Green Industry Resources - Green Collar Jobs, Articles, News

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Changing industry means changing opportunities. Read up on ways to stay ahead of the curve, and have what it takes to be a part of the green energy industry.

Building Performance Institute
Stay in touch with the industry standard leaders. Visit their official website to see the latest in building performance, and more.

RESNET
Keep RESNET Ratings on your radar. Visit their official website to read more on their involvement with the industry, and what you'd have to know to be a part of it.

Academy FAQ's
Got questions about certification? Check our list of frequently asked questions before contacting the Academy to save time. Chances are, if you need an answer, someone has already asked it, and we're ready to fill you in.

Training-Classes.com
An extensive resource for training classes in a wide range of topics including building modeling.

Highlights on the green industry from news and publication sources give you a head start on trends to come. Read what other people are saying about your industry.

When a Home Energy Audit Pays”(CNN, January 7, 2010)
A complete energy retrofit - which could include caulking and insulation as well as new windows, appliances and boiler, could slice a home's energy consumption in half, according to Lane Burt, manager of building energy policy at Natural Resources Defense Council. The government is expected to unveil a new program in the next couple of months that if approved may reimburse homeowners for up to half the cost of making their homes more efficient.

US Department of Labor announces $100 million in green jobs training grants through Recovery Act”(US DOL, January 6, 2010)
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced nearly $100 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The grants will support job training programs to help dislocated workers and others, including veterans, women, African Americans and Latinos, find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations. Approximately $28 million of the total funds will support projects in communities impacted by auto industry restructuring.

Home Retrofits for American Jobs, Efficiency and Economic Growth - HOMESTAR, aka “Cash for Caulkers”(The President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, Dec. 4, 2009)
HOME STAR is designed to encourage homeowners to weatherize their homes in order to create more than 500,000 new jobs. The HOME STAR program also represents a massive opportunity for existing home performance professionals. The increased demand for energy efficiency retrofits that HOME STAR is expected to generate across the country will help existing home performance contractors build their businesses and accelerate their return on investment from their training and certification.

A Stimulus That Could Save Money (New York Times, Nov. 17, 2009)
Promise and strategy for the proposed 'cash for caulkers' weatherization stimulus program. New York Times writer David Leonhardt looks at what an effective home renovation incentive program would contain.

Recovery Through Retrofit(White House, 10/2009)
This report was written by the Middle Class Task Force and the Council on Environmental Quailty, and will implement its requirements. It documents problems in the current retrofit market, and proposes a strategic plan to rectify that problem through cities, states, and counties in the field.

Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label(New York Times, 08/30/2009)
LEED certification does not necessarily denote an energy efficient building. In other words, many LEED buildings are earning the certification through means other than energy efficiency and performance (like natural landscaping, public transportation options, indoor air quality - all of which are important, but not directly tied to carbon reductions in the way that building performance is). Furthermore, many of these buildings are not tracking and monitoring energy consumption once they earn the certification and therefore, may not part of the climate change solution.

Efficiency Drive Could Cut Energy Use 23% by 2020, Study Finds(New York Times, 07/29/2009)
The biggest opportunity to improve the nation’s energy situation is a major investment program to make homes and businesses more efficient, according to a study released Wednesday by the consulting firm McKinsey. An investment of $520 billion in improvements like sealing ducts and replacing inefficient appliances could produce $1.2 trillion in savings on energy bills through 2020, the study found.