Green Career Central Blog

Green Jobs Growing: Sustainability Coordinator Making a Big Impact

While the glimmer and spotlight on green jobs may have faded in the minds of some in the media, the green/clean/sustainable economy continues to grow.  In 2010 clean tech investing by venture capitalists totaled $4 billion, an 8 % increase.  Venture capitalists were not the only deep pocket investors in 2010.  The Department of Energy also invested millions clean energy.   Among major corporations, General Electric has or will be investing $10 billion in their Ecomagination sector over the few years.

All of this investment and funding is having an effect.  It may not be happening as fast as many of would like it to be, but there are companies moving forward and hiring.  One of the keys to getting hired and moving up is having the drive and desire to make a difference. 

Take the case of Cheri Chastain, hired as a part-time recycling assistant in 2006 at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California.  A short time later she was promoted to recycling coordinator where she continue to track data about the amount of waste that was being diverted from landfills.  By making a strong business case for recycling and sustainability, Chastain was promoted to Sustainability Coordinator, a position she wrote the job description for.  Under Chastain's leadership, Sierra Nevada has installed solar panels and fuel cells to guarantee continuous power to the plant.  They now get 85% of their power from renewable sources. Sierra Nevada has diverted 30,000 tons of waste from the landfill, saving $4.7 million in fees, money that can be used for employee benefits, update equipment and philanthropic involvement. Nearly 99% of the production waste and byproducts produced by the plant is recycled, including the oil used to cook the french fries in the on-site visitor restaurant. (It is used as transportation fuel.) "Closing the loop" is Chastain's mantra.

All of this effort has not gone unnoticed.  The EPA named Sierra Nevada one of their Green Businesses of theYear. 

By being enthusiastic and passionate about sustainability and working for a owner that valued the environment, Cheri was able to quickly move up the green ladder.

Follow the Green Money: OSISoft Receives $135 Million, Lighting Science Group Going Public, C3Nano Completes First Round of Funding

Developer of data management software for industrial applications, OSIsoft, has received a $135 million investment from venture capitalists. Based in San Leandro, CA, here is the career page for OSIsoft.

Lighting Science Group, a Florida based LED lighting company, has filed for public registration of common stock on the NASDAQ exchange.  The goal of this move is to raise $150 million.  The initial share price was not disclosed.  Lighting Science manufactures and distributes LED lighting for commercial and residential use.  The company has factories in the US and Mexico and has hired a contractor to make their products in Asia.

Hayward, CA based C3Nano, a first year start-up company that is developing transparent electrodes as a component of  transparent screens for use in cell phone and solar cells, has completed a first round of funding. The amount was not disclosed.  Last year C3Nano won the MIT Clean Energy Prize of $200,000.

Green Career Tip: Seven Job Search Dos and Don'ts From Green Employers

On Friday I facilitated a panel of clean energy employers at Congresswoman Jackie Speier's 4th Job Hunter's Boot Camp. As representatives of the various clean energy employers were answering the questions I posed, I realized their answers would be perfect for a Dos and Don'ts article for this week's Green Career Tip.

Job Search Don'ts

• If you aren't qualified for a job...don't apply!
  
• Don't spam an employer by applying indiscriminately to many positions.

Job Search Dos

• Having a polished profile on LinkedIn is a MUST! In house recruiters use LinkedIn heavily to learn more about potential candidates. Make sure your profile says what you want it to say!
  
• If you are submitting your resume online, consider including a link to your LinkedIn profile to give hiring managers and recruiters more information about you.

For more Do's and Don'ts, read the full Green Career Tip of the Week. 

Follow the Green Money: DOE Makes Loan Guarantee of $967 Million to NRG Energy, US Gov't Agencies Make Loan Guarantees of $250 Million to Three Biofuel Companies, Scientific Conservation Receives $15.7 Million

The Department of Energy has made a conditional loan guarantee of $967 million to NRG Energy for their 290 megawatt Agua Caliente solar project in Arizona. NRG has a 25 year purchase power agreement with PG&E.  Based in Princeton, NJ, NRG has career openings throughout the U.S.

Three biofuels companies are getting loan guaranties from US governmental agencies  The USDA will make a $250 million loan guarantee to Coskata, and $80 million to Enerkem.  The DOE will make a loan guarantee of $241 million to Diamond Green Diesel (a joint venture between Valero and Darling International). 

Based in San Francisco, CA, Scientific Conservation has received $15.7 million from venture capitalists.  Scientific Conservation uses software as service to monitor energy consumption of commercial and governmental buildings in real time and use that data to predict the buildings energy use in the future.

 

Follow the Green Money: GridPoint Has Received $23.6 Million, SoloPower Gets $20 Million Loan, Mascoma Receives Up to $50 Million Investment

Smart grid start up, GridPoint, has received $23.6 million from venture capitalists.  Gridpoint creates software for building energy management and other solutions.  In May of 2010, GridPoint announced a contract with the US Post Office to install and operate energy management services at 750 locations.  GridPoint has several North American offices.

Using a $20 million loan from the State of Oregon, SoloPower, a maker of thin-film solar, will open a 75 megawatt manufacturing plant in Wilsonville, OR. The San Jose, CA based company has openings for engineers and technicians. 

Based in Lebanon NH, Mascoma has entered into an agreement with petrochemical company Valero that allows them to invest up to $50 million to build a biofuels plant in Kinross, Michigan.  Mascoma develops microbes that can turn wood waste and grasses into cellulosic ethanol. Here is a link to their career page.

Green Career Tip - The Fastest Path to Your Green Career

You’ve decided you want to find a way to work in the green / clean / sustainable economy. The big question is, what steps do you take to get where you want to go? Read this week’s article for a plan you can use to guide your actions.

Green Career Trends: Green Mountain Energy to Power Empire State Building, GE Looking for Eco Home of the Future Ideas, Stion to Open Solar Panel Manufacturing Plant in Mississippi

In making a good business case for sustainability, the recently remodeled and now energy efficient Empire State Building has awarded Green Mountain Energy the contract to supply electricity to the building.  Green Mountain was the winning bidder among renewable and nonrenewable energy producers.  Green Mountain will supply the 2.85 million square foot building with approximately 55 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy each year for the next two years. 

In the next phase of their $200 million ecomagination challenge, General Electric and its partners are calling for the best ideas for the eco home of the future.  Beginning on January 18, 2011, entrepreneurs, technologists and start-ups are invited to submit their proposals to GE.  Five $100,000 award winners will be chosen by a panel of judges comprised of GE executives, academics and technologists.  Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2011.

San Jose, CA based Stion, with $75 million worth of aid from the state of Mississippi, will open a factory in Hattiesburg to manufacture high efficiency thin film panels.  Here is a link to their career page for engineering and operations openings.  Sunnyvale, CA based AQT will also be opening a solar panel factory in the southern U.S., their choice will be Richland County, South Carolina. 

Follow the Green Money: OPower Receives $50 million, SBE Opens New Plant, Hara Software Lands Large Customer

Based in Arlington VA, with an office in San Francisco, CA, OPower has received $50 million from investors.  OPower provides home owners with their current energy use and offers energy saving advice. OPower estimates 85% of its customers are reducing their power consumption by 3.5%.  Here is a link to current job openings in both cities.

Funded in part from an $8.5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, SBE Inc. opened a new plant in Barre, Vermont.  The facility will manufacture electric vehicle direct current bus capacitors which work between an electric vehicles battery and motor. Here is a link to their career page.

San Mateo, CA based Hara Software has closed a deal with Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA).  ADWEA will use software created by Hara to track and manage the energy consumption of more than 1.4 million customers in the United Arab Emirates. Here is a link to their career openings page.

Follow the Green Money: DOE Awards $19 Million to Five Smart Grid Projects, Sage Electronics Receives $80 Million Investment, Borrego Solar Gets Funding for $36 Million Worth of Solar Projects

The Department of Energy has awarded five projects a total of $19 million to make changes to the energy grid.  Those project receiving funding are:  Areva T&D, Inc., Boeing Company, ABB Inc., Varentec Inc., On-Ramp Wireless, Inc.  The changes will turn the current grid into a Smart Grid by increasing efficiency, reliability, and responsiveness.

Based in France, window manufacturer Saint-Gobain has invested $80 million in Sage Electronics, a US maker of electrochromatic windows.  These windows are chemically treated to allow them to lighten or darken depending upon what building managers would like them to do.  Countries in Europe have been considering adding regulations to buildings that would require them to block sunlight to control air conditioning and reduce energy usage.

Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices in Berkeley, CA and Boston, MA, Borrego Solar has received funding from investors to install commercial and public sector solar power projects worth an estimated $36 million.  Here is a link to their careers page.

Green Career Tip - 5 Signs You Aren’t Quite Ready to Launch Your Green Job Search

Are you in job search mode? Or expecting to be soon? Be sure you aren’t sabotaging your efforts by jumping out of the gate before you are ready to make a memorable impression that allows you to outshine your competition.

Read this week's article to learn more.