Could “Green Training” Be A New Career Option For You?

With the economy in the tank and people who are out of work looking for new career options in a field that WON’T vanish into thin air (hopefully), people are wondering if the “Green” trend will provide new job opportunities in the construction field, for example. The Building Performance Institute develops technical standards for home energy efficiency performance measures that guide in the construction of new homes as well as becoming the standard for retrofitting homes. Because the Institute does not do training directly, affiliated educational establishments provide BPI training so that contractors, re-modelers, etc can build energy efficient dwellings. As a result many are looking into the possibility of receiving this training to set themselves apart from ordinary handy men.

While “energy efficiency” can revolve around matters of insulation and efficient appliances, some people want to create their own electricity. Those wanting to install solar electric systems legally and safely will needphotovoltaic training. For example, if a solar panel system is installed in a home and improperly connects to the power grid, it may send out electricity over the power lines in the event of a power outage. When that occurs linemen sent to repair the lines could be injured or killed by handling cables they were told were not “live wires”. This creates danger for the linemen and liability for the home owner operating such a system.

In my own experience, I once had a home that – except for heating and air – was solar powered. It gave me a return on investment above CD’s at the time. Had I known someone with the proper energy management training to help me investigate the possibility of geo thermal heating and cooling, I might have been able to slash my electricity bill even further!

Will “Green” training be a good investment? In my opinion it can be if you can find a way to weatherize homes efficiently and demonstrate genuine savings. I wouldn’t put all my eggs in any one “renewable energy” basket however because promoting just one alternative may not be in the clients best interest. Proper training in the field at large however could help you guide customers through options that would otherwise be bewildering.

Thanks to Green Training USA for sponsoring our blog today…