I just received this Eulogy for Johnny Weiss, in loving memory of our dear friend, mentor, and solar pioneer, the founder of Solar Energy International (SEI).
It is with a heavy heart that we are writing you today to honor the life and legacy of Johnny Weiss—a trailblazer in solar energy, a teacher to thousands, a rebel with a radiant cause, and a friend whose light touched every corner of this world.
Johnny passed away peacefully at home in Paonia, Colorado in recent days, surrounded by his loving family and embraced by the mountains he adored. As the summer sun warmed the Rockies, Johnny’s own light began its next journey—leaving behind not darkness, but a brilliant legacy that continues to shine through each of us.
In his final days, Johnny wrote with remarkable clarity and warmth, reaching out to what he called his solar family. With his signature humility, he didn’t speak of his many awards or accomplishments. Instead, he spoke of you—the students, collaborators, dreamers, and doers who helped bring his vision to life over SEI’s incredible 34-year journey.
Johnny reminded us that SEI was never just about solar energy technology. It was about community. It was about potlucks and networking with a global community of students who visited the SEI Paonia, Colorado Training Facility. It was about the connections made through the SEI Online Campus, serving thousands of students every year from all over the world. It was about finding your “solar tribe.” And above all, it was about creating a better world through education, connection, and relentless hope.
He was proud—so deeply proud—of how far we’d come together. From the early counterculture roots reading Home Power Magazine to becoming a world-class solar training organization, Johnny never lost sight of the people at the center of it all. His passion was magnetic, his mentorship unwavering, and his commitment to underserved communities foundational to everything he did.
And though Johnny has left this earth, his final vision is just beginning to take flight. Over the past few months, Johnny worked closely with SEI to shape his vision of growing SEI’s Empowerment Program with a renewed resolve that would carry on beyond his passing. That vision is the Johnny Weiss Solar Energy Access for All Initiative. This new initiative will expand and fund SEI’s broader Empowerment Program—providing scholarships to underserved populations around the world and deepening our commitment to developing world programs.
Johnny often said that the world was our classroom—and he meant it. From Maasai villages in Tanzania to sovereign Native American lands, Johnny walked with people, not ahead of them. He listened. He taught. He learned. And he passed the mic, ensuring that energy sovereignty and climate justice weren’t just goals, but shared realities.
He reminded us that we must never lose sight of the communities still without reliable power, the schools still teaching by candlelight, the clinics still waiting for basic energy access. This is where his heart lived. And now, through the Johnny Weiss Initiative, that heart beats on in every student, every project, and every electrified community across the globe.
So as we say goodbye to our dear friend, let us also say yes to his call. Let us teach more. Build more. Rebel more. Love more. Let us bend the rules when they don’t serve justice. Let us uplift those who are still finding their path to the sun. And let us never forget that what we do is not just technical work—it is human work.
Johnny once said:
“We’ve created lots of goodwill in the world. The very mention of SEI brings a smile to many faces across the globe. I hope it will always bring one to yours.” It does. And it always will.
Rest in peace, dear Johnny Weiss. You left us surrounded by love, and you leave behind a world still glowing with the warmth you gave it. Your vision is alive. Your people are ready. And your light will never go out.