Like many young people who age out of foster care, Michael Williams struggled to find his footing as an adult without family to fall back on. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he lost his job and was left homeless and in dire financial straits.
Luckily, Williams said, he reconnected with a nonprofit in Atlanta that helped him when he was younger. The nsoro Foundation, which supports young people transitioning out of state care, assisted him with housing and a job so he could enroll in college.
Williams credits nsoro with helping him get back on his feet, so when the organization announced it was partnering with an Atlanta company to offer a solar installation training program, he jumped at the chance to learn something new.
“Now, I actually love it,” Williams said. “This could be an amazing career.”
Williams was recently among the first four participants to complete a joint “solar school” venture between the foundation and Atlanta-based Cherry Street Energy, which bills itself as the largest provider of on-site solar power in the Southeast.
Michael Chanin, CEO of Cherry Street Energy, said partnering with nsoro was a logical extension of the work the company was already doing to grow the labor pool while also supporting the broader community.
Cherry Street installs systems for private industry, educational institutions and local governments. The company’s customers include the city of Atlanta and Porsche. Since 2018, the company says it has trained more than 250 workers, some of whom have gone on to start their own businesses or expand their existing businesses to include solar.
Chanin said extending the benefits of the renewable energy economy is not only the right thing to do, it also helps him build his business. Right now, finding workers who can do the job to his standards is a bigger challenge than sourcing panels and other parts, he said.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“Finding talented, skilled labor is a constraint,” said Chanin. But, he added, interest is growing.
“Not only is it a reliable career with long-term job prospects, but it’s an opportunity to effectuate change in the community, and we’re finding people that are passionate and excited about working on these programs,” Chanin said.
Employment in the solar photovoltaic installers occupation is projected to grow 48% from 2023 to 2033, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which ranks it as one of the fastest growing occupations with a median income of about $48,000.
Those numbers don’t include other jobs in the industry like engineering, marketing, sales and administration.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the U.S. solar and storage industry currently employs more than 280,000 workers.
“ … [W]e expect that number to soar as federal incentives continue to drive investments in clean energy manufacturing and deployment,” Erika Symmonds, SEIA’s vice president of equity and workforce development, said in a statement. “We are also working to increase awareness of solar career opportunities and bolster access to quality education and training, both of which are vital and require public private partnership and investment.”
The federal government under President Joe Biden sought to aggressively expand domestic clean energy manufacturing and deployment with billions of dollars in loans and grants, as well as more favorable tax policies and rebates for consumers who want to install their own panels.
President-elect Donald Trump has been critical of public spending on renewable energy and promised to give oil and gas companies freer reign. His vow to claw back funds from climate and green energy infrastructure programs, which he derides as a “scam,” has cast a pall of uncertainty over the solar industry, although it’s unclear what, exactly, Trump, wants to do or can realistically accomplish.
Georgia and other GOP-led states have gotten a huge share of the billions in public and private dollars going into U.S. solar, electric vehicle and battery manufacturing and recycling. Even some conservative lawmakers and Trump allies have warned against drastic changes that could undermine that growth.
“They might change some things, but I just don’t see a wholesale retrenchment,” said Kurt Ebersbach, Cherry Street’s general counsel. “Solar transcends politics because it’s good for our economy and for local communities.”
The Cherry Street initiative appears to be one of the few hands-on solar installation training programs in Georgia. In addition to training, the company also funds exam fees for those who want to get certified and helps connect participants with potential apprenticeship and job opportunities.
Some state technical colleges offer solar training programs. The state also trains workers through its Quick Start program for several large employers that work in renewable energy or electric vehicles, including solar panel manufacturer Qcells in North Georgia.
Abioduni Martin is one of Cherry Street’s subcontractors and a beneficiary of its training program. He was installing signage at the company’s old location when he first learned about solar and became intrigued by the idea of expanding his business. He said he’s seen the solar industry develop rapidly in Georgia over the past few years.
“It has grown to be my bread and butter over signage,” said Martin.
Having been adopted out of foster care himself, Martin was especially supportive of the new partnership with nsoro.
“I would like to be a part of helping with that, because it means a lot to me,” he said. Plus, he said, “We need the manpower.”
Note of disclosure
This coverage is supported by a partnership with Green South Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners. You can learn more and support our climate reporting by donating at ajc.com/donate/climate.
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