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Making a career change is no easy feat by any means.  Whether it was voluntary or a move under pressure, changing course from the path that you've grown accustomed to can leave you grasping for direction.  What if you're not going through a career change and just happen to be faced with an unknown?  How about a "known" and the details just plain freak you out?  To make  matters worse, you may be bombarded with the constant pressure to "blaze your own trail", or "make a difference" or "control your destiny". I've even talked about bringing yourself to the point of discovery here , but what I want to circle back to and acknowledge is that through every step of my life, there was always....and I mean ALWAYS someone who I can turn to (whether I knew it or not) when faced with a challenge.   If you're like me, you may seem to continuously find yourself up against challenges that seem bigger than the goals beyond them and if those cha...

My Solar Analysis of MIST Some of you may recall the coinage BRIC, which stood for Brazil, Russia, India and China. This term was created by famous economist Jim O'Neill. Jim's latest grouping is MIST , which stands for Mexico , Indonesia , South Korea , and Turkey . My goal in this article is to overlay the solar potential with the growth potential of the MIST countries. Quick overview of the MIST group: Mexico GDP: $1.6 trillion GDP Growth Rate: 5.4% Indonesia GDP: $1.03 trillion GDP Growth Rate: 6.1% South Korea GDP: $1.46 trillion GDP Growth Rate: 6.2% Turkey GDP: $960.5 billion GDP Growth Rate: 8.9% Compared to the California. GDP: $1.7 trillion GDP Growth Rate: 2.8% ( Q2 ) Alright now that we got that out of the way, let's talk solar! There's not much conversation (if any) about relating the solar industry to the MIST group. This is why I find it very interesting as it presents a great opportunity to dive in and see what kind of potenti...

2011 Sierra Innovation Summit Series – Part 2 of 6 Focus on Opportunities and Solutions In part 2 of the 2011 Sierra Innovation Summit Series, I want to address the theme of focusing on opportunities and solutions.  During the opening statements of the summit, the audience was reminded to "focus on the opportunities", "focus on the solutions."   This message should not be new to anyone yet it seems to surface often in light of knowing that for any industry to succeed, this set of rules must be included. As a new student entering the industry, you may very well have the solutions or even believe that you are the solution.  So what are we missing here that would prompt the reminders?  Perhaps it’s the overwhelming possibilities that come with solution generation.  But more importantly, not all possibilities are solutions. One of the common words of guidance that I've received from those who are successful in their green careers is that you must first ...

2011 Sierra Innovation Summit Series – Part 1 of 6 "How will our generation change to adjust to today’s conditions?" This was one of the questions brought up during the 2011 Sierra Innovation Summit and focuses on how our generation will respond to the current environmental state (with the “state” left open for interpretation).  As I sat in the audience and looked around at the various Sierra region organizations, I initially thought the answer was apparent.   We simply just adjust and make things happen.   Yet as I walked away from the presentation, I realized that the question started to weigh heavier on my mind.  See, the important thing for me to do was to not answer that question from my own perspective, but rather from a general societal approach, because if I compared my journey from wireless technology to the world of sustainability, my method of adjustment simply does not apply to the majority. If we look at this question from a countercultur...

‎For any person or organization that directly provides training to those that are new to the industry: "Remember, the measurement of success is based not on the number of students that go through your program, but rather the experience that you and your company delivers that help them confirm that they are in the right industry." ~Michael

Recent articles describing some of the challenges of solar companies (i.e. bankruptcy and facility closures) made me think about the natural progression of any industry.  You may recall an earlier post about how the telecommunications industry went through its own house-cleaning and the advice to stay informed with your chosen field.  It's just a matter of time before the renewables go through the same thing, if it hasn't started already.  However, do not despair and abandon your efforts to gain a foothold in the industry.  One of your responsibilities is to stay in tune with the industry of your choice and understand the dynamics.  Why is one company going bankrupt?  Is it a true depiction of industry strength or weakness? What is influencing change? Or is just the result of the cycle that all industries go through?  I would lean toward the latter with the belief that this is a good thing. But let's step this aside from the obvious and start ap...

One of the challenges that many students face upon completion of their studies is creating the continuity from the technical training to field applications.  Part of the problem associated with this is idea that the area of study should directly correlate to the position with the same title.  However, the common theme that I try to present to the students is that recognizing their passions and natural talent should be the priority as this is essential to their successful integration into the workforce. To help you with learning how to look beyond classifications of a career path, I’ve been given the fortunate opportunity to meet an urban planner that will highlight the overall message of this post.  Greg Chew is an urban planner for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and is highly involved in the community.  Greg was kind enough to provide professional insight for the Green-Terns. The following is the content of the interview: Green-Tern (GT): Give...

I was recently asked to comment on some of the skepticism toward the availability of job opportunities within the renewable and sustainable industries.  Both classifications are included as there is a difference, but for the sake of simplifying the message, we'll refer to the "Green" industry.  As an organization focused on accelerating opportunities within this industry, I was more than happy to help with the common goal. The Perspective Challenge The challenge is to decipher between the health of the job market relative to the overall economy and recognizing the true level of opportunities within the Green sector.  As broad as this subject is, you can choose to further dissect the viability of each industry within it (solar, wind, bio, [insert passion here]).  Given that elements such as political influence, local economies (consider the predominant industry as in the oil states, great example here ), regulations and incentives, acceptance of technology, effect...

Okay.  We're not going to really talk about rats, but imagine the outcome if you had to decide on the survival of your family over sparing an endangered animal.  I love life, I love nature.  But at some point we have to make a decision that results in a better tomorrow.  I'll come back to this. The Sacramento Business Journal recently posted the report, " California, Sacramento keeps growing 'green' jobs " which highlights the achievements of the region that includes California's Core Green Economy Job average annual growth rate of 3%. First, I want go in to Next 10's report and focus on ideas for the green-tern. Page 14 (report is no longer avail as of 2018) provides a quick reference table of Green segments and job types that can help you with your research for careers in the Green industry.   Another great find in this report is how major cities are defined by the type of energy solutions they focus on determined by employment shares.  For examp...

We grow up being told that education leads to job security and that job security determines direction.  While this may be true in some aspects, focusing only on job security will be your inhibitor. Many of you have made the decision to leave that comfort zone...  that hourly - that salary - that position  - that status.   Some of you have spent years studying for one industry only to find yourself in the green industry.  Now faced with the decision of whether or not to continue down your current path, you may be tempted to go back to something that you probably determined won't make you happy. I want to remind you of the importance of bringing yourself to the point of discovery, learning what your tolerance for adversity is and then pushing past it.  Job security is one thing.  Knowing what you're made of is another. It's been said that if you can go to bed at night knowing that you've learned something new that day, then you've allowed your...

GE made the news today with its investment in the Alta Wind I farm in Kern County, California.  This made me want to dig a little deeper to get a better idea of GE Energy Financial Service's strategy.  I went into their website to see their wind energy portfolio and the kind of activity has occurred between December 2010 and this latest announcement.  What I found was interesting and seems to correlate with GE's stock activity. Take a look at the charts and you'll see December's break out, but inability to break out of the current channel (and overhead resistance in January) Here's some of the highlights for December: CPV Renewable Energy Company $65,000,000 152-megawatt wind project located 12 miles southwest of Woodward, Oklahoma Horizon Wind Energy LLC $111,000,000 The farms are located in Rattlesnake Road, Oregon (103 MW); Meridian Way, north central Kansas (201 MW); and Pioneer Prairie, northeastern Iowa (300 MW). $117,000,000 225-megawatt wind fa...

Renewable Energy Certificates (REC's) are starting to buzz more often in my ears, so I figured that it was time to begin understanding what will someday become the "alternative" market for trading. Renewable Electricity Certificates or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs) is viewed as the solution that will help states meet their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) sooner, if not more aggressively. To simplify how the process works, here's my take: 1. Grid-tied producer of electricity (solar, wind...pick your flavor) produces a) electricity and b) the REC. 2. Once the renewable-based electricity is created and sent to the grid, there is no way of distinguishing between electricity generated from other sources. ("Come on! I swear my 1-panel system is powering Grand Central Station.") 3. The solution is to give the point of generation 1 REC for every megawatt of electricity contributed to the grid. 4. This gives you the two products (electricity a...

California solar companies have been frequently making headlines across the nation as Golden State companies kick off the New Year with announcements to expand into other states.  Mississippi has the pleasure of welcoming San Jose thin-film solar manufacturer Stion .  In an article from CNET News , Stion's gift of the state's first thin-film solar panel factory will bring 1,000 jobs to Mississippi.  In other news , W Solar Group Inc will be moving the whole house over to Dane County in Wisconsin.  Also a thin-film solar company, W Solar will be bringing approximately 620 jobs to Wisconsin.  Digging deeper in to some of the moves, it's obvious that incentives are a key element in the decision process.  Mississippi is giving Stion a $75mil loan in addition to incentives, while Wisconsin is offering W Solar an incentive that gives the company a $28mil Enterprise Zone Tax credit. First side of the coin: Of course, Californians are left to wonder why their s...

The method of using incineration to generate power by burning material (or waste) and then converting the steam to power turbines easily brings up arguments for and against its use.  When discussing costs per tonnage, incineration requires the least capital.  However, the ash, emissions, and the clean-up required as a result of the incineration process is an environmental challenge. Pyrolysis involves the decomposition of organic material in the absence of oxygen, thereby reducing the amount of emissions.  In addition, the process produces very little ash.  This process can produce bio-fuel. In a recent article, " Donation Drives New Direction of Bioenergy Research at University of Idaho ", the University of Idaho received a donation from APT Advanced Trailer and Equipment LP to install a pyrolysis unit at the University's steam plant to research converting wood biomass to energy.   Extracted from the article, "The process yields about 60 percent bio-o...

I recently received interesting feedback about the whole idea of green as an over stretched issue exaggerated by the government and that an industry that revolves around the sciences leaves one at the mercy of other people to determine what the problems are or are not.  What I appreciate the most about this response is that it was genuine.  The sentiment is shared by many people and it serves a purpose in creating a certain degree of resilience in society.  It also came from a very good friend who I can count on to tell it to me straight. I like this perspective because I can go into many industries and apply the challenge.  In telecom, how does the customer know he or she is really getting four gigs of data when the tools that measure bandwidth are driven by engineering-manipulated software?  Do they know the value of spectrum purchased from the government, let alone the reason for pages of additional charges on their bill?  In medicine can a patient arg...

As the first Monday of the new year approaches, I wanted to start off this post by reiterating the importance of viewing your industry with the big picture in mind.  When I was doing my first solar installation, one of the rooftop ramblings involved the close and obvious relationship between solar and electricity vehicles. Now the idea of electric cars is not new.  Neither is the idea of charging stations.  However, the opportunities that present themselves are great for those that want to get in to solar, electrical technician positions, and yes, even smart grid.  As the charging stations become more popular and we see the charging stations appear as frequently as the highway rest stop, there should be a demand for technicians to service those stations. The article brought up an interesting issue on load clusters that helped broaden my own perspective on the career possibilities with charging stations.  The article states, "Load clusters occur when several ...

When I was in telecommunications, there was nothing more fascinating than being part of cutting edge technology.  Part of the enjoyment while in the industry is being able to watch your industry to not only evolve, but to also be a major influence in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  But that psychological theory was never a prominent thought in my own mind as I watched the progression of technology in the wireless industry slowly choke out the workforce that supported it. While working in a switching office between late '98 and early 2000, I recall the size of the switch rooms and the many rows of equipment required to provide communications to mobile subscribers.  Jump ahead 10 years and you'll find that technology has either eliminated that switching office or reduced the equipment down to a single box.  Less equipment, less headcount. I recently sat down with a very good friend of mine who was with me in the industry from the beginning of our careers in telecommu...

Every so often, I will share some of my dialogue between my classmates. It’s better to get a third perspective from my audience than to rely on who typed the last period. A classmate had asked, “Do you think society takes environmental matters seriously?” So, here is the argument behind their question. If society actually cared enough about the environment, there wouldn’t be so many challenges to get all the players to agree on at least moving towards the use of renewables and the application of sustainability. My response: “I would say that society and the current generations may not take the environmental matters seriously (or at least at levels necessary to make a drastic difference). Fortunately, as long as education exists, we have the opportunity to pass down knowledge to generations that may have no choice but to make a difference.” I compared this thought to the baby boomer’s adoption of the Internet. When the concept first became mainstream, many of the boomers rem...