A series of solar panels has been installed on the grounds of a union hall in Alton, Illinois. The solar panels were placed on the roof of the union hall’s carport to provide energy to two of its facilities.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 649 and NECA-IBEW Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee  (JATC) had 10 Solar FlexRacks installed on a carport, which can produce 48.72 kilowatt of power.

One section of the solar array will provide 28.56 kW of power to the IBEW Local 649 union hall. The other section of the panel will provide 20.16 kW of power the the NECA-IBEW JATC training facility. The FlexRacks hold 203 Sharp 240-watt modules.

The solar panels on the roof of the carport will serve as a training tool for IBEW Local 649 apprentice electricians.

IBEW Local 649's decision to tap into solar power follows many other IBEW chapters’ decisions to use and learn about green energy resources. For instance, IBEW Local 573 in Warren, Ohio, trains apprentices in solar power, wind power and how to install an electric vehicle charging station, Vindy.com reported.