While their classmates are enjoying the sun and the beach, or perhaps getting plenty of sleep back home with their parents, more than 200 college and university students from 15 states have already spent or are gearing up for a solar Spring Break.

Their school breaks are dedicated to installing no-cost solar power systems for low-income families, getting hands-on experience about renewable energy, and learning about the solar industry through GRID Alternatives’ Solar Spring Break program.

“More than that, students learn how the power of the sun can bring real-world benefits to real-world economic problems,” notes a message in the program’s website.

This is the sixth year of the program and teams of 10-12 students from University of California, Santa Cruz; California State Universities East Bay and San Bernardino, as well as Miami Dade and Fort Lewis College  will be working at sites across California, Colorado, New Mexico and, for the first time, in Nepal, from March 4 through May 10.

Those who have gone through the program rave about its benefits.

“It was a really different experience from all the volunteering opportunities that I was offered because not only did we literally go on top of roofs and install solar panels, but I really appreciated the fact that this program was providing opportunities to have hands-on training to help other people jumpstart their careers,” said in an interview with GRID Alternatives Rionna Octaviano, a Nevada native and senior microbiology student from the University of Nevada, Reno who has taken part in four Solar Spring Breaks. 

“Solar Spring Break really opened my eyes as to how new science and engineering technologies can be combined with helping those in need,” wrote Allie Shepard of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The participating students learn to install solar panels and other renewable energy equipment, and also learn about the communities where they are deployed. They also gain valuable information about energy access and conservation challenges, as well as what is like to work with a nonprofit agency dedicated to bringing the benefits of solar power to underserved communities

Apart from the installation of solar panels and other renewable energy equipment at the site where they’re working, the participants engage in other service-learning activities, field trips, and guest speakers.

“My Solar Spring Break was magical to say the least. I gained a new perspective on the importance of solar energy and organizations like GRID Alternatives,” noted Kyle Weiner from North Carolina State University. 

For her part, Erica Mackie, CEO and co-founder of GRID, says the program is helping shape the “climate leadership of tomorrow”.

“Solar Spring Break gives students who are passionate about renewable energy the chance to see how solar power technology’s real-world benefits make more resilient communities,” she says.

International Spring Break 

This year, in the first international Solar Spring Break, a group of students from Michigan State University also traveled to Nepal’s Chitwan National Park to bring solar power to the Kumal Tower, a recently constructed off-grid wildlife observation tower.

Chitwan National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site wedged between two east-west river valleys at the base of the Siwalik mountain range of the outer Himalayas. 

The Kumal Tower is an off-grid wildlife observation tower built within the Milijuri Community Forest. With the installation of a 2.56 kW solar system, the Tower now has electricity to power lighting, a water pump that can provide running water 24/7 and a facility to charge cell-phones and other gadgets, as well as external flood lights for security.

These upgrades benefit tourists who pay to stay overnight for a fee to get an up close and personal view of the wildlife protected in the park. It also creates jobs for local residents. 

GRID Alternatives notes that this was the fourth solar installation on an off-grid wildlife observation tower in Chitwan National Park, after the Dulehola Tower in 2017, the Open Tower and Kaate Tower in 2018.

To participate in solar Spring Break program, each group of up to 12 students must raise $5,000, which covers the cost of the solar installation project, five days of service-learning programming, and five nights of lodgings. Each team is also responsible for their own food and transportation costs. Some colleges and universities offer funds to support these endeavors. 

Students who complete the Solar Spring Break program will also have access to educational resources, advocacy networks and solar industry job openings through the Solar Energy Industries Association, which is partnering with GRID Alternatives for the third time to help make career connections for students wanting to continue in renewable energy. 

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