{"id":6893,"date":"2019-11-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gridalt.wpenginepowered.com\/the-current\/solar-works-dc-trainees-get-schooled-sean-white\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T16:58:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T20:58:52","slug":"solar-works-dc-trainees-get-schooled-sean-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/live-grid-wp.pantheonsite.io\/es\/the-current\/solar-works-dc-trainees-get-schooled-sean-white\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Works DC trainees get schooled by Sean White"},"content":{"rendered":"

Twice a year, solar instructor Dr. Sean White takes a week-long business trip to Washington, D.C. \u2014 one of a handful of places he visits regularly while traveling the world teaching about photovoltaic (PV) energy systems.<\/p>\n

White practically circles the globe teaching about solar installation. He visits China and Germany every year. He made a visit to Pakistan in 2018. In October, while on his visit to D.C., he received an invitation to teach a session in India. <\/p>\n

His stopovers in D.C. are a part of the routine. Every spring and fall, he spends a week teaching about solar power to trainees in the Solar Works DC program: a 12-week job training program that prepares participants for careers in the growing and lucrative solar industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s really awesome with this class is that it’s a ton of hands-on \u2014 like, real hands-on experience,\u201d White said about Solar Works DC on his latest visit to the nation\u2019s capital. \u201cTwelve weeks is a long time. A lot of my trainings are one week. I think it\u2019s really good. The numbers I\u2019ve heard are awesome \u2014 something like 50% of participants end up in the solar industry. It\u2019s really life-changing for these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 1990s, White spent eight hours a day studying the science of solar. He started teaching PV classes at community colleges in California a few years later. Today he\u2019s one of the world\u2019s leading solar instructors. <\/p>\n

White wrote the book on solar installation (quite a few, actually; here he is giving “Solar Photovoltaic Basics” to President Barack Obama in 2016<\/a>) and helped write the test individuals must take to become NABCEP-certified solar installers.<\/p>\n

A week of solar installation courses led by White \u2014 like getting a cooking lesson from Michelin-star chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, or a pitching lesson from World Series MVP Steven Strasburg \u2014 is built into every Solar Works DC cohort. White\u2019s instruction puts trainees on a fast track towards getting NABCEP certified, a crucial step for individuals looking to not only get started but advance in the solar industry. <\/p>\n

The solar industry continues to grow as solar capacity grows. In 2000, White said, there was only 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar energy capacity in the entire world. At the end of 2018, that number had grown to 500 GW. The United States installed 10.8 GW in 2018 all by itself. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne time I calculated the doubling rate to see how long it would take until every square meter in the world was covered in a solar module,\u201d White said with a laugh. \u201cAt the growth rate we\u2019ve seen, it might be 2070.\u201d<\/p>\n

The world won\u2019t ever be entirely blanketed with solar panels, of course, but the Mid-Atlantic region, in particular, is a premier market for solar. Maryland and D.C. have huge financial incentives for installing solar, and Virginia\u2019s recent commitments to renewable energy have it on the cusp of a solar boom. <\/p>\n

Solar Works DC is a pipeline for D.C. residents to enter the solar revolution, but climbing the corporate ladder is a long process. <\/p>\n

The importance of that lesson is why White visits the District twice a year on his way around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to inspire people because a lot of it is how hard they try. It\u2019s important to inspire people and let them know how important it is to study, and that the difference between going home every day and watching TV and going home and studying is going to really change their life,\u201d White said. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of these things \u2014 becoming a solar installer, and that can lead to a designer \u2014 is something that all these people can do. They all have the ability, but they need to work hard at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Solar Works DC is an initiative through Solar for All, a program of the District of Columbia\u2019s Department of Energy and Environment, which seeks to provide the benefits of solar electricity to 100,000 low-income households and reduce their energy bills by 50% by 2032. The program, which was established by the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Expansion Amendment Act of 2016, is funded by the Renewable Energy Development Fund (REDF). For more information about Solar for All visit: http:\/\/doee.dc.gov\/solarforall<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twice a year, solar instructor Dr. Sean White takes a week-long business trip to Washington, D.C. \u2014 one of a handful of places he visits regularly while traveling the world teaching about photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. Every spring and fall, he spends a week teaching about solar power to trainees in the Solar Works DC program: a 12-week job training program that prepares participants for careers in the growing and lucrative solar industry.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":5753,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"audience":[],"content-type":[12],"focus-area":[20],"region":[65],"series":[],"content-author":[],"class_list":["post-6893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","content-type-news","focus-area-job-training","region-mid-atlantic"],"acf":{"hero_media_type":"image","hero_media_image":null,"hero_media_url":"","hero_media_poster":null,"hero_video_play":"inline","related_stories":null,"pattern_override":null,"story_callouts":null,"media":null,"featured_blog_post":null,"featured_event":null,"pdf_download":null,"blockquote":null,"author":null,"notice":null,"social_embed":null,"contact_card":null,"meta_details":null,"faq":null,"table":null},"yoast_head":"\nSolar Works DC trainees get schooled by Sean White - GRID Alternatives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Twice a year, solar instructor Dr. Sean White takes a week-long business trip to Washington, D.C. \u2014 one of a handful of places he visits regularly while traveling the world teaching about photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. 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