State & Stakeholder Newsletter, April 21, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Volume #9, Issue #8
Editor: Jane Pulaski
The IREC State & Stakeholder Newsletter is a foremost resource for current information on green workforce training, credentialing programs, state activities and best practices on renewable energy and energy efficiency. This free newsletter is distributed semi-monthly to email subscribers and published on IREC’s website. If you have comments or if you would like to submit a news item, email Jane Pulaski. To subscribe to this newsletter, click here and follow the instructions.
If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (April 21, 2010)
From the editor:
As I was putting this newsletter together, I realized that there were three significant news items from IREC’s ISPQ program–all within the past two weeks. Any one of these items would be newsworthy, but three?
To start with, it just received its 100th application for the prestigious ISPQ credential. According to Pat Fox, ISPQ’s Program Manager, by the end of Q1 2010, seventeen credentials were awarded, including the first small wind credentials for a continuing education program and a certified instructor. These 17 credentials represent a 237% increase over the same period last year. And there appears no end in sight. In fact, to help with the audit process, ISPQ is looking for a few good auditors. As Pat says, auditor assignments are dependent on the volume of ISPQ applications received, and although ISPQ is currently experiencing exponential growth, the volume and frequency of applications requiring audits varies. As a result, the position of Auditor is part-time and intermittent, but if you’re interested, and can fulfill the qualifications, consider applying to become an IREC ISPQ Registered Auditor. Lastly, it’s now easier than ever to find where ISPQ accredited programs and certified trainers are located in the U.S. with a clickable, regional map of the U.S. Check it out and let Pat know what you think.
Just last week, I learned that Sue Gouchoe, Policy Program Manager for the North Carolina Solar Center at NC State University, is leaving DSIRE to work on other projects, including some work with Clean Power Research. For the past decade, Sue nurtured and grew the DSIRE database into a powerhouse resource, now used by a quarter million people monthly. And, according to colleague, Rusty Haynes, her karate skills are unnerving.
It’s big news for ICLEI and ICMA (and for IREC, too), recipients of a $10M grant from DOE’s Solar America Cities Technical Outreach to accelerate the adoption of solar among local governments. ICLEI and ICMA will outreach to thousands of local governments across the nation, sharing best practices for increasing solar energy use in their communities. DOE’s exemplary, Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments, will serve as the foundation for the outreach efforts. IREC, North Carolina State University, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), Meister Consultants Group, and The Solar Foundation will partner with ICLEI under this award. Congratulations to all.
IREC’s Community Renewable Power Proposal, released last month, incorporates best practices for co-investment in local renewable power installations. IREC’s proposal builds upon the best elements of community solar and renewables programs that have been adopted by a number of municipal utilities and policy makers from California, Washington, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island. Joe Wiedman is still accepting comments and questions on the proposal. Let him hear from you.
The last issue of this newsletter highlighted Greener Skills: How Credentials Create Value in the Clean Energy Economy, a brilliantly written report by Sarah White and colleagues from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy that makes the case for a national policy of portable, transparent, industry-specific credentials — and state-supported pathways up to them. Despite her ridiculously busy schedule, Sarah generously found time to answer a few questions about the challenges and possibilities in building a fair education training system for the green energy economy. It was a treat to talk with her.
And finally, our friends at NABCEP have released a new job task analysis (JTA), this one for PV Technical Sales Certification, designed for those involved with non-installation aspects of the sale and commissioning of a PV system. “The launching of this Certification broadens the career path opportunities for those who are successful PV Entry Level Exam candidates,” says NABCEP’s ED, Ezra Auerbach.
Next month, IREC will be in Phoenix at ASES 2010. I’ll share their busy schedule with you.
P.S. Now you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation.
Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, April 21, 2010
