Goal For The Green

Are you considering a career change or wanting to get in on the ground floor wave of “green” jobs that will be here to stay?  Then visit Boots on the Roof.  They offer various solar training bootcamps for electricians and entrepreneurs interested in starting their own solar business.

Boots on the Roof delivers top-quality market-ready training programs for solar energy industry professionals.  They are the solar energy training division of Unitek Education, a long-time national Learning Partner of high-tech companies (having received the highest education honors awarded by Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, & RedHat).  Their team has a 16-year track record of successfully partnering with large organizations to train tens of thousands of students nationwide.

Here is some of the history of Boots On The Roof and where the company is headed.  They have spent several years investigating the green energy industry, especially solar, and were amazed at the wide variety of often-conflicting standards & practices in training, certification, and regulations.

So, they committed themselves to delivering courses that point to where those elements are likely to stabilize in the market, instead of teaching the “home-grown” information that has commonly been taught for the past 30 years.  Things are changing rapidly now, and moving towards standards & certification.

Boots on the Roof is committed to working with industry associations, manufacturers, installers, government, financers, and educators to implement solar power for businesses and individuals who expect stability, predictability, and return on investment.  They specialize in training the next generation of Solar Entreprenuers and successful business people.

The NABCEP ( the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitoners) has approved Boots On The Roof, as an educational institution and testing center.  By attending the 7- day Solar Bootcamp, you will learn and be given the NABCEP Entry level Certificate of Knowledge of PV systems exam.

The certificate was first rolled out in 2oo5 by NABCEP, and the exam certification process, was most recently updated in July 2008, to meet current energy standards.  It is intended to measure basic solar power knowledge of professionals entering the field in any capacity. It is not just for installers.  It demonstrates that the student has achieved basic knowledge, comprehension, and application of key terms and concepts of photo voltaic system operations.  A person receiving this certification is then qualified and suitable for a supervised entry level position with a dealer/installer or other PV industry company.  These skills in no way replace those that are learned in an Electrical Trades or Engineering program.

So, take a look at what Boots On The Roof can offer you, and start the New Year off  with a new “green” career.

Are we being logical about Global Warming ? Probably not, since we now call it climate change.  It might be a little ridiculous to think that man caused climate change to happen.  Sure, we are a contributing factor, but we all know that the earth undergoes sometimes drastic climate changes-naturally!  Mother Nature has never needed any help in that area.  Even if we would have heeded the warnings 30 plus years ago, after the “gas crisis,” -much of what is happening now, would still be happening.  We have no control over it.  But, we probably have contributed to our crisis by not practicing good conservation.

So, what makes us think that we can change our habits and replace our energy demands with alternative sources, in just ten years?  Today, here in the United States, only 7% of our energy comes from alternative sources.  Hydroelectric power  comprises 36% of our total alternative energy usage.  Another 5% comes from the use of wind energy.  These two sources cannot be tapped into much further, without studies of the damage it causes to already fragile ecosystems.  Fish and wildlife suffer as a paradox of our need for alternative energy sources.  It seems the only time we hear about these unfair tradeoffs, is when people protest (NIMBY) not in my back yard, when it is time to build dams and install wind turbines into already settled communities.

Today, over half of our alternative energy is in the form of biofuels.  Sources such as switchgrass (it needs an enzyme to break it down) and ethanol (corn based) are our hope for renewable energy.  Geothermal and solar power (through photovoltaic cells) offer another 6% of our current alternative energy usage.  While these sources are promising, they supply a very minor amount of our total annual energy needs.

Will we meet the goal in ten years?  Probably not, but we have to start somewhere.  It is estimated that it will cost upwards of $2.5 trillion to achieve approximately half of our home based energy needs through alternative energy sources.   Some feel that the environmental impact of biofuels is worse than that of petroleum souces.  Sure, more information is needed in these areas, but we can’t stop progress.  We must move forward.  We should make more use of resources that we already have here at home.  More use of nuclear energy, natural gas, and ways to safely make use of hydrogen should be looked at more closely.

Here are a few tips you can put into practice right away that take little effort and your wallet will thank-you.

Did you know that Americans idle away approximately 2.9 billion gallons of gas a year?  With the prices going up almost daily, that is almost $80 billion a year in wasted gas. Obviously, the less you have to stop and go the better. It also helps to maintain a steady, rather than fluctuating speed. Also, be sure your tires have the correct amount of air in them.  Just little things, but they make a difference in the air we breathe and in your wallet.

Just by turning off your computer when not in use, you can save about $90 a year. You can also save more by unplugging small appliances when not in use.  Every little bit helps, because even though it doesn’t seem like it, everything that is left plugged in still uses energy.

By signing up for Green Power, you are supporting the future development of renewable resources. Green Power, is electricity from renewable non- polluting resources like wind and solar power, that can be used over and over. Green Power usage does less harm to the environment.  Turning down your thermostat a couple of degrees can save you between 1-3% on your power bill. It might not seem like much, but it can add up considering 50-70% of your electric bill is calculated based on your heating and cooling consumption.  Wash your clothes in cold water.  This also makes a difference in your power bill.

Paying your bills online saves you time, money gas, and stamps.  It also saves on the amount of paper used to send you that bill.  To get rid of junk mail you can sign up ($1.00 fee ) at Mail Preference Service on Direct Market Assistance website. Most junk mail will stop within about 90 days. To stop opt-in offers from cluttering your mailbox, you can call 1-888-5-OPTOUT.  Follow the instructions, and you can opt out for 5 years or for life.  Next, it takes a little work with our at home printers but it can save a lot of paper if you print on both sides of the copy paper.  Here in the U.S. we use approximately 4 million tons of copy paper per year, most of which is copied on one side only.  That averages out to about 27-30 lbs. per person per year.

You can keep a lot of dirt, pesticides, and germs from entering your home and causing allergies or illness, just by taking your shoes off outside your door.  Something else to consider is to drink hormone free milk. It’s a healthier alternative. Thank goodness it’s the time of the year to start enjoying the wholesome freshness of the farmers markets for fresh fruits and veggies.  Here’s to your health and your wallet.