Savannah Technical College was selected to receive a grant for $35,000 in the Solar for Schools Program funded by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.
 
The GEFA Solar for Schools Program will provide students the opportunity to enter the workforce specializing in electrical applications of installing, inspecting, and repairing solar panels.
 
Savannah Tech will distribute the GEFA grant through the GEFA Photovoltaic Systems Scholarship to at least ten students, who are high school/GED graduates from 2016 or are graduating senior/GED graduates for 2017 from a Georgia institution or an accredited home school program. Additional qualifications for the GEFA/Photovoltaic systems scholarship include: applicants must be U.S. citizens and residents of Georgia living in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham or Liberty counties; be admitted to Savannah Technical College and enrolled in the Photovoltaic Systems Installation Technical Certificate of Credit; must plan to enroll in the Photovoltaic Systems Installation TCC no later than Summer 2017; include two letters of recommendation and submit a 500-word essay about how this scholarship will benefit the applicant and his/her future education and/or employment plans.

Savannah Tech students will use the knowledge they acquire in the classroom and apply it to installing solar projects on their campuses, including:  

One 15 kilowatt fixed roof mount,

One 38 kW, fixed roof mount,

One 3-seat, solar covered table with electrical connections, and

One solar covered bus stop with electrical connections.

In addition to the classroom knowledge and hands-on experience, the students will develop marketing initiatives, record and edit a video case study, and increase interest about the benefits of solar power in local K-12 schools, colleges, and the business and investor communities.