SOLAR TODAY Blog

By Corey Dahl
SOLAR TODAY Managing Editor 

How do you train people for jobs that haven't been fully formed -- or even created -- yet?

That's the challenge many university educators are facing as they try to develop coursework for future solar professionals. The industry's relative newness, its uncertain future and its constantly evolving technologies aren't making educators' jobs easy. Several higher ed panelists discussed the issue and shared their experiences at a SOLAR 2010 forum this morning.

"The real challenge is, as we move forward, to put energy education in a perspective that allows us to move from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow," said Jean Davidson, a professor at the University of Minnesota. "Solar education is an evolving process."

The goal is to create well-rounded energy professionals, most panelists agreed, but how to achieve that is still a work in progress. Cross-disciplinary tactics have seemed to work well, as professors from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the University of Colorado-Boulder and Arizona State University shared success stories about blending science and technical courses with business, policy and marketing elements.

Most of the programs featured also incorporated hands-on elements. At the University of Minnesota, students have the opportunity to work on renewable energy projects, such as drawing up plans for retrofits or -- with the help of local installers -- installing solar systems on affordable housing projects.

However, textbooks are a challenge, as new technologies are evolving quickly, making it hard for publishing companies to keep up. And while some universities have been able to subsidize their programs with grants, most of them still charge extra fees to pay for install projects, guest speakers and other costly elements. Solar's relative youth also means the industry needs everyone from lawyers to marketers to lobbyists with a basic understanding of renewable energy -- so there's a real need for solar courses geared toward non-science majors.

Are the challenges too steep? Davidson said she believes universities can overcome traditional bureaucratic inertia and craft well-rounded energy coursework.

"Students are really interested in this, " she said. "It's been a struggle for us to keep up, but they're going to push us to adapt."