Renewable energy is energy produced from sources that are naturally replenished that do not run out. Renewable energy sources include geothermal resources, hydrogen, sunlight, water, and wind. These natural resources can be converted to use for electricity generation, space and water heating and cooling, and transportation.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that renewable energy generates about 20% of all U.S. electricity, and that percentage continues to grow. By 2023, solar and wind added more than 60% of the utility-scale generating capacity to the U.S. power grid (46% from solar, 17% from wind). With hundreds of billions of dollars of investments poised to flow into solar and other clean energy industries following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and with increasing international investment in clean energies, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that solar PV jobs could grow from 4 million to 15 million globally by 2050.
The transition to renewables is boosting employment opportunities not just in the US, but worldwide. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2021 renewable energy jobs accounted for around 40% of total energy jobs. Solar was the fastest-growing technology in electricity generation, adding 17,212 jobs and growing 5.4%.
The advantages of renewable energy are numerous and positively impact the three pillars of sustainability: environment, social and economic stability. Benefits of renewable energy include enhanced reliability, security, and resilience of the nation’s power grid, job creation throughout renewable energy industries, reduction of carbon emissions and air pollution from energy production, and increased affordability, as many types of renewable energy are cost-competitive with traditional energy sources.
As the primary purveyors of education & training for skilled crafts technicians, community colleges play a significant role in preparing workers for the growing renewable energy sector. Nonetheless, colleges do not need to create new programs. Community colleges can future-proof legacy programs by infusing emerging technologies into traditional programs. And colleges can become better stewards in their community through changes in campus energy management.
The National Green Jobs Advisory Council DEI Rubric seeks to support the intentional development of equitable, diverse, and inclusive (DEI) workforce training materials. The tool is not exhaustive but rather is designed to help guide and focus content development around best practices in DEI. Many of the suggested guidelines adopt a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and are effective teaching and learning practices.
The Solar Energy Industries Association offers 30 modules in their “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Certificate Program“
The SunPowers 25×25 Initiative is a set of set of comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) commitments designed to ensure the benefits of home solar and storage serve American families, job seekers and businesses that have been historically underserved.
Planning for the Future Energy Workforce is a collection of reports on creating a well-trained and diverse workforce in energy, science and innovation, nuclear, and environmental management.
Accelerating Systemic Change in Higher Education Resources is an open-source resource repository focused on increasing systemic change in higher education by inviting in diversity and inclusivity and integrating sustainability with a focus on STEM disciplines.
According to the Interstate Energy Renewable Council (IREC) Solar Census Survey 2023, approximately 70% of the electricians and green energy sector workers are comprised of white males.
According to the 2023 U.S. Energy and Employment Report, the solar industry employs over 346,000 people and added over 12,000 new jobs in 2022. The report also found that while the solar industry is more diverse than some other energy industries, the overall energy workforce lags in Hispanic (18%), Black (9%), Asian (8%), and Indigenous worker (2%) representation.
Growing the Number of Women in the Trade: Building Equity and Inclusion Through Pre-Apprenticeship Programs. Chicago Women in the Trades Report
Red Cloud Renewable helps Tribal members and communities move towards energy independence.
Solar One is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to design and deliver innovative education, training and technical assistance that fosters sustainability and resiliency in diverse urban environments. Its Solar Career and Technical Education Program in New York City is grounded in the community, leveraging local partners to help remove barriers for underserved populations.
People in the World of Energy is a collection of stories from the U.S. Department of Energy showing how a well-trained and diverse workforce is necessary to help solve complex challenges in energy.
Increase the Diversity of Your Graduates is a compilation of resources to help educators increase student diversity and grow their programs.
As part of the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Center (CREATE) the Solar PV Institute faculty professional development workshops, Renewable Energy lesson plans and instructional materials are developed to provide educators, who are teaching renewable energy courses, access to a rich library of instructional materials for their classes.
EERE Solar Energy Technologies Office SETO accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy.
The Solar Ready Vets program includes four sets of program learning goals aligned around: the NABCEP Entry Level body of knowledge; gaining hands-on experience with solar system site analysis, design, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and financial considerations; Safety issues unique to solar + OSHA 30; and Transition planning and individual support of entry into the solar industry.
HeatSpring is an online educational platform for professionals (and aspiring professionals) specializing in renewable energy, green building, and technologies that address our changing climate.
The Interdisciplinary Teaching About Earth for a Sustainable Future (InTeGrate) has numerous college-level courses, modules, and other open-source curricular materials covering natural resource sustainability. These vary from materials for a few class hours, to full 14-16 week courses.
Solar Energy International offers free online courses.
The CLEAN Collection of Climate and Energy Science resources- high-quality, digital resources—including learning activities, visualizations, videos, and short demonstrations/experiments—geared toward educators of students in secondary through undergraduate levels.
As the Sustainability, Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center is a FREE initiative offered by the National Council for Workforce Education, we strive to provide our users with up-to-date information and materials. We encourage you to submit resources or open-source curriculum for possible posting on the SEED Center website.
Note: SEED is managed by a team of higher education experts who vet and curate resources and curriculum. Thus, not all submitted materials will appear on the website.
2023 SEED Center website updates funded by Lumina Foundation
©The SEED Center 2024
