As the damaged Deepwater Horizon well, continues to pump out endless barrels of oil per day, into the Gulf, all the major stakeholders are scrambling to find a way to contain the damage.  Just this week, the cap came off for more than nine hours, making an already BAD situation, even WORSE! Read the rest of this entry »

The massive Gulf oil spill disaster, has triggered strong reactions from people around the nation.

Most people, are saddened by the situation. The pollution, oil-slicked wildlife, and how it is devastating the livelihood for people in the area, is the main concern. It is the all consuming, top story in the news.  Yet, nothing seems to be happening in a timely fashion, to end the gushing oil, now reaching Florida’s beaches.

So much of the oil, is going to waste, Read the rest of this entry »

My first post of the year was entitled “There’s Green Boot On The Roof.” At Boots On The Roof, they offer various solar training bootcamps for electricians and entrepreneurs interested in starting their own solar business, or updating their skills and becoming solar certified.

Boots on the Roof, delivers top-quality market-ready training programs for solar energy industry professionals.  They are the solar energy training division of Unitek Education, a long-time national Learning Partner of high-tech companies (having received the highest education honors awarded by Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, & RedHat).  Their team has a 16-year track record of successfully partnering with large organizations to train tens of thousands of students nationwide.

Boots On The Roof, has become the premier Wind and Solar training provider in the United States.  They are making it their mission to train the next wave of Renewable Energy Contractors, Architects, Engineers, Sales Professionals, and Business Entreprenuers.

The courses offered, are optimized for the various fields and professions listed above. They are also beneficial to home-improvement contractors, looking to add Solar/Wind applications to their existing services offered.  Feel free to call and discuss  with their capable staff, what your goals are, and what classes can best benefit you and your situation.

Your tuition fee includes your instruction materials, textbook, examination fee and labs.  If you are not local, a susidized travel package that includes your hotel stay, free shuttle to/from the airport, and breakfast and lunch on all the days of your boot camp is available.

If you absolutely, can not travel to the Northern California or NewYork/New Jersey campuses, you can take the Boots On The Roof online course instead.  However, nothing can compare to the hands on labs, lectures, and classroom activites offered.  Here is what  alumni are saying about their experiences with courses offered at Boots On The Roof.

So, whether you are attending the 6DaySolar PV BootCamp, or any of the courses offered at Boots On the Roof, you are assured you are getting the best and most current training and certification available in the area of Renewable Energy.  Working toward a better tomorrow, and a brighter future.

See where the cutest ladybugs live!

My first post of the year was entitled “There’s Green Boot On The Roof.” At Boots On The Roof, they offer various solar training bootcamps for electricians and entrepreneurs interested in starting their own solar business, or updating their skills and becoming solar certified.

Boots on the Roof, delivers top-quality market-ready training programs for solar energy industry professionals.  They are the solar energy training division of Unitek Education, a long-time national Learning Partner of high-tech companies (having received the highest education honors awarded by Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, & RedHat).  Their team has a 16-year track record of successfully partnering with large organizations to train tens of thousands of students nationwide.

Last week, I spoke with Steve Watkins, Director of Professional Services at Unitek, about how the classes were going, and if he had any feedback that I could share with you. Here is what he had to say:

“We do have a testimonials page on our web site now, which are just short excerpts of longer testimonials we’ve received.  Below is one that came to me directly yesterday, with permission to quote.”

” I came away with a sense that these folks are clear on how best to manage all parts of the equation; how to bring various skill-sets and groups of professionals together with the latest products and information on Renewable materials design and installation, be that for application in industrial, commercial, or residential projects.

We hear a lot about this new and fast-developing industry, but rarely do you get an opportunity to be helped to understand what knowledge is required to enter the field, where to get it, and how it can be applied.

Most crucial for the entrant into this field, is that the programs directly address what one needs to know when transitioning to the Renewable Service Industry, and doing so in a concentrated and expedient way.”

~Deborah

Elk Grove, CA

Be sure to read further on the testimonial page for more feedback.  It is important to note that in the Solar Industry, everything is leaning toward specific standards and certification.  You can get all that you need at Boots on the Roof!  Also, you can check out the calendar of the 6-Day Solar PV Boot Camp for dates, prices and other courses offered along with a phone number to call.

Before he passed away last year, architect and founder of Cal-Earth, Nader Khalili, had created a futuristic housing movement.  He had prototyped his dome-shaped adobes, or “moon-cocoons” on a commission  from NASA  for a lunar colony.  Then he realized that they could take root here on earth…and that they have!

Most of us go to work to be able to pay off our mortgage on our house.  At the same time, we are unaware of the damage to both our health and nature, caused by conventional construction methods.

The first thing to do if we want to create a sustainable building is to eliminate the use of any toxins.  Eco-Domes are built using the earth itself as material.  They use a special sandbag (local earth) and barbed-wire technology called SuperAdobe.  No chemicals or toxins are used, just lime stabilized in the bags, and sometimes cement is added in wetter climates, but is certainly not necessary.  The end result, is a very pretty and stable house that meets California’s strict earthquake requirements.

Built with the sun, wind and shade in mind for passive heating and cooling, you will want to consider the possiblity of installing a solar photovoltaic system and perhaps a small hydro installation, if you don’t have a stream nearby.

There is no greater respect you can show for yourself and for nature, than by building a sustainable building with your own two hands.  While most of the Ec0- domes are 400 or 800 square feet, they can be joined together for a larger dwelling.  They also have a 2,000 sq. ft. model that can be built for $3,000 worth of bags and barbed-wire! Cal-Earth is a non-profit organization that offers workshops teaching you how to build your  house, out of SuperAdobe with a team of 3-5 people in a week!

With the main building material being earth, the simplicity of the SuperAdobe technique, allows for the possibility to quickly build emergency shelters, whenever and wherever they are need anywhere in the world. Most recently, a team from Cal-Earth has gone to Darfur, to help rebuild the damage and devastation to villages there.