Training solar energy’s future workforce

It’s no secret that renewable energy generation has experienced exponential growth despite rising costs for critical materials used to make solar panels and wind turbines. As a result, new renewable power capacity was predicted to rise to 290 gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2021.  That number surpasses the previous all-time high set in 2020, according to the latest edition of the International Energy Agency’s annual Renewables Market Report.

The same report said renewables account for almost 95% of the increase in global power capacity through 2026. Solar energy is expected to account for more than half of that growth – solar photovoltaics (PV) remains the powerhouse of renewable electricity expansion. According to the IEA report, its capacity additions are forecast to increase by 17% to almost 160 gigawatts (GW).

And Linn County is emerging as a hub of solar power generation, with one industrial-scale solar farm being developed by Clenera, already approved near Coggon, and another proposed by NextEra Energy Resources surrounding the former Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo.

With that explosive growth naturally comes an ever-increasing demand for technicians and engineers specifically trained to develop, install and maintain solar energy equipment.

A new partnership between NextEra and Kirkwood Community College – the first of its kind in Iowa – is designed to address that need, simultaneously boosting the solar energy industry and the growing demand for advanced technical education.

NextEra donated approximately 330 solar panels to Kirkwood in March as part of the partnership. The panels, and associated testing equipment, will be incorporated into Kirkwood’s Energy Production and Distribution Technologies curriculum, providing students with hands-on training opportunities in solar panel testing, system design and equipment installation.

The donation from NextEra, which also included a $10,000 cash donation, is part of a larger relationship with Kirkwood and its renewable energy training program, NextEra officials said.

“I love the relationship we have with Kirkwood and with colleges around the country,” said Terry Benton, a strategic initiatives training analyst with NextEra. “It’s an opportunity for us to build a bridge between academia and the renewable energy workforce. I get a lot of gratification from it. The students are so inquisitive and excited about all the stuff that we’re doing. We’re taking the theoretical principles they’re learning and showing them how we use that in the workforce.”

After the panels and equipment were donated, Mr. Benton said NextEra officials visited Kirkwood for a presentation with the solar panels and testing instruments.

“We had three dynamic learning labs where the students had the opportunity to test the donated panels, using the procedures that we use in our safety protocols,” Mr. Benton said. “It was really gratifying when students connected the dots from the classroom, using this specialized test equipment, looking at the graphing on the computer, and putting it all together to accurately diagnose the performance of the panel. For me, it was like one of those wow factors. They got it. And this is the stuff we actually do in the field.”

The solar energy training initiative joins a longstanding wind energy training and development program, utilizing the 2.5-megawatt wind turbine installed on Kirkwood’s campus for hands-on education. The 417-foot-tall turbine began generating electrical power in 2012 and now supplies about a third of Kirkwood’s electricity.

Tim Arnold, assistant professor in Kirkwood’s Energy Production and Distribution Technologies program, will be Kirkwood’s point person for the solar training initiative.

“The equipment donation and supporting expertise and training provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to work with industry professionals and practice the valuable skills needed to enter this growing career field,” Mr. Arnold said. “The additional resources will allow us to create new and exciting hands-on training activities in the field of photovoltaics and help ensure that the program can continue to expand and adjust to the needs of the industry as it evolves.”

Kirkwood’s Energy Production and Distribution Technologies program is a two-year training program designed to prepare students to work in the renewable energy field. Graduates undergo extensive training in electrical, mechanical and hydraulic fundamentals before focusing on the practical application of these skills in wind energy and photovoltaic system maintenance.

NextEra program manager Kimberly Dickey, who’s currently working to develop the Duane Arnold Solar I and II projects in Linn County, noted that the solar energy industry comprises much more than panel construction, installation and maintenance.

“The industry is very interdisciplinary,” Ms. Dickey said. “You may step into the industry with a solar technician background but find yourself later in your career as a developer. You get that hands-on experience first. Then you work with team members with other areas of expertise. Then you’re ready within a couple of years to take on a new role but still be in the renewable industry because we need people with tax backgrounds, with business management and project management (backgrounds).”

Ms. Dickey also noted that the panels donated to programs like Kirkwood’s were found to have some type of deficiency during solar project installations, so programs like this can repurpose them in a new and valuable way.

“The installers don’t have time to do those diagnostics, so those (defective) panels get immediately separated, put on pallets and shipped to a warehouse,” Ms. Dickey said. “This opportunity with Kirkwood to build this relationship and continue to (supply) panels to their students gives those panels another life and diverts them from energy-intensive recycling practices and/or landfills. Instead, they’re going to get diagnostics and refurbishment. Then they’ll find their way into another useful installation.”

James Auld, industry and community training coordinator for NextEra, said he’s set up more than 50 similar programs with educational institutions nationwide and had high praise for Kirkwood’s instruction.

“Kirkwood’s program is fantastic,” he said. “Their lead instructor (Mr. Arnold) emphasizes experiential learning, but it’s still a lot of hands-on training. We’re fond of saying that when our equipment reaches the end of its useful life, its academic life just begins. The solar repurpose project that we’re doing with Kirkwood is a perfect example. We take those scratch and dent panels, and students evaluate them and make the repairs. Those panels, in turn, will be used for training, research, nonprofits and so forth. It’s a really exciting project.”

NextEra communications leader Sara Cassidy added that programs like Kirkwood’s will continue to provide a trained workforce to an industry with an ever-increasing demand for such workers.

“Renewable energy is one of the leading causes of American job creation, and the fact that we’ve been able to provide this hands-on training is going to help them as they continue, whether it’s with us or someone else,” Ms. Cassidy said. “How awesome is it that Kirkwood has such a strong program? It’s pretty exciting that we’re able to collaborate on this. We’re committed to giving back to the communities we serve, and this is just a prime example of doing that in this area.”

NextEra is the nation’s largest generator of renewable energy and has done business in the state since 1999, investing more than $2 billion in the state’s economy. Through its affiliates, NextEra owns and operates 11 wind energy centers in Iowa and a service and repair facility. If approved by state and county officials, the $800 million Duane Arnold solar projects would be the company’s first solar installations in the state.