Watts Up America Brings Solar PV to Low-Income Families

At the Los Angeles Permaculture meeting this week, I caught up with Ben Clayton of Watts Up  America. 

He told me about their mission to bring solar PV electricity to low-income families, both here in California and in places of need around the world. 

One of their target projects is to work with HUD to install PV on public housing at a significant cost savings to both the tenant and HUD. They're also working on developing a PV manufacturing facility in the LA area in an Economic Development and HUB zone.  This plan includes training and employing local, low-income residents for both PV production and installation.

They have a focused, pro-business attitude about their mission.  They are galvanized around the idea that bringing affordable solar energy to the world will bring high-tech, green-collar jobs to Southern California. 

Now, we need to focus our city colleges and trade techs on teaching solar technology and installation to the thousands of tradesmen needed for transitioning to the solar economy in the coming decade.