobs and his fellow participants completed on May 21 \u2014 to the high school, the result was a live look at a solar install. Noise included.<\/p>\n
Before he started in the program, Jacobs had moderate expectations. He thought, \u201cOh, man, we\u2019re gonna be in the classroom. Sitting there taking notes. Sitting there watching people put it together.\u201d<\/p>\n
The experience ended up being more than just a lecture.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that I\u2019ve been through the course,\u201d Jacobs said, \u201cwe\u2019re actually being hands-on and learning how to put a solar panel on.\u201d<\/p>\n
The four-week Solar Futures program brought many of the H.D. Woodson Engineering Academy students closer to solar than they\u2019d ever been. The students in the program learned about solar efficiency and photovoltaic cells, safety standards and laying out solar arrays, attaching rails and connecting modules.<\/p>\n
At the end of the program, the students\u2019 capstone presentations \u2014 each focusing on one section of the installation process \u2014 collectively described and demonstrated an install from start to finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething I learned about solar was, ultimately, it\u2019s very complex,\u201d senior Dimant\u2019e McLeod, another Solar Futures student, said. \u201cBut I learned a bunch about safety. I learned about how to install solar panels and roofs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thanks in part to Washington, D.C.\u2019s commitment to renewable energy, most students entered the program with some exposure to solar energy and its impacts. Jacobs\u2019 grandmother has solar panels, and solar is moving into the neighborhoods in Northeast and Southeast D.C. around H.D. Woodson.<\/p>\n
Solar is still an emerging technology, and for many students, the details of solar installation were scarce when they entered Solar Futures.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I really knew at first about solar panels was that they were panels that took energy from the sun and powered your house,\u201d said Kamari Felton, a senior in the program who will attend Norfolk State University next year. \u201cBut there\u2019s more in between, and it\u2019s a lot more detail, which I figured out and now know. I still have a lot to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Felton had seen solar panels in his neighborhood and at school, but he didn\u2019t know anybody that utilized solar energy. He had minimal experience in construction, though he grew up tinkering with electronics \u2014 like fixing TVs, game systems, and other devices around the house \u2014 a hobby that fueled his interest in solar energy systems.<\/p>\n
As part of his capstone presentation on the final day of the program, Felton explained the complicated route that power takes from the sun to a home. With a panel of judges serving as his audience, he expertly described the role of power optimizers, why the junction box is important, and how inverters change direct current to alternating current.<\/p>\n
McLeod, who will play football at Lincoln University in Philadelphia next year, joined Solar Futures while enrolled in a challenging Statistics course. He wanted to ensure the class would teach him skills that would be a benefit down the road, and he wasn\u2019t disappointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was kind of skeptical at first because I was already going through a lot of stress in my courses at school,\u201d McLeod said, \u201cbut ultimately I\u2019m happy I did sign up.\u201d<\/p>\n
For their capstone presentation, McLeod and his partner, Tru Jackson, explained proper safety procedures by showing the proper and improper ways to use personal protective equipment. When McLeod (purposefully) put on his safety harness backwards, Jackson was there to correct him. McLeod did the same when Jackson put his gloves on the wrong hands.<\/p>\n
One lesson that hit home for Jacobs, Felton, and McLeod was solar energy\u2019s efficiency. Utilizing solar energy can drastically reduce the amount that individuals pay on utilities every month, and its power comes from a clean, renewable source.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the cleanest renewable energy,\u201d Felton said. \u201cYou also don\u2019t have to pay as much for electric cause you get it from the sun. You can\u2019t charge the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The graduates of the Solar Futures program have varied skills and career goals. McLeod plans to study culinary arts at Lincoln University. Jacobs is interested in joining the Cadet Program after high school in order to become a firefighter. Felton will study public relations at Norfolk State.<\/p>\n
Despite their diverse interests, the Solar Futures program provided pertinent information about an industry that can go a long way in solving the issues of economic and environmental stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to chew on that thought for a while that there\u2019s going to be a (solar) company coming through,\u201d McLeod said. \u201cI was thinking, \u2018How could it help me throughout the rest of my life?\u2019 I can say I know a bit about solar now. That just opened my eyes to thousands of other companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic is an affiliate of GRID Alternatives, a national leader in making clean, affordable solar power and solar jobs accessible to low-income communities and communities of color. GRID Alternatives began the Solar Futures program in California\u2019s Inland Empire and San Joaquin Valley, combining classroom-based sessions with real-world experience in installing solar for GRID Alternatives\u2019 income-qualified clients. The Solar Futures program in those areas is supported by SunPower. SunPower has been one of GRID’s major equipment partners since 2012.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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