If you’ve been thinking about brushing up on your knowledge of alternative energy, Stanford University may have the opportunity you were looking for.

The university is offering an online program called Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies exploring emerging technologies that offer a new way to produce, distribute and store energy.

“Determining which technologies work and can be brought to market mass-scale is an urgent challenge for engineers and businesses,” said Michael McGehee, associate professor of materials science and engineering and the academic director of the certificate program.

The program will help participants to get a better grasp of the entire energy landscape and the fundamentals of how emerging technologies work. They will also learn about opportunities to develop and market new technologies. The program requires the completion of four courses from a portfolio of six or more courses covering topics including photovoltaics, solar energy, biofuels, batteries, and shale gas.

Students can take each course at their own pace, provided they complete it within 90 days from enrollment. Participants who successfully complete the program receive a professional certificate in Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies. To find out more, go here.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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As social awareness about climate change and the effects that our society’s actions have on our planet become more prominent, more and more college students are becoming interested in pursuing the field of conservation and renewable energy. It’s a trend still so new that there are no specific enrollment figures for green programs available, but certain schools like the University of Colorado, Indian University, and Arizona State University do boast that their green energy programs are some of the most popular choices for their students.

While becoming an advocate for Mother Earth is enough to persuade some students to pursue these fields, some experts speculate that others are more promoted to go in the field of renewable energy research or engineering for example because the more “traditional” career choices like those in business, have seen better days. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment opportunities for business careers in finance for example will slow down significantly, but those pursuing green energy careers, such as in the wind power industry, bio energy, solar power or hydropower, will just continue to grow as the world looks for new and sustainable ways to function. That said, if you are college bound student or looking to make a change in your career, below are some popular career titles to consider.

Energy Efficiency Engineer
• What do they do? An energy efficiency engineer is responsible for identifying ways that consumers can conserve energy and be more efficient in their homes or place of business. Their expertise can be used when a new building is getting constructed, or when completely remodeling a new home for example.
• How do I get this job? The minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree in electrical or mechanical engineering.
• What’s the job outlook? While job availability will vary between location, experts predict the job growth will only increase about 6%. However, experience and a higher education can increase your chances. Salary also varies, but the average yearly salary was $88,570 in 2010, according to the latest statistics from The Bureau.

Wind Turbine Drivetrain Engineer
• What do they do? A wind turbine drivetrain engineer is responsible for overseeing the safety, maintenance and installment of wind turbine devices on wind farms. They must also use their technical knowledge to ensure operations run smoothly or must correct the issue when malfunctions arise.
• How do I get this job? While it is possible to get a job with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, a master’s degree in the same field is typically favored.
• What’s the job outlook? Figures aren’t available on whether this specific job is in demand, but with the continuing necessity to use alternative energy, wind turbine drivetrain engineers will surely be needed. On average, wind turbine drivetrain engineers make about $62,000 a year.

Sustainability Specialist
• What do they do? A sustainability specialist is responsible for producing and implementing programs designed to improve the planet, conserve energy, and save money for their clients—whether it’s reducing the amount of energy needed to run a factory or eliminating a corporation’s carbon footprint by making employees use electric vehicles on grounds, sustainability specialists really work hard to help the environment.
• How do I get this job? In order to be found employable, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in environmental science or environmental engineering.
• What’s the job outlook? Experts predict that employment opportunities for this field are expected to be “fair,” increasing about 13% within the next decade. Salary will vary depending on level of education and experience, but on average you can earn about $60,000 a year, according The Bureau.

Environmental Engineer
• What do they do? In a nutshell, environmental engineers are responsible for combining their knowledge in biology, chemistry and engineering in order come up with solutions to various environmental problems, including those that deal with renewable energy.
• How do I get this job? In order to become an environmental engineer, you must earn a bachelor’s degree in either environmental science, or a related field such as mechanical, civil or chemical engineering.
• Job Outlook? Employment opportunities are predicted to increase a whopping 22 percent throughout the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay is typically excellent as well. The average yearly salary was $78,740 in 2010, according to the latest statistics from the Bureau.

While the career titles listed above are definitely not all of the career titles offered in the green industry, they can most certainly help point you in the right direction.

Article by Maria Rainier, a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online colleges, online degrees etc. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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Many veterans find themselves unsure of what to do when they return from service. This is natural – after having several years of structure, strict discipline, daily goals and extreme stress, it can be difficult to adjust to a much more laid back civilian lifestyle. Regardless, many veterans know that they want to start a career and to do something meaningful with the rest of their lives. One way to do this is by obtaining an education through colleges online or on campus and to begin a career in the green sector.

The green sector is relatively new. It comprises a variety of industries, all of which are attempting to make the United States more environmentally sustainable. For example, a solar panel installation company would be considered part of the green sector, as would the construction and sale of the Chevrolet Volt, as would a parks conservancy organization. In short, there are a lot of environmentally conscious companies and organizations that employ skilled individuals who believe in the mission of sustainability and stewardship. Moreover, many veterans get personal satisfaction out of working within the green sector.

While there is currently no specific federal program in place to help veterans find green jobs, there are a variety of programs, such as the Subsidized Employment for Veterans (SEV) program that can be applied to green employment as well as regular employment. The SEV, for example, provides employers with a subsidy to help them afford to employ additional individuals, provided that the additional individuals are veterans. This is a great win-win situation: veterans get work, while companies get additional help that they previously could not afford.

Other such programs exist on the state level. For example, according to the Cape Gazette, recent legislation in Delaware, in the form of the Veterans Opportunity Tax Credit, would provide employers with up to a $1,500 annual tax credit for up to four years for each veteran they hire. The Veterans Opportunity Tax Credit will be voted on soon, and has broad bipartisan support. Again, while this program does not target green jobs specifically, it makes it easier for all companies, including green companies, to hire veterans.

Moreover, there are a number of job boards and organizations to help veterans find green employment. The most prominent such organization is the non-profit Veterans Green Jobs, which offers recruitment and placement services, training in outdoor conservation and wind energy jobs, and outreach services. Veterans who are interested in green jobs should therefore look into joining or contacting this organization, or others like it.

While unemployment for veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan currently sits at 12.1%, according to the Huffington Post there is additional help on the way, in the form of the Veterans Jobs Corps, for which President Obama is currently seeking $1 billion. If the Corps becomes reality, it would employ 20,000 veterans in helping with the restoration of the United States’ land and resources. This would be an excellent example of successful green employment, if it comes to fruition. In the meantime, veterans with an interest in the green sector need to connect with non-profits like Veterans Green Jobs and take advantage of federal subsidies to help them get back to work – hopefully within the green sector.

Article by June Olsen.

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With International Women’s Day (March 8th) fast approaching, it’s time to talk about women and the green energy labor market.

A recent report released by the Department of Labor, entitled “Why Green Is Your Color: A Woman’s Guide to a Sustainable Career” highlights the fact that green jobs tend to be dominated by men. However, opportunities abound for women as well.

Ecotech Institute, a pioneer college dedicated to renewable energy and sustainability, recently held a Women in Renewable Energy meeting on February 16 to bring together women at the campus to “share ideas, help each other with classwork and empower one another as they embark on a green career.”

The institution says that an increasing number of women are interested in pursuing a career in green businesses. And the green market is a good place to be. The Labor Department states that according to The National Center for O*NET Development, several green occupations are “Bright Outlook” occupations, meaning they are expected to grow rapidly from 2008 – 2018, with a combined increase of 100,000 or more job openings. Some jobs designated as “Bright Outlook” are wind turbine service technicians, solar photovoltaic installers and recycling coordinators.

The report was produced to support Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis’s vision of “Good Jobs for Everyone.” The downloadable green jobs guide is designed to help women learn about the opportunities available in the renewable energy space, which they may not have previously considered.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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Located in the heart of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the popular Carnegie Mellon University. The university has long been in line with the sustainable activities undertaken by the entire state of Pennsylvania. Carnegie Mellon University realizes that in order for students to live sustainable lives outside of the university, they need to learn all they can about sustainability while in the university. Therefore, Carnegie Mellon University has set up a number of sustainability initiatives to not only make the university a much more sustainable place for the environment and future students, but also teach current students on what they can do to live a more environmentally sustainable life.

1) Carnegie Mellon University Office of Sustainability. The Carnegie Mellon Office of Sustainability, also known as the Green Practices Committee, is part of the strategic initiative to enhance the impact and the scope of education and research programs that are related to the environment. The objective of the Green Practices Committee is to “strive to develop university practices that improve environmental quality, decrease waste, and conserve natural resources and energy, thereby establishing Carnegie Mellon as a practical model for other universities and companies.” Through the increase of sustainability on campus, it is the hope of the university to enhance campus life as well as the infrastructure of the university.

2) Administration. At Carnegie Mellon University, the administration is working alongside the Green Practices Committee diligently to create a number of initiatives. The administration has also recently expanded the student-led eco-reps program and established a number of Green Teams throughout all the departments in an effort to encourage faculty and staff to reduce their total environmental impact. The university remains committed to increasing sustainable efforts for formal mission statements and a master plan for the campus

.

3) Climate Change and Energy. Carnegie Mellon University has established a number of ways to reduce energy and thereby reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, the university uses a series of digital controls for all HVAC systems throughout the buildings, and they have also installed lighting retrofits and steam line insulation in almost 100 percent of buildings. As well, all vending machines located in 80 percent of all buildings have sensors so they do not waste electricity when not in use. Approximately 75 percent of the power used at the university is purchased through wind power.

4) Food and Recycling. At Carnegie Mellon University, 32 percent of the Dining Service’s annual food budget is put toward the purchase of local products. 65 percent of all pre-consumer and post consumer food scraps are composted, and approximately 90 percent of all meals served in the dining facilities on campus are trayless. Two of the dormitories on the university have compost bins located outside. All printers on campus are set at default to print on both sides in order to reduce waste. All cardboard during the move in period is collected and then recycled. All unwanted items at the conclusion of the academic year are donated.

5) Green Building. The objective of Carnegie Mellon University is to have all new buildings constructed to meet the LEED Silver Certification standards as listed by the United States Green Building Council. Currently, there are ten LEED buildings throughout the campus, and there are two buildings that are expected to achieve LEED Platinum Certification. To reduce water use throughout the dormitories, all washing machines are energy and water efficient. 80 percent of all showerheads in all dormitories are low-flow, and approximately 50 percent of all buildings have water metering systems. There is also a student garden that is irrigated using rainwater.

6) Student Involvement. There are a number of groups on campus that work on various sustainability initiatives. For example, there are groups to get rid of bottled water from the university campus, create a garden on campus, organize a zero-waste luncheon, and develop a course for credit known as “Environment Today.” Those students that are interested in maintaining sustainability can opt to live in the Green Connections hallways or the Neville Co-op.

7) Transportation. The students, faculty, administration, and staff are given free passes to use the public transportation system in the area. They also get free shuttle services to all off-campus destinations from the university. All carpoolers receive decreased parking rates for on-campus parking rates and they get pre-validated parking tickets for the days when people need to bring in their own vehicles. Carnegie Mellon University also partners with a prominent car-sharing program.

8 ) Solar Panels on South Craig Street. Just recently, a solar panel roof installation was placed on South Craig Street at the university. It was done part of a $88,000 Energy Harvest grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The solar panels will feed directly into the power supply of the buildings as a large part of looking to reduce fossil fuels used by the Carnegie Mellon building. This building is right now home to the university’s SCS Interactive Systems Lab as well as the Institute for Software Research International.

9) Green Teams at Carnegie Mellon. The Green Teams at Carnegie Mellon is a volunteer group made up of students, faculty, administration and staff within a specific department of the university, so there are a number of green teams that all work together in helping the university become much more sustainable. Every team does an environmental sustainable assessment to locate all the areas in need of improvement, including indoor air quality, energy, waste management, lights, green purchasing, commuting, as well as general workplace practices.

10) Green Roofs. Carnegie Mellon University has a number of green roofs throughout the campus, including at Doherty Hall, Gates Center, Posner Center, Porter Hall, Mellon Institute, and Hamerschlag Hall. The green roofs on these buildings aid in reducing heating and cooling energy consumption, protecting the roof’s structural elements from ultraviolet rays, extending the overall lifespan of the roof, and lowering stormwater waste streams. The eventual goal is to have every roof of every building on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus become a green roof and add to the sustainability of the university.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com

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American University is located right in the nation’s capital – Washington DC. Because of Washington DC’s recognition as a leader in the clean technology and sustainability movement in the United States, American University has long believed that it needs to do its part to bolster Washington DC’s status as not only the capital of the United States, but also the capital of sustainability. American University has long been at the forefront of university leaders in the sustainability list. It has received top rankings on the College Sustainability Report Card as well as a host of awards and recognitions for all it has done. Listed below are just a few of the sustainability initiatives at American Univeristy.

1 ) American University Office of Sustainability. American University houses their Office of Sustainability right on campus. As one of the greenest universities in the United States, it is only fitting that American University has an Office of Sustainability that aids in building a university campus whereby the students and faculty work together to clean up the campus and make it much more sustainable. The work done by the Office of Sustainability “celebrates the abundance of nature by building a campus community of leaders, who work to clean our air and water, cool our atmosphere, and produce fertile land and habitat.” Some of the areas the office focuses on include buildings, dining, energy, purchasing, recycling, water, and transportation.

2 ) Administration. The administration at American University has adopted a number of policies regarding different aspects of sustainability, including green cleaning, green building, zero-waste, and sustainable purchasing policies. The administration also makes certain that the university only purchases electronics and appliances that are Energy Star Certified. As well, the university only purchases EPEAT Gold Certified computers, and recycled paper towels and toilet paper. The administration also created a Clean Energy Revolving Fund to finance new sustainability projects.

3 ) Climate Change and Energy. American University looks to become the first carbon neutral campus in the United States by the year 2020. To get to this, the university has implemented a number of energy conserving technologies, including back pressure turbines, cogeneration, as well as placing energy management systems in a number of the buildings. Most of the energy utilized by the campus is generated via a rooftop solar array as well as a solar hot water system. In 2010, American University became the first university in the United States to purchase 100 percent energy credits in wind energy.

4 ) Food and Recycling. The Dining Services at American University spends over 25 percent of its annual food budget on local products. A majority of the produce used by the dining staff comes from the garden located right on campus. The dining halls only serve cage-free eggs, sustainably harvested seafood, as well as antibiotic-free and hormone-free milk. All dining halls are trayless and all food scraps are composted. Recently there was a 12 week food waste reduction campaign to cut food waste by ten percent. More than 65 percent of all waste on campus is recycled.

5 ) Green Building. All new constructions on the American University campus, as well as all major renovations, need to at least meet the LEED Silver Certification guidelines as set up by the United States Green Building Council. To date, 40 buildings are LEED registered in the LEED Volume Pilot program. The university has also installed weather-informed irrigation systems and low-flow faucets. There are a number of green roofs, vegetated swales, and porous pavement around campus that manage storm water.

6 ) Student Involvement. Students if they would like, can opt to live in the Sustainable Earth Hallways at American University. Just launched by the university is the Green Eagles eco-rep program. There is also the Eco-Sense student group that leads an eco-certification program for all university offices. Student groups have also launched campaigns against bottled water and started a farmer’s market on campus.

7 ) Transportation. American University has a ride-sharing website that provides discounts on rates as well as preferential parking spots for people who carpool to work. The university also provides students and employees with discounts on public transportation. As well, the university partners with a car-sharing program, and there is a student-run bicycle-lending program which is completely free.

8 ) Green Cleaning. American University realizes that conventional cleaning products may contribute to a number of health problems, including cancer and asthma, and are also very unsafe for the environment. By utilizing safer cleaning chemicals, the university can improve their indoor air quality and the environment at the same time. For this reason, American University has set up a green cleaning program whereby the maintenance staff only uses Green Seal Certified cleaning products that are nationally recognized for the benefits provided to individuals as well as the environment. The maintenance staff is also efficiently trained on how to handle chemicals properly and how to minimize areas where dirt can build up, thereby eliminating the constant need for chemical cleaners.

9 ) Green Office Program. The Office of Sustainability at American University recently launched the Green Office Program to assist the faculty and staff at the university “green up” their departments as well as their office spaces. The Green Office Program provides insight on how offices can mitigate the environmental impact in their department, such as using recycled paper products, double sided printing of documents, reducing margins to save paper, using scrap papers, or requesting vegetable-based or soy-based inks for print jobs as they reduce the amount of VOCs emitted during the printing process.

10 ) Earth Week. Every year, American University participates in Earth Week. Each day, a different topic regarding sustainability is focused on. There is a “passport of events” where students can find out what is going on. Topics focused on every year include energy and conservation, transportation, food and water, and different services. There are a variety of workshops, such as collecting trash to be recycled around campus and helping with the green roofs around campus. There is also tree planting events, visits to the solar panels, and a number of guest speakers on topics regarding sustainability.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com

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A new website called SaveUSAWindJobs launched by the American Wind Energy Association aims at involving Americans with wind power and put pressure on government to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind power’s key federal tax incentive.

There has been a huge growth in the wind power manufacturing sector, which currently provides 75,000 jobs. It is estimated the sector could create another 500,000 jobs in the next 20 years. But without fiscal support it may not happen.

Past experience showed than when PTC was allowed to expire, wind installations dropped between 73 and 93 per cent. The website provides detailed information on this issue, including a visual depiction of what it calls a “preventable boom-bust cycle”. It also features a 90-second video explaining how wind energy means jobs, and how the PTC is a key driver of job creation.

“The SaveUSAWindJobs website is a powerful tool for the overwhelming majority of Americans who say they want more wind power,” said Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. “The need for a PTC extension is urgent. I ask everyone who supports more clean, homegrown wind power and more American manufacturing jobs to engage their Members of Congress by tapping into this valuable resource.”

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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When a form of technology becomes outdated, jobs in that industry are inevitably lost. However, this is only one side of the coin, as jobs are often created in the exact same way and, the good news is, that these jobs require previously unconsidered skill sets. It almost goes without saying that with the shift toward clean energy usage, the onus is on the clean technology sector to create green jobs.

In the down-spinning economy, clean technology has been a rock. In fact, clean technology continues to be one of the fastest growing segments of the economy. Worldwide, investments in clean technology grew 12 percent in the Q3 of 2011, even as other sectors were tanking around the world. This growth started a few years back and continues to hold strong. In fact, in 2007, the clean technology industry in the United States grew three times as fast as the country’s economy.

Of course, there are stories of failure in the clean technology segment – such as the recent demise of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra – but there are also stories of success. Consider Noveda Technologies, whose real-time, online energy monitoring technology allows users get a better understanding of both their building’s impact on the environment and how they might improve it. Oh, and they can actually see their carbon footprint reduction and utility bill savings – right before their very eyes.

With all this being said, there is no question that clean technology would get even more of a push from the federal government if more consistent clean energy requirements were enacted. In this sense President Barack Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative, which rewards the use of non-traditional energy sources, is a step in the right direction. But more such guidelines need to be brought forth.

Part of the problem is that when legislation that limits the use of old energies comes into play, the loss of jobs that inevitably occurs gets foregrounded by pundits. For example, when President Obama unveiled his sorely needed energy policy in February 2011, CNN talking heads opined that biofuels have been a “colossal failure.” The news network also focused on the bankruptcy of Solyndra as a symbolic example of what happens when people invest in clean energy.

It’s time we focus on the companies that are putting people back to work in industries that benefit every person on this planet. There will always be naysayers to seek out and discuss the “wrongs” of the world.

What if we shifted our focus to the benefits new industries are having on the economy and the world at large? Up and comers with new ideas regarding clean technology are thriving under these conditions. New industries are created in this way. Let’s be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Article by Bari Faye Siegel, a technology writer and marketing consultant at Noveda Technologies, an innovative leader in real-time, web-based energy management, solar PV monitoring and water management. Noveda also offers real-time collaboration tools that leverage social media to educate and empower stakeholder communities and make the smart grid a reality today. For more information, visit www.noveda.com.

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With a multitude of paths to career satisfaction, evidence indicates that “finding meaning in the workplace” may be the single most important factor to long term satisfaction in the workplace. In fact, research shows that growing work frustrations are directly related to immediate supervision and a lack of recognition. So how can today’s leaders increase the engagement of their employees? What new skills will define tomorrow’s business sustainability innovators?

Reviewing the Harvard Business Review post, The Must-Have Leadership Skill, we explore the growing emphasis on ‘social intelligence’ as a required business skill. As the article describes:

“Technical skills and self-mastery alone allow you to be an outstanding individual contributor. But to lead, you need an additional interpersonal skill set…leadership is the art of accomplishing goals through other people.”

While creating ‘meaningful work’ is both the responsibility of the employer as well as the employee, business leaders can greatly accelerate the process by recognizing and rewarding the pursuit of these business sustainability efforts. Reflecting back on the 2009 article, Jumping into the green jobs market, the recovering market has created a new generation of workers, with a new set of expectations.

• Employees Want to Make a Difference: 80% of “young professionals” are interested in a career that makes a positive impact on the environment.
• Employees Seek Energy-Conscious Employers: 94% of Americans prefer to work in a building that is designed to be energy efficient and ecologically sound.
• Employees Prefer Employers that offer Telecommuting: the necessity to physically change locations in order to accomplish a task has recently been challenged by employee value for energy conservation, environment impacts, family values, and other issues.
• Employees Want Employers to Walk the Talk: In Portland, Oregon, your company isn’t really green unless you’ve got a bike cage in the parking structure, a compost bin in the lunchroom, fume-free paint on the walls, and have recycled glass on the lobby front desk.
• Employees Gravitate towards a Common Sustainable Goals: Organizations that are creating business sustainability through an elevated sense of teamwork and establishing an emotional tie between the employee and the organization direction are attracting top talent.

Having the right people in place has always critical to business success; however, it has become increasingly important to have a new set of skills to respond to evolving market conditions and business sustainability needs. The ability to plan and take action to address resource demands falls heavily on both executive and frontline leadership. Our sustainability consulting works with businesses to understand the value in having an evolved ‘social intelligence’ at every level of an organization.

Article by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company; appearing courtesy 3BL Media.

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Alternative energy is not only good for the environment; it’s good for job creation, too. According to the Solar Foundation, 100,237 Americans are now working in the US solar industry. The statement is based on preliminary data from National Solar Jobs Census 2011: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce.

Solar businesses added 6,735 new workers in all 50 states since August 2010, which represents a 6.8 percent growth rate. The National Solar Jobs Census 2011 measured solar employment during the period between August 2010 and August 2011.

The figures reveal that the job growth within the US solar industry outpaced the overall economy and fossil fuel based electric generation when compared to overall economic data from Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI). During the same 12-month period, jobs in the overall economy grew by only 0.7 per cent, while fossil fuel electric generation lost two percent of its workforce.

“The U.S. solar industry is creating jobs at a far greater pace than the economy as a whole,” said Andrea Luecke, executive director of The Solar Foundation. “The National Solar Jobs Census series provides a definitive measure of the U.S. solar workforce and its growth over time. It proves where smart solar energy policies are having the most impact both in terms of states and across the vast solar supply chain.”

The full National Solar Jobs Census 2011 report became available at Solar Power International ‘11 in Dallas on October 17. The Census examines employment along the solar value chain, including installation, wholesale trade, manufacturing, utilities and all other fields and includes growth rates and job numbers for 31 separate occupations. It also examines solar employment at the state level.

The National Solar Jobs Census 2011 was conducted by The Solar Foundation and Green LMI (a division of BW Research Partnership) with technical assistance from Cornell University.

“By using high-quality research methodology, we can ensure that these numbers are as accurate as possible,” said John Bunge, Associate Professor in the Department of Statistical Science at Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations. “Using both primary and secondary data sources, along with careful statistical analysis, gives us high confidence in the results.”

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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