As energy demands have increased, so has the interest in solar energy solutions. Solar is becoming a larger and more significant part of the overall solution to our energy needs. As this technology grows, the types of applications and solutions for solar have grown too. Unbeknownst to many is that the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are taking a leading role on some high level projects which are helping in making the transition to a green energy system based on solar energy. In fact, there are a number of important projects featuring the use of solar electrical energy generation and storage going on across the nation in which the NECA-IBEW team are involved.  These projects, such as the Salem (Oregon) Smart Power Center, the Zero Net Energy Center in San Leandro, California, and even the studios of the popular PBS series American Woodshop in rural Ohio, are serving as showcases of solar energy potential.

One aspect of solar energy that is especially exciting is the fact that it can be generated on a small scale. In fact, attempting to set up large, solar generation plants and distributing this energy the way it has been done for decades – from fossil-fuel, nuclear and hydroelectric plants via a complex and sometimes unreliable grid – is not only impractical, it’s virtually impossible. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however. Far from it; this problem has forced the electrical industry to rethink the entire concept of centralization. What the three aforementioned projects have in common is that electrical energy is generated – and in the case of the Salem Smart Power Center, stored – on site. Each of these locations is, in essence, its own, individual power plant.

It’s not a new idea, and interestingly, the nation leading the way in this direction is not the United States – but Germany. In fact, last year, Germany – a relatively cool, cloudy country at the same northerly latitude as British Columbia, Canada – led the world in solar power generation at over 5 terawatts  – five times that of the U.S. The primary way in which this has been accomplished has been to use the same approach of making every home and building its own power generating facility. This decentralized approach has many advantages, not the least of which is to reduce dependence on a large grid. Massive power outages and rolling blackouts and brownouts over entire regions will eventually become a thing of the past as each home and building becomes truly energy independent.

If the U.S. is to catch up and take the lead in solar energy, it will be the NECA-IBEW team (literally as well as figuratively) leading the charge. In addition to setting the standards for electrical design, engineering and construction, these labor organizations are also providing the training for the next generation of electrical workers in the use and installation of the latest in solar technology. The science of solar power generation has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years. Apprenticeship and continuing education programs such as the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) sponsored by the NECA-IBEW, will make certain that the men and women working on solar projects in the U.S. are successful and perform to the highest standards.