Statewide Solar Tour

Gayle O — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:45:00 GMT

The Georgia Solar Energy Association Hosts Statewide Solar Tour; Powers Festival at Glenwood Park (SCHEDULE LISTED BELOW!)

Tickets on sale now for October events highlighting solar technologies available to residents and businesses

ATLANTA)– The 2009 Georgia Solar Tour and Festival, presented by the Georgia Solar Energy Association (GSEA), will feature homes and businesses that have installed solar and a Solar Powered music festival (in cooperation with the 2009 HOToberFest) at Glenwood Park. Activities will unite solar advocates, concerned citizens, businesses and schools to share their experience while educating participants about how solar power can save money, create jobs, encourage economic development and deliver a more sustainable environment.

The two-day event will kick off on Friday, Oct. 2 with Hands on Solar Day where metro Atlanta students from area schools, including The Westminster Schools and The New Schools at Carver will get a unique opportunity to experience solar power up close and personal. During the three-hour event, students will engage in a field run class about solar energy and watch a solar powered sound system being installed and operating.

To purchase tour tickets and to get more details about the Solar Tour and Festival, visit www.gasolar.org.

About the Georgia Solar Energy Association
The Georgia Solar Energy Association (GSEA) leads the statewide effort to promote the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy through education, advocacy and industry support. GSEA, a non-profit affiliated with the American Solar Energy Society, is supported by more than 230 members across the state (energy professionals and grassroots supporters) who are working together to help create a sustainable energy economy for Georgia. For more information, visit www.gasolar.org. Fan GSEA on Facebook or follow on Twitter @GASolar.

Georgia Solar Tour and Festival

October 2

Hands on Solar Day (9 am-12:00 pm)

Glenwood Park, Atlanta

October 3

Solar Tour (9 am-2 pm)

Statewide – Sites TBA, check Web site for details. Tour ends at Glenwood Park

Solar Festival at HOToberFest (noon-7 pm)

Glenwood Park, Atlanta

Green Collar Jobs

Gayle O — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:13:00 GMT

As I am sure you know all too well, traditional Blue Collar and White Collar jobs have been on the decline given our current financial crisis in the U.S. However, keep your eyes open to change the color of your collar to Green, if you have a passion for transferring your skills into the budding green industry. According to data from the American Solar Energy Society, renewable energy and energy-efficient industries created close to 8.5 million jobs in 2006 and are projecting that number to rise to as high as 40 million jobs by year 2030.

Imagine you like the outdoors and you are tired of the suffocating confines of the 8-6 office routine. Maybe it is time be adventuresome and look for companies hiring solar panel installers. Consider researching what it would require for you to become a building efficiency expert, so you can become part of companies' green growth, such as Johnson Controls with plans to hire approximately 60,000 workers worldwide in the next decade, according to Joy Clark-Holmes, director of public sector markets. Or maybe you should research the technical expertise that will be in demand within the wind turbine industry, which will include all aspects of manufacturing, assembly, and installation. Keep in mind also that there may be more job security by going green since many of the green industry sector jobs are expected to be more difficult to outsource.

As alternative energy companies begin to boom, so will the need to find talent who can manufacture, sell, install, and technically support the entire industry, from infrastructure and production to back office operations. Here on the east coast, there is likely to be a big staff shortage as the solar companies begin to leverage the sunny states down south and begin looking for people with solar expertise. Although the west coast has already seen growth from the solar business, companies in the eastern region will probably have to train new employees on all facets of these emerging green collar jobs.

Although there is debate about what constitutes a green collar job, there is one thing that I believe we can all agree on. If you get a new job in green that is is generating green for you and your employer, then no matter what collar you wear inside the company, the outcome is environmentally and economically favorable for all.

Search results matching tags 'energy' and 'solar'

Statewide Solar Tour

Green Collar Jobs