Green career training: Earn an Energy Management degree

11/20/2009

Utilities, private companies, government, and homeowners are taking notice of their energy bills and looking for ways to reduce their energy usage without sacrificing profit or comfort. This means job opportunities for workers trained in Energy Management.

Start this winter. Classes include Introduction to Energy Management, ENRGY 100, Mondays, 6-9 p.m.; Energy Basics, ENRGY 102, Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m., with an online component; Introduction to Sustainability, ENRGY 105, online; and Energy Efficiency Tech, CIT 155, Thursdays, 5:30-9 p.m.

Edmonds College offers a new two-year Energy Management degree that will give individuals the expertise to turn energy wasters into energy savers and the know-how to help make our region more energy efficient. The degree teaches skills suited for people currently working in the industry, seeking entry-level work in the field, or taking on new responsibilities in energy efficiency at their workplace.

Students will learn about where the region's energy comes from, what it is used for, and how to monitor energy programs. They will train to manage and account for energy use as well as to lead projects, analyze data, and create reports.

Employers hiring workers trained in energy conservation are utilities, large corporations, and businesses that install energy-saving equipment including lighting and HVAC contractors, green builders, weatherization manufacturing and sales businesses, and solar power system services.

Most classes for the Energy Management degree are offered evenings and online. Certificates of completion are also available that can be completed in six months or less. Students can quickly gain expertise to apply on the job in these fields:

Residential Energy Auditor — Learn to assess and analyze energy use in residential and small commercial settings.

Commercial Lighting Auditor — Many energy efficiency projects done at the commercial level are lighting-related. This certificate teaches these skills.

Energy Accounting Specialist — Learn how to determine the amount of energy used at a site and to spot opportunities for efficiency upgrades.

Energy Efficiency Technician — Gain construction and weatherization skills. Learn to work with energy efficiency construction techniques and auditing equipment.

Each of the above certificates of completion counts toward the two-year Associate of Technical Arts degree in Energy Management, which transfers to Central Washington University.