For the last two years, Texas Solar Energy Society has raised funds (thank you Meadows Foundation!) to help our chapters reach out and match women and people of color with solar and clean energy companies. Solar Austin, one of our regional chapters, initiated an internship program in 2020. Because of its success, we decided to implement it statewide through our four other regional chapters.
Just this summer, the Houston Renewable Energy Group’s (HREG) Board president shared that they had 98 intern applicants representing:
High school seniors to post grads and PhDs;
Every university in the Houston area as well as many from out of the city/state;
Many majors including law, computer science, engineering, business;
Perfect or nearly perfect GPAs; and
Leaders in their university energy clubs.
TXSES is thrilled to support our regional chapters as they place outstanding interns with solar companies across the state. Heartfelt thanks to those companies that are providing these opportunities for students and we welcome new companies to participate in our successful internship program.
Meet these remarkable interns who are becoming part of the new clean energy workforce in Texas!
Ken Echeverry of Plano, whose father is from Colombia, graduated in 2019 from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in computer engineering. After graduation, he became interested in renewable energy. After Googling “solar energy in Texas” Ken found TXSES and while perusing the website, he discovered that the North Texas Renewable Energy Group (NTREG) was a TXSES chapter close to Plano. He contacted them and learned of their internship program (sponsored by TXSES). NTREG quickly connected him with Wells Solar, a TXSES Gold Business Member, located in Burleson, TX.
“I learned day-to-day operations for both residential solar and small commercial solar installations,” said Echeverry. “I tagged along for surveys, including the 3-dimensional drone shot surveys. My favorite part of this work was getting to navigate those! I learned a lot about roofs. There were different mounting systems…I knew none of this before the internship.”
Shortly after his three-month internship, Ken landed a full-time job with SolArk, an inverter and manufacturing design company, where he’s part of their software engineering team.
“SolArk, based in my hometown of Plano, wanted someone who knew the industry. The short-term internship gave me the knowledge I needed to land this position. I love this job as we make sure that we can power family homes and that they can be confident that they have reliability. The TXSES internship 100% helped me land this job.”
From Wallis, Tx., Adrian Small will be a senior this fall at Prairie View A&M where he studies electrical engineering. Adrian found out about the TXSES solar internship program through his career advisor at school who knew about it from Sami Sultan, president of Houston Renewable Energy Group, one of TXSES’ intern-supported chapters.
Adrian has been in his internship for just a few weeks but finds everything he’s learning “really interesting.” “I’m gaining lots of insight on how to approach renewable energy. I’m currently working with EDP’s solar team.”
Adrian says it’s fascinating to learn how solar panels are made. “The single cell panel into a module, into a stream, into an array…the whole evolution of the silicone that’s made for the glass of the panels. I’m also learning about voltage cables, their interaction with each other and how too close proximity can cause too much heat.”
Adrian hopes to work for EDP Renewables or another solar energy company upon graduation in May 2023.
Currently a public affairs student at UT-Dallas, Meghanna Bommareddy knew very little about solar energy before she began her eight-month internship with TXSES in 2021.
“Working at TXSES was an incredibly valuable experience. My work with various solar businesses helped me learn more about the state of solar energy in Texas and what that looks like in practice, which helped inspire a love for sustainability. Since then, I have worked on sustainability-related initiatives at the United Nations Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service, and plan to pursue a career in this field. Needless to say, I am beyond grateful for the opportunities that my TXSES internship gave me.”
In response to the Texas Public Utility Commission’s project 51603, Review of Distributed Energy Resources, TXSES prepared and submitted comments. The comments are submitted only on behalf of TXSES and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of its members.
These continue to be interesting times for Texas utilities.
With record triple-digit temperatures already blanketing the state, concerns that the grid can keep up with demand are daily headlines. While state leaders assure us that the grid is safe and secure, we’re asked to turn our thermostats up and save those energy-intensive tasks like doing laundry and running dishwashers until later in the evening.
Solar needs to be allowed to play a larger role on the grid for all Texans. The Texas Public Utility Commission is currently seeking public comment about distributed energy resources through Project 51603, and until June 15, you have an opportunity to make your voice heard. Texas Solar Energy Society will certainly be taking that opportunity to share our thoughts with the PUC as it is currently seeking public comment about distributed energy resources (DER) rulemaking.
“After more than 30 years of performance, there is no question that rooftop solar systems have proven their ability to provide energy throughout the year in Texas. Consumers understand this and they want to be part of the solution. Simple and fair rules are needed to support the high interest in continued growth of rooftop solar. This advocacy is exactly the kind of work TXSES is known for,” said Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons, Executive Director.
Distributed energy resources are small, modular, energy generation and storage technologies that provide electric capacity or energy where you need it, like rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, small wind generators, battery storage and batteries in electric vehicles.
Distributed energy resources can lead to a more reliable and resilient grid. Generation, demand response and energy efficiency can all provide capacity during system peaks, reducing the risk of brownouts and blackouts.
Freedom Solar
In addition, DERs can be used to create microgrids, “islands” with their own generation and storage that can isolate from the larger grid in the event of a system-wide outage. This type of resilience is especially useful in the aftermath of inclement weather events (think Storm Uri) to ensure that power is available to critical infrastructure, like hospitals and other emergency services.
This process will likely result in rulemaking that could change many facets of DERs in Texas, from interconnection to market participation. TXSES board leadership is hard at work preparing comments, urging the PUC to recognize the intrinsic value that DERs have in reducing energy poverty, promoting energy independence and enhancing local reliability and overall grid resilience. Deadline to submit comments is Wednesday, June 15. We’ll post our comments on the TXSES website on Tuesday, June 14.
Did you know that Texas produces more power than any other state, almost twice as much as Florida, the next closest? Despite the fact that we have more power, we’re also prone to higher temperatures, which we are seeing a lot in early May. We also have the most deregulated and decentralized electric grid, and we’re isolated from the ability to import power from the rest of the country when we need it during temperature extremes.
On May 13, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announced that six generation plants accounting for 2,900 megawatts (MW) went offline due to unseasonably hot temperatures. Those 2,900 megawatts are enough to power about 580,000 homes. According to ERCOT, “at this time, all reserve generation resources available are operating.”
What does this mean?
Solar is shining and pulling its weight in yet another consecutive week of perilously shaky Texas electrical grid conditions.
“We have a worsening problem that demand for electricity rises wildly with extreme weather, putting huge strains on a system that responds in one or both of two ways—failure and skyrocketing costs, said Karl R. Rábago, Board Member of the Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES). “Now is the time to invest in resources that reduce that vulnerability by working effectively and efficiently when demand increases. Those resources, efficiency and consumer-generated solar, are and can be distributed to benefit all customers.”
As a cooperative, the Pedernales Electric Coop is owned and governed by its members. PEC’s service territory serves close to 375,000 customers, (more meters than any other electric coop in the country!)
If you live in Districts 4 or 5 in the Pedernales Electric Coop service territory, you’ll have a chance to vote for candidates from May 18-June 10 who support solar and clean energy. TXSES has reviewed the candidates and two stand out for their strong support of clean renewable energy for PEC members.
Kathi Thomas, District 4 “As our weather becomes even more extreme (colder colds and hotter hots,) and our growth continues, these power shortages could become the norm, rather than the exception. PEC needs to look to the future, and renewables and distributed energy services are a big part of the future.”
Rachelle Sutherland, District 5 “Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency. Optimizing distributed energy resources can reduce stress on the grid and preserve grid reliability. That’s why it’s important for the PEC to invest in and implement new technologies that strengthen operations and decrease response times to outages.”
Voting begins May 18, 12:01 a.m. and runs through June 10, 5:00 p.m. Members may vote online, via PEC SmartHub on a computer, by mail, by email link or in a PEC office. Members can also use a unique QR code found on their ballot to access the voting portal. Election results will be released June 14. Find complete PEC election details online at pec.coop/election.
Don’t know which district you’re in? Check out the PEC service territory map or look in the upper right corner of your PEC bill.
Distributed Solar Can Increase Grid Resilience During Hot Texas Summers
This weekend, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electrical grid will be stressed. But unlike the historic, atypical Winter Storm last year, this weekend is what many Texans would call, “pretty normal.”
Texans should not have to worry about keeping air conditioners on – ever. Texas should embrace all of its energy resources to include solar that is already behind- the-meter at tens of thousands of homes, ranches and businesses today.
“Distributed” solar helps Texas families and businesses keep their energy bills under control. When energy storage is paired with Texans’ solar, it can help Texas communities and their local grids remain resilient and ready for what comes every May…like extreme heat,” said Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) Board Chair, Howard “Scot” Arey.
“Texas solar and energy storage at your home or ranch will keep the lights on no matter what occurs on the Texas grid. Thousands of Texans have this security for their families right now. With innovation and serious Texas support, the combined, aggregated benefits of these solar and storage systems will help communities and counties realize the same benefit,” said Arey.
For more than four decades, Texas Solar Energy Society’s vision has been to educate and inspire every Texan to adopt solar energy as part of an equitable 100% clean energy future.
Ken Echeverry of Plano, whose father is from Colombia, graduated in 2019 from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in computer engineering. After graduation, he became interested in renewable energy. After Googling “solar energy in Texas” Ken found TXSES and while perusing the website, he discovered that the North Texas Renewable Energy Group (NTREG) was a TXSES chapter close to Plano. He contacted them and learned of their internship program (sponsored by TXSES). NTREG quickly connected him with Wells Solar, a TXSES Gold Business Member, located in Burleson, TX.
From Wallis, Tx., Adrian Small will be a senior this fall at Prairie View A&M where he studies electrical engineering. Adrian found out about the TXSES solar internship program through his career advisor at school who knew about it from Sami Sultan, president of Houston Renewable Energy Group, one of TXSES’ intern-supported chapters.
Currently a public affairs student at UT-Dallas, Meghanna Bommareddy knew very little about solar energy before she began her eight-month internship with TXSES in 2021.
