Scholarship targets industry entrants needing an economic hand up,   applications for second round still open

SANTA FE, New Mexico – June 25, 2020 – Solar Energy International (SEI) and BayWa r.e. Solar Systems LLC (BayWa r.e.) today announced they have selected the first five recipients of solar training scholarships from the BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund.

The $10,000 scholarship fund was created earlier this year to contribute 100% of SEI tuition fees for nine hand-selected future solar professionals. The program focuses on reaching candidates who have become unemployed or underemployed during the coronavirus pandemic as well as growing a diverse, skilled workforce to deploy renewable energy safely worldwide.

BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund awardees receive technical and safety training via SEI’s online or in-person classes and labs, to help each graduate improve their chances of landing a solar job while also increasing the diversity of the solar workforce.

Applications are still open for the final four scholarships, which will be awarded later this year. The initial recipients will begin their online training this summer.

“We must expand access to professional training to widen and deepen the solar industry’s global talent pool,” said Marla Korpar, development director at SEI. “Partnering with BayWa r.e. for this scholarship offers a wonderful opportunity to diversify and strengthen the solar workforce.”

“At BayWa r.e., we share SEI’s commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and resilient solar industry,” said Christine Owens, vice president of marketing for BayWa r.e. Solar Systems. “One of the fundamental ways to achieve that goal is by ensuring high-quality training is available to a diverse group of individuals free-of-charge.”

The first BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund recipients are:

  • Turner Adornetto, Montrose, Colorado
  • Jenna Dunne, Orlando, Florida
  • Mark Keil, Kerhonkson, New York
  • Andrew Robitaille, Portland, Maine
  • Neil Tweardy, Groton, Connecticut

For more information on how to apply for the BayWa r.e. Scholarship Fund, go to: www.solarenergy.org/scholarship-funds

About Solar Energy International (SEI)
Solar Energy International (SEI) was founded in 1991 as a nonprofit educational organization with a vision of a world powered by renewable energy. We’re dedicated to training the global solar energy workforce to significantly impact climate change. For more information, visit https://www.solarenergy.org.

About BayWa r.e. renewable energy GmbH (BayWa r.e.) 
Across solar and wind, at BayWa r.e we r.e. think energy – how it is produced, stored and best used. We are a leading global developer, service supplier, distributor and energy solutions provider. We deliver renewable energy solutions worldwide, and have brought 3 GW of energy online, while managing 8.3 GW of assets. BayWa r.e is a leading supplier to the solar distribution market. We also have a rapidly growing energy trading business. We are part of the BayWa Group, a business with revenues of EUR17.1 billion. Every day we are working hard to find new solutions, push technological boundaries and actively shape the future of energy and taking a stand against climate change. For more info on BayWa r.e. Solar Systems LLC, visit https://solar-distribution-us.baywa-re.com.

###

Media Contacts
Marla Korpar, Solar Energy International
[email protected]
970-527-7657 ext. 208

Misty Chioffe, BayWa r.e.
[email protected]
949-383-7915