Greening the Generations: The great 'Green' kidnapping

BILLY: The green revolution kidnapped one of the nicest guys we know. How can you sleep at night?

GREG: Whoa, turns out the guy you're referring to – Chad Colwell – was a willing participant. We tracked him down to explain his sudden disappearance. Concerned citizens, meet the advertising ace who went green ...

BILLY: Chad, you're one of the most talented graphic designers we know. But seems like that's just not enough for you. Now, you've gotten way into solar power?

CHAD: About a year ago, while working as a designer at a local communications firm, I began to feel like what I was doing wasn't really helping anyone but myself, the client and the firm. There had to be something more. I felt like I just really needed to be part of something WAY bigger than me. Something that would not only benefit me, but everyone worldwide and the inhabitants of this planet for generations to come. It soon became very clear to me that taking on an active role within the solar industry would fill that need, as well as make me happy to know that I could help facilitate this much needed energy revolution.

GREG: How did you pick up the training you need to work in the green space?

CHAD: A lot of it I picked up by reading a fair amount solar books and articles on my own. Also, I've just spent a lot of time just going on several of those endless Internet trails. Picking around for information ... More recently though, I completed an intensive six day solar boot camp in Fremont, California called "Boots on the Roof." It was a great way to get an incredible amount of knowledge and hands on experience. We did everything from system sizing to actually installing a photovoltaic(electric) solar system and hooking it up to the meter box to feed power back to the grid. It felt good to see that meter stop and then start to slowly spin backwards!

BILLY: So, what's most surprising about your new life calling?

CHAD: I'm blown away by the fact that a lot of these renewable technologies have been around for quite some time, and yet we still continue to use non-renewable sources of energy that really have adverse effects on us and the planet.

GREG: OK, so the mystery of Chad is solved.

BILLY: But what about all the other green jobs we've heard about. We called in Wade Fulghum of the NC Solar Center (NCSC) to shed some light. So Wade, green jobs – hot or not?

WADE: There has been a tremendous interest in "green" jobs given the forces at work over the last few months. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the expectations of an Energy Bill in 2009 which may include a Federal Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS), and finally talk of Carbon Legislation are all making the market reevaluate how we use energy now and how we will be using energy in the future. All of these forces plus the market transformation caused by globalization are all creating a perfect storm for "green" jobs as a key to global competitiveness.

GREG: What are the most popular programs NC Solar Center supports in terms of training?

WADE: The NCSC offers training in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and green building. The most popular are probably the solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal. Solar holds a lot of promise for North Carolina. The green building training classes are also very popular and highly regarded. For details you can visit a recent Web site we established specifically targeted at linking the training and services we provide to the citizens, businesses, and leaders who may need them during this recovery period.

Check out Energy Technical Assistance @ NC State

BILLY: What are the biggest challenges NC faces in training folks for the green economy?

WADE: The biggest challenge is distributing the expertise around these subjects (like at the Solar Center) to larger delivery mechanisms quickly enough to stimulate the economy, but with the due diligence and quality that will ensure long-term success. We are adopting a train-the-trainer approach to handle this and are partnering with larger training and delivery mechanisms like the Community College system.

I personally think the biggest challenge will be to leverage these recovery dollars for the long-term. There are a lot of talented people working around the clock right now trying to figure out how to best leverage these dollars for the greatest long-term benefit to the state, while simultaneously focusing on the short-term job creation and retention goals. The ultimate outcome would be to satisfy the needs of the now without compromising the needs of the future...I think that is the definition of sustainability and it applies to finance as well as energy and jobs.