Unlocking Opportunities for Women in Solar
The SEI Women in Solar Power program empowers women and those who identify as such with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the solar industry. By addressing the industry’s urgent need for workforce expansion and promoting diversity, we aim to break down barriers and create opportunities in this rapidly growing field.
Learn More & Join
The SEI Women in Solar Power Online Learning Community is a portal that offers an online discussion forum, career resources, and links to upcoming webinars and training. This portal is hosted within SEI’s Online Campus and is FREE to enroll in as a participant. Click the link below and you will be taken to this portal directly to self enroll. If this is your first time to the the SEI Online Campus, please create a new account to enroll. If you already have an SEI Online Campus login, you will be prompted to self enroll after you login. Click the button to get started.
LEARN ABOUT THE SEI WOMEN IN SOLAR POWER PROGRAM
In SEI’s 31+ years of educational service to the clean energy sector, we have served tens of thousands of women worldwide. As an organization, we take pride in having one of the largest teams of women instructors, curriculum developers, staff members, and women in leadership of any solar training provider in the industry. With that said, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Solar Energy International’s Women in Solar Power program is a highly innovative approach to training women for jobs in the solar industry, addressing both the industry’s urgent need for workforce expansion and supporting career development for a diverse population of women. An unspoken deterrent to pursuing a career in the solar industry has been the predominance of men. Yet the solar industry offers a multitude of lucrative job prospects with a clear career path forward, and women across the world have invaluable expertise, skills and perspectives to contribute to the clean energy revolution. This program is unequivocally for them. There is no question that positive change will result from more women being an integral part of solar industry initiatives in the US and across the world.
SEI is dedicated to help meet the ballooning workforce needs of the solar industry, and making sure women are not just included, but a driving force in the change to renewable energy. Since the relaunch of the program in 2022, we have made notable strides by connecting 462 women and non-binary individuals through solar energy training, networking, and mentorship opportunities, and awarding 132 scholarships to address barriers to entry, retention, and advancement in the photovoltaic solar workforce.
SEI Online Training
SEI’s technical training program has launched thousands of careers in the last 30+ years. No matter if you are just getting started or are looking for advanced continuing education, SEI has courses and programs of study for wherever you are in your solar career journey. SEI’s online campus is a great way to learn the theory and prepares you for our annual SEI Women in Solar Power Hands-on Lab Week and Networking Event in Paonia, Colorado. Scholarships are available and we would love to speak to you about your solar career goals.
Women’s PV Training Package
Get all the training you need to master solar design and installation! Beginning with SEI’s PVOL101 online course, you’ll learn the theory of how to design and install grid-direct solar systems. After passing the course, put what you’ve learned into practice in SEI’s Women’s Solar Electric Lab Week that provides a uniquely supportive learning environment with five days of hands-on PV installation practice with female-only instructors and participants. This packages saves you $200!
PV201LW: Women’s Solar Electric Lab Week
With female-only instructors and participants, this hands-on course offers women a uniquely supportive learning environment to build their solar knowledge foundation. This course offers the same curriculum as SEI’s co-ed PV201L, but is intended to further encourage participants to get ALL those solar questions answered and offer networking opportunities with each other and existing women in the solar industry.
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Women in Solar Power Scholarship
Thank you for your interest in our scholarships! At this time, we are not accepting new scholarship applications. We will reopen the scholarship program once we have secured additional funding to support more women in the solar industry. Please follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on future opportunities. We appreciate your understanding and continued support!
SOLV Energy Women in Solar Scholarship
The SOLV Energy scholarship aims to increase diversity representation among the clean energy industry by awarding solar training tuition fees to hand-selected women and non-binary students, helping to facilitate their professional development and eventual entry into the solar energy workforce.
SunPower Women in Solar Scholarship
This scholarship awards $50,000 to cover tuition costs, travel expenses, lodging and daily per diem to hand-selected women and non-binary individuals, awarded by SunPower. The initiative is part of SunPower’s 25×25 diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) commitments aimed at providing families, job-seekers, and businesses that have been historically marginalized increased access to the many benefits of solar and energy storage.
Nextracker Half the Sun Scholarship
Half the Sun is a needs-based scholarship program that aims to address the lack of gender diversity by increasing pathways into the industry and fostering the next generation of female and non-binary solar professionals. It will award financial assistance for professional training in the form of tuition fees for applicants pursuing a range of solar industry education.
SolarReviews Scholarship Fund
In 2022, SolarReviews successfully funded the SolarReviews Scholarship, which provided solar training for U.S.-based Spanish Speakers. 2023 saw an expansion of this scholarship with the addition of a new fund focused on women interested in entering the solar field. When applying for this scholarship, select the ‘Women in Solar Scholarship’.
Women in Solar SEI Scholarship Fund
Women make up only 26% of the U.S. Solar Workforce, and 32% of the renewable energy workforce worldwide. SEI aims to change that by elevating women into technical career pathways. With help from our partners and donors, Solar Energy International (SEI) is here to help you achieve your solar journey goals. Fill out an application today to get started.
Networking and Mentorship
As part of the SEI Women in Solar Power program, we have launched an online learning and networking portal as a single hub of community building for this program. From the SEI Women in Solar Power Online Community you can access career resources, scholarship information, upcoming training and events, and mentorship webinars.
Career Services and Employer Connections
SEI takes pride in having direct connections with many of the largest solar employers in the industry as well as the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our growing industry. Our Student Services Team can help connect you with these employers to land your first job or help you take your career to the next level with tailored training and career plans.
SEI Women in Solar Power – Español
SEI was one of the first solar training programs in the world to offer educational services in both English and Spanish. For decades we have leveraged this strength of educational programming for both English and Spanish speakers that helped launch thousands of careers in the U.S. and Latin America. A goal of the SEI Women in Solar Power program is to empower Spanish-speaking women during all phases of their solar career journey both domestically here in the U.S. and all over the world.
THANKS TO OUR 2024 SUPPORTERS
JOIN THE COMMUNITY TODAY
Get free access to SEI’s online campus and start exploring all that the SEI Women in Solar Power program has to offer.
BECOME A SPONSOR
Are you looking to support a program that promotes impactful experiences and creates lasting change? Consider becoming a sponsor of SEI’s Women in Solar Power (WISP) program! Your sponsorship can cover training costs, travel, and accommodation for women eager to join the solar workforce. By sponsoring SEI’s Women in Solar Power program, you’ll be able to:
Promote Diversity and Inclusion
Foster a more inclusive solar industry by supporting women’s growth and success.
Elevate Your Brand
Showcase your commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development, resonating with communities and stakeholders alike.
GOLD TIER
$50-$100K
Serves 10-20 women with 100% scholarship coverage and career support. Benefits include:
- Logo and website link featured prominently on SEI WISP landing page and SEI partnership page, reaching over 196,000 people
- 1 coordinated press release announcing partnership
- 4 coordinated social media posts announcing partnership, reaching over 261,000 people
- Promotion in SEI eNewsletter, reaching over 54,000 people
- Logo on applicable Women’s Training Program material
- Logo featured as sponsor on all WISP webinars
- 15 minute presentation during Connection Night at Women’s Lab Week for recruiting opportunities
SILVER TIER
$25-$50K
Serves 5-10 women with 100% scholarship coverage and career support. Benefits include:
- Logo and website link featured on SEI WISP landing page and SEI Partnership page, reaching over 196,000 people
- 1 coordinated press release announcing partnership
- 2 coordinated social media posts announcing partnership, reaching over 261,000 people
- Promotion in SEI eNewsletter, reaching over 54,000 people
BRONZE TIER
$10-$25K
Serves 2-5 women with 100% scholarship coverage and career support. Benefits include:
- Logo and website link featured prominently on SEI Partnership page, reaching over 98,000 people
- 1 coordinated press release announcing partnership
- 1 coordinated social media post announcing partnership, reaching over 261,000 people