“The sun belongs to everyone. Solar education should too.” – Johnny Weiss
Today marks a significant milestone in Solar Energy International’s mission to expand renewable energy education. We proudly announce the launch of the Johnny Weiss Solar Energy Access for All Initiative, a groundbreaking program that honors our co-founder’s unwavering belief that renewable energy training should be accessible to everyone, everywhere. If you aren’t familiar with Johnny and his life, click here to learn more about him.
Since SEI’s founding in 1991, we’ve had the privilege of training over 150,000 people across 100+ countries. Yet our work is far from complete. With an estimated 775 million people still lacking electricity access worldwide, and countless more experiencing unreliable power for their daily needs, the global energy gap remains a pressing challenge. The Johnny Weiss Solar Energy Access for All Initiative represents our commitment to addressing this critical need. This program specifically targets underserved communities where energy access is literally a matter of life and death, bringing solar education and training to those who need it most.
Embodying Johnny’s core belief that geography, income, or infrastructure should never be barriers to renewable energy education, the initiative aims to make our world-class solar training accessible to all communities, particularly those in remote villages and rural areas where solar projects can dramatically transform lives.
Johnny Weiss co-founded SEI with a simple yet powerful vision: implementing practical renewable energy technology to build a more sustainable world. His work with teams and NGOs in more than 30 countries including Tribal Nations in the US, demonstrated his commitment to bringing supportive, environmental, and ecological solutions to communities worldwide.
To strategically carry Johnny’s dream forward, the initiative focuses on four key areas, expanding SEI’s Empowerment Program: scholarships, curriculum licensing for grassroots groups and educational institutions, a Johnny Weiss Fellowship Program, and tuition-free access to SEI’s Renewable Energy for the Developing World online course.
The Johnny Weiss Solar Energy Access for All Initiative ensures that Johnny’s legacy lives on, expanding access to the knowledge and skills needed to build a cleaner, more equitable energy future for all. Join us in carrying his light into the future!
