Refugees go Solar+: Insights into the introductory course in solar technology

How do you charge a battery with sunlight? How do compressive and tensile forces affect the stability of structures and what does it feel like to hover in safety belts?

In the first week of November, eleven participants of our FastRunner program completed the one-week introductory course in solar technology, which takes place twice a year as part of the program Refugees go Solar+. Refugees go Solar+ is a holistic industry qualification program in the primary labor market, which we offer throughout Switzerland in close cooperation with our partner organization Solafrica.

Among them was Shevin Batu, who came to Switzerland three years ago as a refugee from Kurdistan. Shevin wants to study energy and environmental technology and is currently attending preparatory courses at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). As part of her mandatory work experience, Batu is completing an internship at RGS+.

During this week, our participants learned a lot: about work safety, which materials conduct electricity, how to wire photovoltaic systems correctly, calculate watt-hours and charge a battery using solar energy. Hands-on experiments with spaghetti, tape, and marshmallows illustrated the effects of compressive and tensile forces on the stability of constructs.

During this week, our participants learned a lot: about work safety, which materials conduct electricity, how to wire photovoltaic systems correctly, calculate watt-hours and charge a battery using solar energy. Hands-on experiments with spaghetti, duct tape, and marshmallows illustrated the effects of compressive and tensile forces on the stability of constructs.

Following the introductory week, some of the participants were able to put their freshly acquired theoretical knowledge into practice right away. For example, Million Asmerom from Eritrea: With the certificate in his pocket, he was able to complete a trial day on the roof of the gymnasium of the Biel High School at Tritec company in Aarberg. Million's motivation and interest went down well with the supervisor. He will soon be able to start his internship at Tritec.