CleanEdison

The Wall Street Journal’s Marketwatch recently reported that renewable energy stocks have been skyrocketing this year. Stocks in the PowerShares Wilderhill Clean Energy Portfolio (PBW) have increased 22% in value this year, surpassing the Dow Jones Industrial Average by approximately 72 percent. What do these trends mean for renewable energy jobs?

As renewable energy stocks continue to rise, jobs in renewable sectors could see increased funding and fewer barriers to entry. Equipping yourself with clean energy professional certification will make you eligible for jobs in renewables such as solar and wind, two of the leading industries in the clean energy sector. Depending on where your interests lie, you can select from numerous clean energy certification designations.

The BPI building analyst certification enables you to work as an energy auditor, energy manager, or building analyst. NABCEP, which administers the solar PV installer exam, accredits courses in solar PV sales, design, and installation. Anyone can enroll in a solar training course and become eligible for solar panel installation projects for residential and commercial customers. The LEED certification course can prepare you for involvement in high-level sustainable building projects. Registering for a professional certification course pertaining to clean energy industries will make you competitive as the face of energy economics continues to change.

The Wall Street Journal article included data from EIC Consult’s Country Overview report, which identified some obstacles to development in the renewable energy sector. One of these obstacles is cost-competitiveness of clean energy as compared to cheap gas. Clean energy jobs can bring production back to the United States, making clean technology cheaper to innovate and more competitive with traditional fuel sources.

America’s clean energy workforce can make energy independence a reality in the United States. When clean technology is priced competitively, then it can successfully replace petroleum as a fuel source. Now is the time to look into clean energy professional certification.

The US Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau has released its commissioned report titled “Why Green is Your Color: A Woman’s Guide to a Sustainable Career”.  Click here to view the entire report.

The report identified twelve key sectors of the green economy where opportunities exist for women to build sustainable green careers: (1) agriculture and forestry; (2) energy and carbon capture; (3) energy efficiency; (4) energy trading; (5) environmental protection; (6) governmental and regulatory administration; (7) green construction; (8) manufacturing; (9) recycling and waste reduction; (10) renewable energy generation; (11) research, design, and consulting services; (12) transportation.

CleanEdison is proud to provide career training, certification, and the path to green occupation in seven of these twelve sectors!

According to the report, “experts predicted world energy consumption will grow by 49 percent from 2007 to 2035.”  With this in mind, the report lists seven reasons for a green job:

1. A green job can provide the chance to earn more
2. You can start with any skill level and move along a career path
3. Green jobs appeal to workers with diverse skills and interests
4. Green jobs can give greater satisfaction
5. Green job opportunities are available for workers of any age
6. Green employers are looking to hire
7. There are multiple ways to get started in a green job

Eboni Harmon agrees after completing Clean Edison’s BPI Certification (Envelope and Shell) class and LEED Green Associate and LEED AP classes and gaining certification to prepare for a career as a sustainable consultant or LEED Project coordinator:

“The classes have made me so knowledgeable and competent in these fields,” Ms. Harmon says. “I can’t get into these careers without these certifications, and it would be a lot harder to pass the exams without the training.”

CleanEdison is provides a number of ways to start or enhance a green career and job.  Visit us at www.cleanedison.com or call 1-888-51-EDISON (888-513-3476) to speak to a counselor and learn about our educational and training opportunities in a city near you!

The clean energy sector can make the United States competitive in global markets. By advancing domestic production methods, the United States can reduce its dependence on foreign markets for clean technologies. Domestic products of the clean energy sector, such as environmentally benign information technology and renewable fuels, can make the United States a global leader in sustainable economic development. Demand for clean energy, such as hydroelectricity and solar power correlates with demand for a clean energy workforce trained in developing, producing, and advancing clean energy products and services.

When the United States workforce can innovate cost-competitive technologies that are cleaner, safer, healthier, and more durable, it can stir growth in the national job market. Sustainable buildings that use less energy can improve energy independence by reducing national energy consumption. Commercial and industrial facilities can implement solutions to their costly energy consumption problems with the help of sustainable building professionals. Government incentives for commercial facilities can generate demand for commercial energy auditors who are trained in sustainable building performance standards.

Institutions that confer national standards can set guidelines and goals for energy independence and energy efficiency. Take the American National Standards Institute, for example, which recently accredited the Building Performance Institute’s standardization methodologies for building energy efficiency. This accreditation lends BPI more authority and attests to the precision of BPI standards. BPI certification is now more costly to obtain and more strictly monitored with videotaped exams for aspiring building analysts. Together with ANSI, the BPI is raising the bar for members of the sustainable building industry.

Clean energy technologies, such as solar PV cells and wind turbines, pose excellent opportunities for the United States to assert its energy independence. When the national economy supports development in the clean energy field, demand for certified professionals increases along with the value of courses in LEED certification, BPI certification, and lead renovator certification.

The clean energy sector can help rebuild the American workforce. Over time, clean energy technologies can become less expensive and easier to make and export, creating new markets and providing energy solutions for emerging markets around the world.

California has led the way in environmental innovation for decades, and a recent report from Next 10, a nonprofit research organization, has confirmed that California’s green economy has been more resilient than the conventional job market during the recession. Next 10’s report included data about job losses in the green market compared with job losses across the state; while the state of California endured a 7% job loss rate from January 2009 to January 2010, the green economy only saw a 3% job loss rate. California is just one example of successful job creation in the green economy, which welcomes seasoned building professionals and newcomers looking to create a sustainable career.

Energy efficiency job training facilitates entry into the green economy. From solar certification courses to BPI certification training, numerous green certification programs exist to help create a clean energy workforce at a time when finding jobs can be extremely difficult. The data in the Next 10 report just goes to show that green jobs can in fact create a long-lasting revenue stream for building professionals who have been out of work for years or whose qualifications are outdated.

If you already work in the building industry as a general contractor, facilities manager, engineer, or architect, then you should definitely look into adding some form of green certification to your resume. A carpenter who can also install solar panels and provide a home energy assessment is a more versatile and more employable professional than one whose expertise lies strictly in carpentry.

Energy efficiency jobs are no longer just a fad. Next 10’s report supports the claim that green jobs have the potential to reenergize an otherwise bleak job market. Now is an excellent time to enhance your credentials as a green building professional by enrolling in a green job training course in solar, BPI, LEED, or lead renovations.

Statewide incentives have made three energy efficiency programs possible in the state of Washington. RePower Bainbridge, RePower Bremerton, and RePower Kitsap are community-wide initiatives that incentivize home energy efficiency with the goal of improving home health and comfort while creating local jobs in the clean energy sector. The RePower programs specify incentives for a variety of qualifying improvements, such as winterization, weatherization, and building envelope upgrades. When homeowners install a qualifying energy improvement system, device, or appliance, they become eligible for an additional $400 RePower Reward.

By improving home energy efficiency, consumers can save a considerable amount of money that would otherwise go toward energy bills. When homeowners have access to incentives such as rebates, tax credits, or cash rewards, they are often more motivated to take advantage of services such as free home energy audits and home energy consumption surveys. The professionals who provide these audits are residential energy auditors who have undergone rigorous training in building science. Certified energy auditors are fluent in building performance standards, and they apply their knowledge of energy-consuming systems to the audits they conduct.

Energy auditors and building analysts can deliver the energy efficient upgrades and retrofits that improve building health and quality of life for the residents of Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and Kitsap. A career in energy auditing awaits anyone who wants to improve the way homes use energy and make energy more affordable for homeowners. Energy auditor training courses are available in several cities, including Portland, Oregon. For certified energy auditors and building analysts, programs like the RePower initiatives can provide a wider customer base of homeowners looking to reap the monetary benefits of home energy improvements.

Stay on the lookout for updated incentives for this year. If you live in an area with similar home energy efficiency incentive programs, then you have even more reason to seek BPI Certification.

Green jobs do exist, but perhaps not on the scale that certain outlets had predicted. One thing that remains true about green job creation is that green jobs tend to thrive when local, state, and federal incentives exist to support those jobs. Green professional development is also a huge proponent of sustainable job creation, and programs that help the unemployed succeed as green building professionals are at the forefront of growth in the green job arena. Green job programs tend to do best when they include financial assistance for green building certification courses, such as LEED certification, BPI certification, solar PV installer certification, or lead renovator certification.

When public initiatives spur green job development, the climate for those who pursue green building certification improves. Public support of green building projects makes those projects easier to launch and faster to complete, and the more sustainable building projects that exist, the greater the need for trained and credential green building professionals. You can become a green building professional when you obtain certification in BPI, LEED, or any renewable energy training program. If you are looking for a sustainable career, then the green building industry is a great place to start.

Now would be a great time to start researching what programs exist in your state and in your community for green job development. You may be surprised to learn that there is significant demand for solar panels in your neighborhood, or that there is a high concentration of commercial facilities that are grappling with soaring energy bills. The skills you obtain from a green certification course will enable you to face clients in your area and provide them with energy improvements that impact their budgets in a positive way. Green jobs are out there; the key to getting those jobs is making yourself competitive as a green building professional.

CleanEdison is rolling out a new series focused on building occupants and what they can do to help their building run as efficient as possible. The Green Occupants Series, or Go! Series, has been created for those building owners, managers, and maintenance staff who are hoping to train their occupants in energy efficiency, and thus cost efficiency.

CleanEdison instructor Robert Orfino is a huge proponent of the GO! Series because of what it directly focuses on—the triple bottom line of planet, people, and profit. This idea has been discussed for years and is built on the belief that sustainability will only occur when we consider the planet, the people, and the profit when facing each and every business decision.

“Many LEED building still have high energy bills because they never train the occupants,” says Orfino because, while these building execute sustainable improvements, few monitor these improvements to make sure that they continue to be beneficial therefore eliminating the long-term sustainability of the buildings. Orfino goes on to say that “occupants have a direct impact in the triple bottom line…everyday is critical” and CleanEdison is determined to help with this challenge.

CleanEdison will launch the Go! Series with a focus on Building Occupancy Training which is the true “key to sustainability” according to Orfino. With this training, we will all begin to create a better overall awareness regarding what sustainability means within all buildings, both commercial and residential. Whether it is recycling or speaking up when the bathroom sink is leaking, building occupants are the daily eyes and ears within buildings and if they do not know what they are looking for, then sustainability cannot be attained.

Building Occupancy Training is the first step towards the green economy that we have been striving for. By training the people, we are helping to protect the planet and altering our bottom line. However, the biggest profit gain will be the change in behavior. “It will do everything that’s promised when it works right,” says Orfino. Simply by turning off their monitors at the end of each day, occupants have the opportunity to make the triple bottom line a reality. We have to keep our buildings and continued training in the forefront in order to ensure that these buildings will not only be around for awhile, but will be beneficial to the environment.

Whether you have a LEED-certified building or not, Building Occupancy Training and the Go! Series is a great option to begin working towards the triple bottom line and sustainability throughout your building. With a focus on better awareness, CleanEdison hopes that the GO! Series will begin to take the necessary steps towards a stronger, more sustainable future in building development and usage.

BPI certification refers to the credential awarded by the Building Performance Institute to building professionals who have completed a stringent training program in the safety, health, durability, and efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. The BPI provides quality assurance measures that certified professionals employ in their work as energy auditors and building analysts. A career as a BPI certified professionals boasts a great deal of growth potential, thanks in part to stimulus packages that make green building projects more affordable and easier to launch.

You can earn your BPI certification by taking a BPI training course from an accredited provider. BPI training courses use the “house-as-a-system” approach to teach students to analyze building energy consumption in order to provide well-reasoned recommendations for building improvements that can actually deliver cost savings by reducing the cost of energy for the consumer. BPI was recently accredited by ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, therefore increasing the legitimacy and relative value of BPI certification.

The great thing about BPI certification is that it lends credibility to your business or to your existing credentials as a building professional. For those new to the building industry, BPI certification can open doors to green job opportunities that continue to pop up despite widespread job losses and economic downturn. You can enter the budding green building industry as a certified energy auditor, a profession that invokes BPI standards to help residential and commercial buildings improve their energy efficiency. BPI certified professionals are in high demand, so if you can equip yourself with BPI certification, you can stay ahead of the green jobs curve.

Obtaining your BPI certification is easier than you think. The basic building analyst course has no prerequisites, so anyone can take it to prepare for the BPI certification exam. A sustainable career in the green building industry awaits you.

Last week was packed in terms of groundbreaking national news. Green jobs have been a popular news item throughout this presidential administration, and on Tuesday, President Obama took the stage for his State of the Union address. His speech contained some interesting information about the country’s green economy.

Obama claims that reducing energy waste will save money. Then he called for assistance for manufacturers who waste energy in their facilities. This assistance defines the work of commercial building analysts and commercial energy auditors, who assess energy bills and inspect commercial buildings for opportunities to reduce energy costs. Federal support of programs to help commercial facilities reduce energy waste means more revenue for certified energy auditors. Increased investment in energy audits and incentives for buildings that improve their energy efficiency.

The President also vowed to refine clean energy standards to spur innovation in green markets. When legislation supports the efforts of green building professionals, the value of green certification increases. Take BPI certification, for example, which has been recently accredited by the American National Standards Institute. This backing from a major authority makes BPI certification course fees higher, BPI standards more reputable, and BPI training more valuable for building professionals.

A push for clean energy tax credits is also on President Obama’s green jobs agenda. As clean energy projects become less expensive in the wake of increased investment from the public and private sector, these projects will flourish and grow in number, emphasizing the need for certified green building professions who can bring their expertise to sustainable building projects.

New incentives for businesses that upgrade their facilities will support careers for BPI certified energy auditors and building analysts, improving the potential to make green building standards industry norms. Now is the time to enter the exciting realm of sustainable building as a green building professional. There are numerous certification options, including solar panel training, lead renovator training, BPI training, and LEED certification.

It does not take a financial analyst to see that formerly lucrative industries such as the automobile industry have fallen into disrepair. As investment shifts from industries that were seen as infallible and moves toward sustainable industries that promise continued returns on investment and job creation, so does the popular opinion about trades that may have previously been considered impractical and unnecessary. Nowadays, the building professional who can replace an incandescent light bulb with an energy efficiency LED bulb will find himself in higher demand than the person whose skill set reflects the values of previous generations. Thanks to research and development aimed at growing green industries, the climate for green building professionals has become friendlier. Now is the time to equip yourself with green building certification so that you can break into this ever-expanding industry.

As long as private and public investment goes toward renewable energy sources, clean technology, and green building projects, green jobs will stay in existence and hopefully increase in numbers and ease of entry. If you work as a contractor, carpenter, engineer, or designer, then you have already probably undergone a great deal of hands-on job training, making the transition into green jobs even easier for you. There are resources around the globe that make the shift into the green building industry a seamless one, including solar panel installation training courses, lead training courses, and specialized training for individuals who want to work as residential and commercial energy auditors.

Green job training represents a minute investment for many building professionals whose work has been impacted by changing federal regulations surrounding the building industry. For example, renovators who work in buildings constructed prior to 1978 must obtain lead safety certification or pay extremely costly fines for violating EPA rules. For others, green job training is an opportunity to create a sustainable revenue stream in addition to an existing career. Green jobs are the way of the future, and now is the time to get on board.