Veterans Solar Job Training

One of the huge area's way overlooked and ignored, unless of course conservatives invent or regurgitate anything they and the media can parrot far and wide, often again, as 'scandals' created by them and the great majority served, grossly under funding thus not building the agency promised for decades to the few who serve them, is the constant and continued full support by the Executive administration and it's full Cabinet from the beginning as they entered and bush left!! Totally ignoring all that Gen Shinseki had Finally starting to address so many issues ignored or out right denied existed, with the administrations help and backing, and continuing, thankfully, under McDonald. This is just one more example, oh so many over decades and wars from, with no help from the peoples representatives and the people served themselves, but in their names!!!!!!!!!

Many of those taking these courses are further advanced in the alternative energy development already, having used the advanced technologies on bases and especially in these war theaters, then those taking courses in in the private sector. Ignored by that private sector when leaving the Military they're just legitimizing that training and advanced knowledge, already experienced in!!

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.

“Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

Sen. Bernie Sanders told Conservatives: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

Neither of these recent wars have yet been paid for, nor the continued blowback from the spread and growth from the policies implemented!
Neither the long term results from, including the long ignored or outright denied existence of, till this Administrations Cabinet and Gen Shinseki, only Government branch consistent for the past six years, Veterans issues from!
As well as under deficits most of the, grossly under funded for decades and the wars from now, VA budget is still borrowed, with interest, thus added problem creating costs, with representative who control the purse strings blaming the mostly dedicated VA personal within, that shouldn't exist!

Military Veterans and America’s Solar Army

U.S. Veterans Training For Solar Installation Army

February 18, 2015 - U.S. military veterans are being urged to join the ranks of America’s solar army by signing up to a new Energy Department solar job training pilot program.

The initiative has been designed to help members transition from active service into new careers as installation specialists, electricians and sales consultants.

The program is part of the DoE’s SunShot Solar Instructor Training Network, which aims to add 50,000 photovoltaic installers, building inspectors and other solar workers to the industry by 2020.

Three military bases have answered the call through a SkillsBridge initiative, which offers no-cost training for serving personnel during their final six months of duty.

Trainees will be drilled in the sizing and installation of solar power systems and developing other related solar skills.

“As more homes and businesses across America choose solar power for their electricity needs, the solar industry is growing rapidly, and demand for highly skilled solar workers is on the rise,” said Minh Le, director, SunShot Initiative. read more>>>

Innovative Places to Install Solar Plants

India builds solar plants atop canals to save on land, water

January 16, 2015 - As India moves to ramp up investment in solar power, it is exploring innovative places to install solar plants, including across the top of canals.

Last weekend, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon inaugurated a new "canal-top" solar energy plant in Vadodara district in India's western state of Gujarat.

"I saw more than glittering panels – I saw the future of India and the future of our world," said Ban. "I saw India's bright creativity, ingenuity and cutting-edge technology."

Experts identify two major advantages in building solar plants atop canals: efficient and cheap land use, and reduced water evaporation from the channels underneath. read more>>>

Broke World's Solar Power Efficiency Record Last Month

Australia’s rising solar power ‘revolution’

January 13, 2015 - Australian researchers broke the world's solar power efficiency record last month with their design of a novel commercial energy system, raising hopes the fossil-fuel dominated country may someday switch off its reliance on coal.

A team at the University of New South Wales led by professor Martin Green worked with a local company to create a highly efficient solar energy system that uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a central solar panel to generate electricity.

The method is known as concentrator photovoltaics (CPV), and the result is a system with an efficiency of 40 percent, meaning 40 percent of the sunlight hitting the solar panels is converted into energy — the highest such level ever achieved.

Most important, the design uses readily available materials, which makes putting the system into operation easier and cheaper than trying to commercialize more experimental designs.

Green, who is also the director for the Australian Center for Advanced Photovoltaics, has a history of this kind of innovation. In 2011 he and his team built a solar cell that operated with 19.3 percent efficiency, edging out the previous record holder's 18.9 percent efficiency.

Off the grid read more>>>

Anker® 14W Dual-Port Portable Foldable Outdoor Solar Charger with PowerIQ™ Technology

Sun Shines, Energy, on Pakistan

Sun Shines on Union Between Solar Power and Electric Grid in Pakistan

January 6, 2015 - Amid a worsening energy crisis, Pakistan has approved the use of grid-connected solar energy, rooftop solar installations and mortgage financing for home solar panels to boost uptake of clean energy in the country.

The government has also reversed course and eliminated a 32.5 percent tax imposed on imported solar equipment in the country's 2014-2015 budget. The reversal aims to bring down the cost of installing solar panels.

The approval of net-metering – which allows solar panel purchasers to sell power they produce to the national grid - is a major breakthrough that could spur use of solar energy and help Pakistan's government cut power shortages in the long run, said Asjad Imtiaz Ali, chief executive officer of the Alternative Energy Development Board, a public organization.

"The initiative will help scale up demand for solar energy across Pakistan,” he said, “and we hope the increased demand will also result in sufficient decreases in the price of solar equipment.” read more>>>

Utilities Not Happy the Sun Shines Bright on Solar Energy

Instead of leading in the development, of Alternatives, starting back over some forty years ago as we once again started developing another huge industry, something we had done over and over in many area's, they continue joining with the special interests in fighting to block advancing forward!! We now don't have the innovative trades with ever growing experience as at the same time we were shipping ours to others with little to no regulations and much much cheaper labor, not cheaper consumer products, who now have the experiences and innovative skilled trades needed and are advancing!!

Utilities Fight For Revenue Lost To Solar Power

January 03, 2015 - Solar energy had a banner year in 2014. As more and more U.S. households make their own electricity with solar panels, they're paying less to electric utilities, and that's making the utilities a little nervous. In some states, those companies are fighting back. Lauren Sommer of member station KQED and Dan Boyce of member station KUNC tell us how sunny California and Colorado are handling the rise of solar.

DAN BOYCE, BYLINE: There's a quiet war going on, a slow simmering battle between electric utilities and solar companies.

LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: You probably haven't noticed this clash because it's happening one house at a time. read more>>>

Solar Electricity Handbook - 2014 Edition: A Simple Practical Guide to Solar Energy - Designing and Installing Photovoltaic Solar Electric Systems

NC Re-Evaluates the Rules for Solar Energy

Year-End Decision Holds Big Impact For NC Solar In 2015

January 2, 2015 - North Carolina energy regulators quietly released one of their most significant, long-awaited decisions of 2014, just as the year was ending. The state Utilities Commission had spent nearly the entire year re-evaluating the rules for solar energy. On Wednesday, the commission decided to leave substantially intact the rules which have underlied a solar energy boom in North Carolina.

The rules essentially required utilities to buy the power from small solar farms, at a set price, for up to 15 years. So, solar developers knew the price they would get for their product and how long they would get that price.

It’s a more generous deal than in most states, and North Carolina has become the fourth-largest producer of solar power in the U.S., largely due to small solar farms using these contracts. read & listen to more>>>