Installation training focuses on Native American women
WOMEN IN SOLAR — Native American women get hands-on training to install photovoltaic panels as part of a DOE-funded program. Native American women are significantly underrepresented in the solar installation industry – making up less than half a percent. (Photo courtesy of Red Cloud Renewable)
Native American women nationwide are getting a special opportunity. They’re receiving hands-on training in photovoltaic panel installation, with the goal to equip them to set up residential and community systems on tribal land.
Sandra Begay, a Sandia engineer and member of the Navajo Nation, serves as one of four mentors in this initiative. The training is part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Sandia and Red Cloud Renewable, a nonprofit in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, dedicated to helping tribal members and communities achieve energy independence.
BRIDGING THE GAP — Fifteen Native American women participated in a photovoltaic training installation program at the Red Cloud Renewable Center in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Sandia’s Sandra Begay provided some of the training as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. (Photo courtesy of Red Cloud Renewable)
The Bridging Renewable Industry Divides in Gender Equality, or BRIDGE, Program offers an immersive five-week in-person training that includes hands-on photovoltaic installation. Sandra met with the first cohort in South Dakota in August.
“Five weeks is a long time to be away from home. I provided encouragement and reminded the women that they made the right choice to participate in this program,” Sandra said. “We also used the time to reflect on what they learned.”
The training covers the components of photovoltaic systems and their correct and safe installation. Sandra also helped the women understand the energy landscape in tribal communities.
“There are more than 20,000 homes on the Navajo Nation and some rural homes on the Hopi reservation that don’t have electricity. These are off-grid homes,” Sandra said, adding that many homes rely on diesel generators. “We’re looking at a clean energy future. We want to move away from those types of fuels and look at clean energy sources such as solar.”
Sandra said the Navajo Nation and Mountain Ute in Colorado are establishing large-scale photovoltaic plants.
“This program will provide participants with new employment opportunities and a better understanding of where we’re headed with clean energy,” Sandra said.
Red Cloud Renewable will assist women with resume writing, interview preparation, networking and job placement. Sandra, who has dedicated her more than 30-year career to establishing renewable energy sources in Native American communities, plans to stay in contact with participants.
“I am making a long-term commitment to the women in the BRIDGE Program,” Sandra said. “I will share any job openings I see with them and support them in their job searches.”
Teamwork for the future
Sandra said that one non-technical aspect emphasized in the training is the importance of teamwork in photovoltaic installation.
“Photovoltaic installation happens with a team of people. How do you work through that group dynamic? How do you work with each other as a team? Those questions are underemphasized in the work we do. They’re going to rely on each other when installing photovoltaic systems,” she said.
MEETING THE TRAINERS— From left, Carol Weiss, Sandia’s Sandra Begay, Marie KillsWarrior and Laura Walters provided photovoltaic installation training at the Red Cloud Renewable Center in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Sandia intern and graduate student Alexis Glaudin, right, accompanied Sandra on the trip. (Photo courtesy Sandra Begay)
Alicia Hayden, communications manager for Red Cloud Renewable, said she got a sense of joy seeing the women work together.
“What stood out to me was the incredible camaraderie among the women,” Alicia said. “They were genuinely supportive of each other and grateful to be participating in this program alongside women who share similar backgrounds.”
The DOE Solar Energy Technology Office is funding the project over the next couple of years, with plans to train two additional cohorts, totaling about 45 women.
“These women will be equipped to take on installer jobs within their own reservations, bringing valuable skills and opportunities for sustainable development to their people,” Alicia said.
Native American women are significantly underrepresented in the solar installation field, making up just 0.05% of the industry, according to Red Cloud Renewable. Sandra believes the BRIDGE Program is a step in the right direction to change that.
“It’s very gratifying both professionally and personally to see where we can help women who are underrepresented in the workforce, let alone in a unique technology like photovoltaic installation,” Sandra said. “We’re seeding ideas for the women that they would never have thought of doing. I think that’s what’s unique.”
Sandra Begay: Inspiring future engineers
BIG RECOGNITION — Sandia’s Sandra Begay has been recognized by her peers with an award for her work inspiring and encouraging women to join and succeed in science and engineering careers. (Photo by Lonnie Anderson)
Providing internships to the next generation of Native American engineers is a cause close to Sandra Begay’s heart. In her more than 30 years at Sandia, she considers starting an internship program in 2002 for Native Americans as her most significant accomplishment at the Labs. She has mentored 52 interns, guiding them through hands-on projects and introducing them to real-world renewable energy installations.
“I enhance their learning by taking them out into the field to see renewable installations in Indian country,” Sandra said. “I enjoy taking the students to tribal lands and teaching them about real-world projects.”
Recognizing her extraordinary efforts in encouraging and helping women enter and succeed in STEM and promoting networking and communication among women in these careers, the New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering has selected Sandra as the 2024 IMPACT Award winner.
Sandra expressed her gratitude for the award. She said a couple of STEM colleagues and friends nominated her.
“I’m honored to receive the award from my peers — my fellow New Mexican women. I’ve been doing this work without seeking recognition,” Sandra said. “It’s like icing on a cake. The IMPACT award is a wonderful highlight of my career.”
Fostering connections
As a mentor, Sandra emphasizes the importance of connection to her students. Sandra knows firsthand the difficulties of pursuing a STEM career.
“The worst thing you can do as a minority in STEM is to isolate yourself and think you can do it all on your own. STEM is a hard curriculum to follow. Being an engineer and understanding all the math is challenging,” she said. “I had to work really hard, and I think that’s where we have to encourage our young people.”
Sandra’s commitment to fostering connections extends beyond her interns.
“With the help of a colleague from Argonne National Laboratory, we created a group for women of color working in national laboratories. We engage on a quarterly basis,” she said. “We discuss why we enjoy the work. There’s a lot of camaraderie and we encourage each other.”
Inspiring innovation
Sandra believes that one of the most straightforward ways to encourage and teach future STEM professionals is often overlooked.
“Have a student by your side or have an intern. They’re learning what you’re doing. Teach them what you’re doing, and they learn nuances,” she said.
One of Sandra’s goals in the internship program is to stimulate innovation.
“Technology can change people’s lives. We have things in front of us that were created in the last 10 or 20 years and it doesn’t happen by itself,” she said. “We need to inspire the future generation to turn their thoughts and ideas into something real.”
