Solar Power Helps Veterans

The U.S. military is expanding it's use of Solar Power and has begun a program to train unemployed verterans in the installation of solar panels. It's a great idea and shows the nation's resolve in moving towards a sustainable energy future. This article from Florida's Sun Sentinel tells the story.




The U.S. Solar Institute, a Fort Lauderdale school, has been chosen by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to train former military service members without jobs in how to install solar-panel systems.

An initial 15 to 20 veterans a month from across the country are expected at the school starting in August for classes that can be completed in several weeks and on-the-job training that can last weeks longer, said Ray Johnson, the institute's founder and president.

The Institute plans to expand from its current 6,700-square-foot building serving about 30 students a month to meet demand from the Veterans Administration program aimed to help jobless veterans.

"We're almost all sold out in August and haven't even started advertising yet," Johnson said.

The approval comes as theU.S. militaryplans to expand its use of renewable energy to 25 percent of its energy needs by 2025, part of a policy to slash U.S. dependence on imported fuel and boost national security. Veterans could help install solar panels at military bases as part of that plan, Johnson said.

The move highlights the need for qualified solar-panel installers as solar industry expands. In the first quarter, more than 506 megawatts of solar energy came on-line, up 85 percent from a year earlier and the second highest amount ever installed in a single quarter, according to the latest quarterly report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association, a Washington-based trade group.

Installations are growing, partly because the price for solar panels has plunged.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-07-04/business/fl-solar-institute-20120704_1_solar-panels-gtm-research-jobless-veterans

The nation needs more options for sustainable energy and Solar Power is leading the way. This program solves two problems at once and is a great idea for the many veterans's who are having a difficult time with jobs. Thumbs up for the Veteran's Administration!