When Jamez Staples of north Minneapolis started a solar energy company about 10 years ago, he thought it was a great opportunity to create jobs for others in low-income communities.
Staples: “I thought it was going to be easy. I thought, you know, just get up, go to work, find people who want to work, and we'll be fine.
But he learned there was no easy way for people in the community to get trained by solar installers. The only projects are far away or inaccessible by bus.
So Staples bought a large old building nearby and converted it into a green workforce training center.
The building itself is topped with solar panels, runs on an electric heat pump, and houses charging stations for electric vehicles. So it could also serve as a demonstration site to get people excited about clean energy, he said.
Staples: “It represents where we're going. It represents what's possible.
Staples' corporate renewable energy partners are also developing community solar installations in the area to help people save money on their energy bills.
He is collaborating on a project to install solar and battery storage in local schools.
For him, he said, solar power offers more than just a way to make a career for himself. He believes the energy transition can help lift entire communities.
Staples: “So together we rise.”
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
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