A new organization called ‘The Solar Energy Work Group,’ is offering help to homeowners and business owners to install solar energy on their property. It has come up with a roadmap for a solar-based economy in Southwestern Virginia that includes workforce training in the region and the promise of jobs to go with it.
You don’t see many rooftop solar arrays in the southwestern section of Virginia known as coal country, but the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia intends to change that; Not with an environmental argument but with an economic one.
Adam Wells is with the environmental advocacy group Appalachian Voices, one of the partners in the project. “People can install solar on their businesses and remain cash positive from day 1 and remain cash positive and be saving money from day 1. It’s impressive when you look at the numbers. It’s kind of silly not to.”
The plan includes strategies for accessing funding and a ‘boots on the roof’ training program where workers could earn while they learn.
Wells adds, “We really want to be employing residents of Southwest Virginia in these clean energy, 21st century economy jobs. So one of the goals here is to rapidly train a workforce that is capable of installing projects because in addition to energy savings and saving people money on their power bill it’s also about employing people in clean energy jobs."
Citing the dramatic drop in the cost of solar, the group is looking to help streamline the process, by identifying the best sites funding packages for new solar arrays. The group ran the numbers and found that for those two groups there could be little to no upfront costs.
The solar work group says if all the pieces in its in-depth report on the ‘road to solar for southwestern Virginia come together it would add two hundred twelve jobs to the region’s workforce every year, with an average salary of $68-thousand dollars a year.
The Solar Workgroup is an effort of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise’ Economic Development & Engagement, People Inc., and Appalachian Voices, with facilitation assistance from Dialogue + Design Associates.