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Green Light Distrikt
Green Light Distrikt is about entrepreneurship focused on the cleantech sector. GLD U provides cleantech courses . Edited by Chris Williams with frequent guest posts from friends, experts and industry insiders from clusters across the globe. Our goal is to provide a place where cleantech entrepreneurs in various clusters across the globe can learn from one another. Green Light Distrikt is creating the "Hitchikers Guide to Clentech" to provide a resource for cleantech entrepreneurs. Read more
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Renewable Energy
May 9th, 2012
Basic Technical Training for Renewable Energy Pros is Key (see bottom for training discounts)
TOPICS: BOSTON, Renewable Energy
Basic technical training is key for anyone interested in the renewable energy industry. Whether you are an entrepreneur who wants to sell energy services, a student looking for a job after graduation, a professional career changer, an existing business looking to expand into renewable energy, or a product or service provider that wants to sell products to EPC contractors, you MUST understand the basics of how the technology works.
For this reason, I want to give Green Light Distrikt readers some discounts on geothermal and solar training. Read more about this below.
I firmly believe that the bottleneck in the cleantech industry is NOT technical in nature. The real challenges are policy, marketing, sales and business model innovations. This is what is holding us back. However, basic technical training is extremely useful and needed to understand WHO is the best customer for a specific technology and how to sell them.
The reason I feel confident when talking about, marketing, and selling these technology is because I’ve installed them with my own hands. I’d encourage others in the industry to gain the same experience, in whatever way you can. If you’re in Massachusetts, give Co-op power a call. They have an apprenticeship program for solar thermal, and energy audit field work.
In New England, the Massachusetts Solar PV market is on fire, the thermal renewable industry (solar thermal and geothermal) are also picking up steam in Massachusetts.
Here are a few trainings coming up quickly in Massachusetts that would be useful to anyone who is serious about the industry.
Use the code “GLD” to get $100 off any of the below trainings.
NABCEP Solar Training Boston: This training course is made for people who are new to solar. You’ll learn how to design a solar PV array from a to z, how to quote a project, the installation process, and solar code.
Solar Sales Training: Learn how to sell solar from an expert, Keith Cronin. Keith build and sold his solar company to SunEdison. Keith knows how to sell jobs profitably.
IGSHPA Geothermal Training: The IGSHPA certification is the standard in the industry. In this training, you’ll learn how to design and quote residential and light commercial projects by 1) determining building loading 2) sizing equipment 3) sizing the group loop 4) sizing the distribution system and controls 5) and what sort of equipment so spec in each of the prior steps.
NABCEP Solar Thermal Training Boot Camp: The solar thermal boot camp is similar to the PV boot camp, but just that it’s based on solar thermal systems.
Selling Clean Energy to the Government: The federal government, and specifically the military, has become the largest single renewable energy customer in the US with a goal of 3GW of installed capacity, among various technologies, by 202.
Other Free Resources
Free NABCEP Study Guide. If you’re studying for the NABCEP Solar PV installer or just want an in-depth review of solar basics this will be a good resource for you. If you want to buy the full guide, you can find it here NABCEP Study Guide.
Solar Reading List 101: A useful list of free article on solar sales, marketing, design, installation, policy and finance.
Geothermal Reading List 101: A useful life of free articles on solar sales, marketing, design, inst
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October 21st, 2011
What You Need to Know About Ethanol, Part I
NEW YORK -Ethanol is so five years ago. 2011 is the year of electric cars and shale gas. Or is it? Considering the following:
- Since 2004, U.S. ethanol consumption has grown four-fold, while gasoline consumption has been flat.
- Driven to cut the national deficit, politicians are increasingly advocating for the reduction or elimination of government supports for ethanol. Two such House bills were introduced earlier this month.
- The Obama Administration supports both the ethanol mandate and increased fuel economy. Since ethanol delivers fewer miles per gallon than gasoline, this will lead to an inevitable clash between the Administration’s energy and economic priorities.
- “High energy prices contribute to high food prices by making food production more expensive and encourages more people to use grains like corn to make ethanol, which also drives up corn prices” (Slate).
So even though ethanol isn’t the sexiest energy story of 2011, it’s incredibly relevant to the politics of energy, food and global trade. Read past the break for the full story and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on new events, blog posts and more.
September 10th, 2011
Remembering 9/11: A Tribute to America’s Love-Hate Affair with Oil
NEW YORK -Friday morning, the New York Stock Exchange took a moment of silence to remember the nearly 3,000 Americans who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The constant vigilance of the Bush and Obama administrations against al-Qaeda over the past decade has thwarted no fewer than a dozen major terrorist plots, killed the top two al-Qaeda leaders, and in general weakened terrorist cells around the world. “After a decade of intelligence-gathering, counter-attacks and defensive measures, America does seem a good deal less vulnerable than it was on September 10th ten years ago (“September 11th 2001: Ten Years On,” The Economist).
Just prior to this moment of silence, a Bloomberg TV anchor stated: “The terrorist attacks on 9/11 saddened our country and strengthened our resolve to maintain the American way of life.” Read past the break for the full story and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on new events, blog posts and more.
June 28th, 2011
Kickstarter: The New Way to Innovate and Produce Clean Energy Products
NEW YORK -As Michael Shimazu boasted at “The Value of a Negawatt” panel in May, the number of VC deals in energy efficiency in the US is projected to double to more than 70 in 2011, continuing an upward trend that began in 2008. This is cause for optimism for businesses – yet what happens to individuals that want to make a clean energy product but don’t have the start-up capital or marketing power to do so? Read past the break for the full story and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on new events, blog posts and more.
June 23rd, 2011
Is Solar PV Worth It?
TOPICS: CleanTech Events, Green Building, Local Events, NEW YORK, Renewable Energy, Resource Efficiency, Solar
“Oppositions: Pennies From Heaven?” event with Urban Green Council in New York City was a debate about whether solar PV was worth the premium cost compared to less capital-intensive strategies such as energy efficiency measures. The event felt like the judges had made up their minds before the defendants had a chance to testify – the event was hosted at the $1B Bank of America Tower, one of the greenest office buildings in the world, and yes one that lacks solar PV. But the most damning arguments were yet to come. Read past the break for the full story and join the Green Light Distrikt Facebook group for updates on new events, blog posts and more.
