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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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- The Worst Metric in Renewables: ‘Payback Period’
- "Solar, Inc." and the Balance of Values
- Top 10 Boston Clean Tech Companies Killing It on Twitter
- Good News For Job Seekers! Mass Solar Industry to Grow 30% per year
- VOTE: Boston's Top 26
- What’s your Opinion? Green Tech VS. Clean Tech VS. ‘EnerTech’?
- What’s Better? Climate Change OR Climate Disruption
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Topics
- BICEP (3)
- Business Insights (14)
- CleanTech Events (16)
- CleanTech Guide (8)
- CleanTech Kingpins (9)
- EnergyBar (2)
- Entrepreneurship (28)
- For College Students (1)
- GLD U (1)
- Government Policy (39)
- Green Building (8)
- Hitch Hikers Guide to Cleantech (1)
- Industry Insiders (5)
- Interviews (13)
- Legal (2)
- Local Events (19)
- Marketing (16)
- Prototyping (2)
- Renewable Energy (36)
- Resource Efficiency (14)
- Resources (13)
- Solar (12)
- Transportation (4)
- Uncategorized (6)
- What is 'green'? (4)
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$100 Discounts for Basic Technical Training
Basic technical training is key for anyone interested in the renewable energy industry. Use the code "GLD" to get discounts from 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, installation of projects.
Click here to learn what is NABCEP and wether or not you should need to get the certification. If you're serious about the solar industry and you want to get the NABCEP Certification, but you need to understand how exactly to apply, you can read more about getting the NABCEP Certification here.
Resource Efficiency
October 19th, 2012
[Free Boston Event] A Homeowner’s No B.S. Guide to Investing in Renewable Energy
TOPICS: BOSTON, CleanTech Events, Resource Efficiency
Next week, I’ll be hosting an event in Boston for homeowners interested in renewable energy. There’s a lot of confusion around which technology is the best, the most efficient, and what exactly the incentives and financials actually look like. Needless to say, the answers to all those questions are “it depends”.
The event is specifically for homeowners. We’re have a few great event partners and contractor who will be there to answer any questions. It’s happening on Thursday afternoon in Cambridge.
You can RSVP for the event here. Thursday October 25th at 6pm EST.
Here are more details:
The goal of the workshop is to clearly and blunty address many of the questions that homeowners have about investing in renewable energy in Massachusetts.
The workshop is for property owners that are looking to invest in renewable energy and get basic questions answered.
The workshop will be capped at 20 people.
Focus will be on three technologies
- Solar PV
- Solar Thermal
- Ground Source Heat Pumps
Technology
- How each technology works
- What are the best properties and homes for each technology. How do you know if your home works?
- What are the risks for each technology and how are they eliminated
- Top 5 questions to ask any contractor that is doing work
- Detailed construction timelines and project photos so you can see how each technology is actually installed
Finance and Government Incentives
- A Quick review of government incentives available
- Rebates vs tax credits vs production based incentives
- Buying solar cash vs debt vs 3rd party leases. What are the pros and cons of each
- Typicall returns for each technology based on the property
Questions and Answer: Bring them all!
About your Speaker
Chris Williams will be your host. He has designed and installed 300kW of solar PV and plenty of solar thermal and geothermal systems as well. He’s the Chairman of the Government Relations Committee at NEGPA, a consultant at Voltaic Solaire in NYC that recently completed the cities first 100% solar powered building, the Chief Marketing Officer at HeatSpring, a leading national renewable energy training company and frequently writes and has been quoted in Greentech Media, Renewable Energy World, Forbes, Climate Progress, Cleantechies, and Alternative Energy Stocks.
Event Partners
- Energy Sage
- Green Light Distrikt
- HeatSpring Magazine
- New England Renewable Energy Systems
- S+H Construction
- 360 Chestnut
You can RSVP for the event here. Thursday October 25th at 6pm EST.
1 Comment
November 1st, 2011
What I Learned at the Harvard Business School Energy Symposium
BOSTON -Like in today’s U.S. electoral politics, energy is an overwhelmingly partisan issue. On one end are the oil and gas types such as Dr. Matthias Bichsel (Shell), who believe that conventional energy can supply the world with all its energy supply now and in the future. On the other end are the clean energy types such as Bill McKibben (350.org), who believe that we must move entirely to renewable energy in order to avoid the worst impacts of global climate change. While both sides may be right, the former will break the planet and energy security and the latter will break the economy – neither will provide a secure, healthy and prosperous world for future generations.
The answer is clearly somewhere in between, and that’s what I appreciated most about the open-minded dialogue I found at the recent Harvard Business School’s Energy & Environment Symposium, where I attended presentations about cleantech, distributed generation, unconventional fuels and global energy policy. All of these areas and more, according to Matthew Nordan of Venrock, “are bursting with opportunity.” There are some big names below – from the CEO of A123 Systems to a high-level policymaker at the World Bank – read past the break for the transcript of the day’s presentations 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.


