Green Building
Green Building and Renewable Energy Program
Central Carolina Community College's Green Building and Renewable Energy Program is an important component of the college's commitment to workforce training in growing sustainable industries.
The college is a center for training the new green workforce, as well as a venue to train instructors from the state and region. These, in turn, impact the area, state and nation's green workforce goals, creating jobs, reducing reliance on foreign energy, and preserving the planet.
What Does This Mean for You?
Central Carolina Community College's Continuing Education Department's Green Building and Renewable Energy Program is designed for both current building industry professionals and new students, homeowners and business owners. The goal is to train a competitive workforce for the new green economy and to educate community members in resource conservation, alternative energy options and sustainable home design.
CCCC & STARS
The CCCC President's Council recently approved CCCC's application to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). CCCC is the first community college in North Carolina to register for this program sponsored by the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
The STARS program will provide a tracking tool to set goals and assess sustainable practices in three core areas; Education & Research, Operations, & Planning, Administration & Engagement.
Laura Lauffer, CCCC Sustainability Coordinator will be working the Green Team and Presidents Council to move sustainability forward on all CCCC campuses. If you are interested in participating in the Green Team and STARS program please contact Laura Lauffer at llauffer@cccc.edu.
History of the Program
The program started in 2002, when the community suggested the college offer classes to serve this growing field. The program was first run by a dedicated group of volunteers offering classes in design, building science, and carpentry.
As the program grew, it became an important addition to the college's sustainable programs. The instructors are highly experienced professionals, recruited from the construction and renewable energy field. The classes help to meet the growing demand for courses in the field of energy efficiency and sustainable building. (see class list) They are offered on the Chatham County Campus, in Pittsboro, N.C.
Some students from the program have already started new businesses. The college's Small Business Center offers support for entrepreneurs, while the program enables students to network with local experts, which helps turn their business dreams into realities.
Community Green Partners
In addition to the excellent teaching staff, the Green Building and Renewable Energy Program collaborates with organizations that lend guidance on our Advisory Council, host field trips and serve as guest lecturers. Among them are Southern Energy Management, Advanced Energy, GreenPros, Habitat for Humanity, Solar Consultants, The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, the North Carolina Solar Center and Green Homebuilders of the Triangle.
The Future of Green
Green Collar Jobs Report forecasts 37 million jobs from renewable energy and energy efficiency in the United States by 2030. The renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE&EE) industries represented more than 9 million jobs and more than a trillion dollars in U.S. revenue in 2007, according to the report. The renewable energy industry grew three times as fast as the U.S. economy, with the solar thermal, photovoltaic, biodiesel, and ethanol sectors leading the way, each with 25%+ annual revenue growth. (See American Solar Energy Society, www.ases.org/greenjobs, for a full report.)
For more information on the Green Building and Renewable Energy Program, please contact Laura Lauffer, Sustainability Coordinator, at (919) 545-8032.
2012 NC Clean Energy Industries Census
Since the passage of the Southeast's first renewable energy and energy efficiency law in 2007 (and 25th in the nation), North Carolina's clean energy sectors - broadly categorized as renewable energy and energy efficiency - have burst onto the scene with companies, jobs and projects from the mountains to the coast.
The annual North Carolina Census, which surveyed over 1,100 North Carolina clean energy companies mid-summer through early September, finds the clean energy sector is a growing economic force in North Carolina that conservatively contributes over $3.7 billion in revenue and more than 15,200 full-time equivalent jobs directly from activities in clean energy. For infrastructure, the state is home to over 38,000 Energy Star homes, 2,100 energy efficient commercial buildings, and more than 3,000 planned or installed renewable energy systems.
General Information
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