My journey began at the Center for Training and Careers, in San Jose, CA, with a class in construction basics. This included construction math, tools and equipment, building materials and a ten-hour course in OSHA requirements.

We then launched into a class on solar installation, taught by a 30-year veteran in the industry, which literally made my brain hurt. The teacher was great, but I never had algebra in high school and never tried to understand electricity before now. For those contemplating a career in solar, this class is well worth the time and effort, but consider yourself forewarned: It isn’t as easy as it looks! Unless you already have a basic understanding of electricity and algebra, the formulas required to determine load requirements, size a system, evaluate performance and position the solar array correctly, the math can be daunting. I’m happy to say that I finally get it!

Then we began our class in residential energy, taught by building scientists, from the California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services (CHEERS). Here I found myself loving every aspect of the classes. I could picture myself auditing/rating homes and businesses, providing owners with concrete steps to lower their energy bills, reduce their carbon footprint and improve the comfort of their space. I’d like to work with a partner or with an auditing company, with contractors, homeowners, business owners, real estate agents, as well as others on building energy efficiency/conservation. Finally we took the whole-house analyst classes, taught by the Building Performance Institute. These were more technically intense than the energy rating classes and very fascinating. I’ve passed the written exam and I’m now preparing for their field exam. I’ve already performed audits for two of my neighbors, at no cost to them, just for practice. *UPDATE – I’ve also completed a lighting audit in partnership with a local solar company, for a rather large home. I’m happy to say this homeowner decided to replace quite a few of their lights with LED lamps, which will save them thousands of dollars in just a few years’ time.

In my mind only a few things take precedence over transitioning this country, our economy and the rest of society over to alternative energy. Let’s keep it up. My goal is to work in some capacity to expand alternative energy and to help others, preferably in a full-time position with a non-profit or an alternative energy company.

Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

My web pick this time is a fun quickie that provides green info in small bits: Green Fact of the Day.

Hello,
I’m back after 4 months of radio silence, and I’m sorry I disappeared. I enrolled in a “Green Careers Academy” worker retraining program. The classes were so interesting and intense that I got immersed. This blog suffered, but I’m back with a strong will to make up for it. Plus, I’m a lot smarter about real clean energy opportunities.

I live in San Jose, California and here there is help for the unemployed, so I got a free enrollment in our local “Green Careers Academy” taught at CTC. If you have a similar program locally, I strongly recommend you consider taking a few months to smarten up.

I’ll use the remaining space to describe in detail the curriculum.

GREEN CAREERS ACADEMY
The goal is the prepare folks for careers in Green Jobs — jobs that reduce waste and pollution and benefit the environment. This curriculum includes basic construction foundation core curriculum with a ten hour, national certification from OSHA.

At first we covered basic construction themes:

• 1. Tool Identification and Usage (24 hours)
  In this component, trainees learn the proper us of 11 tools, including hammer, screwdriver, wrenches, pliers, snips, hacksaw, miter box, level, nut and ratchet drivers.

• 2. Small Power Tools (12 hours)
  Trainees learn the proper usage and safety factors for building and construction trades power tools.
These topics seemed basic on the agenda, but in the classroom I learned many practical tips.
• 3. Occupational Math and Blueprint Reading (65 hours)
  This section provides review and instruction in computation, fractions, measurements, spatial problems solving and includes blueprint reading and interpretation.

  This was a great refresher since my math skills had degraded a bit since high school. After lots of hard thinking, I’m on top of these ideas now.

• 4. Safety on the Job with OSHA Certification (12 hours)
  Instruction related to workplace safety standards in the building and construction trades.

• 5. Sexual Harassment (8 hours)
  Trainees learn about sexual harassment in a male dominated work environment.

• 6. Energy Specialist (40 hours)
  Against a backdrop of degree day theory, building science concepts for calculating and measuring energy saving and payback, infiltration theory, approved retrofit lists and codes. The participant will learn home energy auditing techniques and apply them in lab exercises. Those techniques will enable blower door guided air leakage tests, heat system testing, material estimating, measuring, safety measures, ductwork solutions, air sealing measures, accessing attics, etc.

  Weatherization Specialist
  This course is perfect for individuals wishing to becomes certified to do weatherization jobs or to supplement residential energy auditing or inspection services. This course is delivered in a blended format online with hands on lab. The online component contains text, audio, videos, images and diagrams. This course involves the student with the learning and makes learning weatherization terminology fast and easy through the use of interactive flashcards, practice quizzes, and other interactive leaning tools.

  Residential Energy auditor
  This course is designed to train the future generation of residential energy auditors to inspect and make small retrofit recommendations in exiting homes. This training will also walk the student through the step by step process of how to set up their own business performing residential energy audits. At the end of the classroom and field training, the student will be proficient in identifying energy targets, calculating the home energy use, identifying alternatives, and how to professionally install each of the recommended energy conservation measures. The student will also learn how to accurately complete a scope of work and a comprehensive report.

  This part of the course was most exciting. Going into the class, I was focused solely on solar marketing and sales. After becoming enthused by the material and field, in addition to solar, I am now looking for work as an Energy Auditor. It’s fun!

• 8. Solar Photo Voltaic with optional Certification (56 hours)
  This course introduces the student to solar photovoltaic (PV) power syetms and their installation. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will have a rudimentary knowledge of residential and commercial solar systems. Students will be able to earn the North American Board of Energy Practitioner’s (NABCEP) entry level Certificate of Knowledge.

  My classmates and I volunteered to request equipment donations from solar manufacturers and companies, for the learning benefit of future classes at CTC (a non-profit school). Actual solar fieldwork was the responsibility of the students to arrange. Many of my fellow students volunteered (on their own time) to participate in solar installations through local companies.

• 9. Final Project and Field Work (61 hours) – Our fieldwork was entirely about home energy analysis, where we performed energy audits on three separate homes. Outside inspection included: measuring the building envelope and windows, crawlspace inspection, noting any moisture or grading problems around the perimeter, and the location of all outside wall penetrations. Our inside inspection included: blower door testing for leakage determination, duct blasting to determine duct leakage, insulation inspection to determine quality and effectiveness, available lighting and type. Also we did combustion appliance zone inspections to look for signs of back-drafting and test for the presence of carbon monoxide leaks. The class tested my home and I now have a very long list of improvements to make on my own home. Once done, I am certain to enjoy lower electric bills and improved air quality, safety and comfort of my family.

Without a doubt these classes were an excellent investment of my time and I am more than ready to work!

I am now in the process of preparing for my Building Performance Institute (BPI) whole house analyst exam, which will award me national certification. Wish me luck!

That all for now.
Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: My web pick this week is a talk on “America’s Energy Future” by NY Congressman Steve Israel (his talk starts at 8:25): http://vefwebcast.stream57.com/integration/StreamLine.aspx?a=s86k1362h3Z7H4d1w7lG&s=9f0736aff01e4e89848905919681f4bb

Crescent Park - largest solar installation for affordable housing in America

Every solar project, large or small, requires a significant amount of paperwork. After design and engineering of a project, a system must be expertly installed, and at various (and multiple) stages must have permits, rebates and other documentation and permissions secured. Sun Light & Power provides the coordination and completion of these requirements for each of their customers. Heidi is one of two full-timers doing this work. She shared the paperwork responsibilities for Crescent Park (see photo).

“I have always been interested in sustainability and a friend suggested I look into the solar industry, because it’s growing and evolving very quickly. I did some research and decided that solar really fits into the parameters of where I want to go in my career.

Two years ago we really had a boost in the industry, with increased production and manufacturing of solar panels, and a lot of technological advances. However, the economic downturn has slowed it all over the last year.

Definitely there is fierce competition for jobs. People see solar as an up and coming industry and they are anxious to get in, for their own benefit as well as the environment. However, I would not discourage people from trying to get into the industry. If you have a passion for something, you should go for it!

We look for employees that have some kind of environmental background, as that is a center point of the culture in our organization. We also look for people who are devoted to the environment in their own lives. For example, do they bicycle to work, do they eat organic and do they shop at the local farmers market? We do have a very laid-back atmosphere at work, which I love. We try not to be ‘corporate.’

For those with non-solar backgrounds, we look for anything environmental; administration skills are always very helpful as well. It does not have to be specific to the solar industry. We’re also looking at law students, even though they are not always directly involved in environmental law, as that is something we’re all going to need help with.

Besides having an education and training, my advice to those looking forward to a career in solar is to “get out there!” Join groups that install solar for non-profits. Learn the industry, make contacts and do your own research. I only had a few classes in solar. I did my own research.

We do not use a placement agency when looking for new recruits. The city of San Francisco has work development programs to provide intense training classes, with certification. We use those graduates. We also work with city colleges and state universities because students fresh from their studies have a lot of knowledge.”

Heidi gave unique advice, I’d not heard from anyone before. Getting out there, joining groups and volunteering for non-profit organizations sounds like an excellent way to make strong connections in the industry!

PS Interesting links this week are Big/Centralized vs. Small/Distributed and Tortoises vs. Big Solar Plant.

Eric Nyman of Solar Light & Power

The competition for solar jobs depends on what part of the industry we’re talking about. It is hard to find qualified installation folks. Sun Light & Power is very thorough; we bring an engineering and robust construction philosophy to the systems that we build. Most of the training programs that we pull people out of are rudimentary at best, therefore we provide new employees with a lot of in-house training. We’re very selective in who we hire. We’re looking for a certain candidate that fits within our culture. We really try to hire people who are committed to renewable energy and to environmental issues. It’s one thing to go to work and do your job everyday; It is important for you to live what you are talking about and ‘Walk the talk.’

We’re looking for people with a construction and/or electrical background and they do not necessarily have to be NABCEP certified. We also do solar thermal (not many others are currently active here) so we’re looking for people with plumbing experience. For other positions we’re looking for people who live the lifestyle, which meshes with what we’re trying to present. We even go beyond that as well. We really want people who have a bit of a ‘what’s next’ attitude, not just come in for 8 hours, do your job and go home but come in with creative ideas. What can they add to the organization, make things more efficient and run a little smoother?

We are also a B-Corporation. There are only two B-Corporation solar companies in the country. The bottom line is that we take a percentage of our profits and put that money back into our community, which is very important to us. So for new hires, we’re really looking for that holistic package in an individual, who brings not only the skills that we require, but also brings commitment and passion for sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint on our planet. We believe what we are working in! Ours is a great group of people because that commitment gets translated into the projects that we’re working on.

My advice to those seeking a career in solar is that training is very important, but you should diversify your skill set. If you want to be a PV installer, learn a little about the solar thermal side as well, because ultimately it is also renewable energy. Try to diversify your skill set while learning about the industry and global energy issues.

It’s all about preparation. When you go to a job interview, know about the company, know about the industry and make a good presentation on yourself.

A lot of our job postings are on our website and we advertise positions in various locations. We also hire through workforce development programs, both in Richmond, San Francisco and Oakland, as a part of our B-Corporation philosophy. A lot of our people come from a program called Solar Richmond. We also sometimes have training programs of our own. A lot of these folks from the workforce development programs are coming from disadvantaged communities, so we give them any training that they lack. To be able to bring them into an organization where they can really develop and shine is extraordinary and it makes us happy.

Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: My blog pick this week is gold for those looking for Green Jobs in California: Occupational Outlook Study for Green Jobs.

What prompted you to pursue a career in the solar industry?

“I was a real estate broker for 30 years and the real estate gods seemed to be telling me it was time to move on. I began to think about what I would like to do. I have a lot of experience and skill in communications and sales, so I asked myself what I would like to sell. I decided that, if I was going to change careers, I wanted to at least do something that I really feel passionate about and solar immediately came to mind.”

How did you break in?

“The competition for jobs is fierce. I spent a year and a half preparing for this career. I had my first interview after a few months and one of the things they told me was that it would be good to beef up my resume by taking classes in solar. There are a number of places to go to learn about photovoltaics. I first took a few short introductory courses on solar, one to three days long. I then decided to take a training class on how to install solar. I wasn’t interested in doing solar installation, but I wanted to understand and learn about the industry from the bottom up. As it turns out the training class wasn’t just an 11-week class; it was an 11-week job interview. The company teaching the class just happened to be CleanSolar, so I decided I would not just learn all the material, but also get to know the owners and give them a chance to get to know me. Solar is very competitive, but is an up and coming industry and so many are looking for work. I do not expect to get rich, but over the next few years it’s really going to start maturing and coming of age. Anytime you get in on the ground floor of an industry it’s going to be rocky for the first few years, but I think solar has a very bright future.”

If you were the hiring manager what would you look for in a potential employee, what would make a job seeker stand out to you, and what kind of non-solar backgrounds would you look for?

“That would certainly depend on whether or not I was looking to hire an installer or a sales person. Any education that is directly solar related should go front and center on your resume. Try to limit your resume to one page, because whenever solar employers put out the word that they are hiring they get buried in applications. If you are the person trying to go through all of those, you don’t want to have to read a two or three page resume. If you don’t have solar background yet, you need to work on that. If you are applying for a job as an installer you need a background in construction, especially anything to do with electricity. If you are applying for a job as a sales person, then of course you want to highlight any sales experience.”

Is there any more advice that you can give job seekers looking for a career in solar?

“Be gentle with yourself. It’s a process, it won’t happen overnight, you need to be patient, but keep after it. You need to give yourself permission to make mistakes. I did not get the first job I applied for, but I tried to learn as much from that interviewer as I could about what I needed to do to make a better impression in my next interview. Fortunately that interviewer was willing to tell me. They were actually quite pleased with my sales background, but suggested that I needed to learn more about solar.”

Regarding use of placement agencies, Craig said, “We use Craigslist. It’s easy and a very useful resource.”
Craig’s story is encouraging for anyone wanting to make the career transition into solar. You must maintain the motivation to keep trying, and good training helps. I also liked his advice on when the interview that does not land the job: try contacting the interviewer and ask how you can improve your interviewing skills!

Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: My blog pick this week comes from wonderful Alternative Energy blog:
Interest in solar is not limited to the Sunbelt. Besides availability of sun, the main factors are social and political values, disposable income and incentives provided by state and local authorities. Data comes from location of inquiries to Cooler Planet website.

Phil Tracol of SOLGEN

Phil started as an engineer in the manufacturing sector of photovoltaics. He says,

“My background in electrical engineering helps with the design aspects. I also have some project and business creation experience. My partner, Tyler Hummel, brings site construction experience and additional project management skills.

Many solar companies started two to four years ago, so most people are inexperienced. We try to look in parallel industries like construction, electrical and installation.”

Experienced photovoltaic installers are hard to find:

“I find that well-trained is different than experienced.  There are institutes where you can get good, in-depth training. You can also take a one-week training course and get some very good exposure on how to do an installation.

We find that there is a huge difference between people with only one week of training and those with more in-depth training and/or experience, when it comes to climbing on the roof, or using ground mounts. Well-trained goes with experience.

Like training in any other discipline, you need to learn best practices and all about the industry through school, before you can start hands-on training. On the job training is the best. We are more interested in recruiting beginners, who have received very good training, from schools like Solar Energy International.

I would only qualify someone with two to three years experience as an experienced installer. ”

I asked Phil about the timing, given the rough economic climate.

Solar is going to grow, in residential and commercial. This only the beginning, though we have done a lot already.  If we follow the expectations of legislators we have a long way to go to become solar equipped as a country, as a state and even locally.  The city of San Jose wants more commercial and residential installations. There will definitely be a lot of work and need for a lot of installers.  The best time to invest in education and training is during rough times, rather than placing your money on other investments. For us this was a good time to start a solar company as well.  Starting a new venture is a good thing to do during difficult economic times.

Phil spoke about ways to stand apart while interviewing.

An installer that has experience in job management would also be useful. Definitely good communication skills are helpful.  An installer is always with the customer and really needs to have good communication.  An installer must not shut off when the customer comes to him/her, sending the customer back to a sales person to handle their needs.  The installer needs to have a good relationship with the customer. It is part of the job.” For office jobs, multi-tasking is very much needed.”

Phil and I ended our conversation there, leaving me to reflect on his perspective.  Clearly experience is not necessarily a prerequisite for Phil, as long as prospective employees have thorough training and a much needed, exceptional “something” that sets them apart from others.  Like most solar professionals that I have spoken to recently, he advises aspiring solar enthusiasts to invest in thorough training now, rather than later, in order to reap the benefits of the impending solar industry explosion!

Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: My blog pick this week is 100 Exciting Lectures on All Things Green. Hardly any are about solar PV, but so many are interesting nonetheless. Please tell me what you think.

Mike quipped, “I started in solar just after college, in 1973, when I learned through my research that the sun delivered 100,000 times more energy to the Earth, for free, every day, than the entire human race consumed [at that time].  I figured to tap into that free money source and own the world someday. My greedy thought has since evolved into trying to leave the planet in better shape for my children, their grandchildren and all future generations.”

I asked Mike’s opinion on how the solar industry has fared in this rough economy. He said that the economic downturn only slightly slowed the explosive growth of the industry and that it continues to expand exponentially worldwide, especially here in the U.S.

Some say that there is fierce competition for business in the solar industry, because of the economy, and also high competition for careers in the industry. Should this discourage people seeking a career transition into solar? Mike thinks not. He said,

“People seeking careers in solar should absolutely go full speed ahead. Yes, the short-term competition is fierce, but the long-term prospects are virtually unlimited. Solar still has an extremely small portion of the energy industry, but the phenomenal growth of the industry will only continue to open new employment opportunities, not restrict them. Now is the time to invest in basic solar learning, take entry-level jobs, or create them and LOOK AHEAD!”

Mike discussed what he looks for in potential employees.

“I look for enthusiasm, inquisitiveness and a strong work ethic. I also look for people who are committed to doing the work to the best of their ability.  Job seekers who are neat, confident, willing to take the initiative and figure out how to do something new, while unafraid to ask for direction, always stand out from the crowd. Applicants that have experience in construction or engineering trades get special consideration.

“I recommend that people who are inspired to excel in solar investigate as many aspects of the industry as possible. Find an entry-level job in that industry sector, work hard and work your way up! A friend of mine is a trainer for project managers at a leading solar company. She began working for the company as a laborer, with a college degree in history and no formal training in the solar industry. She got the job because of her desire to learn.”

Being the down-to-earth, personable guy that he is, Mike prefers to go with personal contacts and referrals, when looking for potential employees, rather than placement agencies.

Mike did not take solar classes when he began his career. He relied on his engineering and scientific background to understand the technology. Then Mike gathered a lot of “immersion experience,” aka “hands-on experience,” to gain a command of the industry.

I hope you find Mike’s advice helpful; I know I did.  I recently attended a green group meeting, where the keynote speaker advised the audience of job seekers to look for green jobs in alternative energy careers other than solar.  He believed that the competition for jobs in the solar industry is too strong. He may be right in the short-term, but, as Mike says, “…the long-term prospects are unlimited.”

As our economy gets back on track and people “go green”, spurred by Washington stimulus money, the solar industry will eventually explode full-speed ahead!
Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: Each blog I plan to share another interesting Internet resource. This first pick is a great blog entry by Solar Fred – an interview with many ideas on marketing solar:

I’m Linda Siegel and like helping others retrain for jobs in the solar industry.

I have been walking a solar retraining path for more than 4 months. In July, I was laid off from my interesting marketing, PR, writing and teaching job. Solar immediately impressed me for the growth potential.  So I’m now pursuing a solar job: building sales, effectively marketing, managing projects, people or an office.

My goal with this LindaSolarSun blog is to share ideas and the experiences of people who now work in solar. Hopefully, their lessons already learned will inform us and quicken our solar exploration and journey.

I will be interviewing people who got to their new solar jobs via various paths and employers in the industry. I want to know what made them choose a career in the industry, how they chose their training source, how they found their job, and what they look for in new solar employees.

Having converted my former home in Colorado to solar (off-grid), I thought I was fairly smart on the technology.  Nonetheless, to ease my transition into solar sales/marketing, I recently took a two-day hands-on intro class in photovoltaic design and installation. Simply put, I was BLOWN AWAY to discover just how much I didn’t know! There are incredible advances in the technology almost ready for introduction into the industry. These, and future changes, will rock the industry once they are released.
Here’s a bunch of reasons why I want to be in solar. Please leave your ideas in the comment section below.
•    Society socially rewards those who go green with solar.
•    Solar contractors have affordable cash-flow neutral leases.
•    Government rebates (federal, state and even some counties) are making home solar systems more affordable than ever before.
•    New commercial developments and residential subdivisions are incorporating solar systems into homes and buildings as they are built.
With the hugely increased volume, prices will drop and the solar industry will boom in many directions.  We are here because we want to ride that sweet wave.

Always, please share your ideas, concerns and questions. I’m actively looking for new people to interview. Please consider introducing me to someone you believe has great advice to share or nominating yourself.  Stay tuned as I publish regular updates from people paving a path for going solar with their careers.

Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: This is my favorite story of the week: Potential for 1.9 Million Renewable Energy Jobs