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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, February 2, 2009

More 'green' jobs evolving from renewable energy initiatives

By Andrea Kay

Now that we have experienced what was touted as the "greenest inauguration in history," let's examine more of what green means in terms of jobs. Picking up where I left off last week discussing what green jobs mean, let's talk more about where they exist.

Although some people point out that green jobs today are primarily engineering and science-based with other workers needed to support green businesses in the future, there is green work today and more jobs are evolving.

This includes people who work for and with such companies as Dalu Design, an architectural firm specializing in "totally green design." CEO David Sklar is creating Star Island, a "fully sustainable island resort" that will integrate everything that affects an ecosystem: "power generation and transportation systems to mitigating impact on species," he says.

Sklar employs people who research products' origins and "the most environmentally suitable way for them to arrive, be stored, distributed, used and recycled" on this island near the Bahamas.

His firm will work with such green vendors as UniSolar, manufacturers of a flexible solar electric "peel and stick" photovoltaic module for metal-seamed roofs; Solargenix Energy, manufacturers of a high-performance solar water heater; and EarthLinked Technologies, manufacturers of ground-coupled heat pumps using refrigerant. He works with Southwest Windpower, producers of small wind generators that employ people who make their product and also do marketing, sales, research and development, accounting, purchasing and customer service.

In addition, there are sustainability executives who bring "a meaningful agenda for making the planet better," says executive recruiter Martin Kartin.

There is a need for such qualified executives, he says, citing Wal-Mart as an example.

"By virtue of its size, it impacts every aspect of sustainability imaginable. Whole Foods needs such a person because they would have impact on the quality of the foods and products sold. GE needs such a person to assist in the company's influence in generating alternative energy sources, making energy efficient appliances and creating plastics that will not negatively impact the environment."

The solar industry "will likely create more jobs than any other green segment," with plenty of positions for people with more advanced knowledge of solar energy, says Mike Hall, president of Borrego Solar Systems.

State and city governments have taken the initiative to create green opportunities, says Bronwyn Llewellyn, co-author of "Green Jobs."

There will be no shortage of work in brownfields reclamation, green building construction, improving public transportation, creating alternative energy fuels, building energy efficient appliances and homes and installing fuel-efficient heating or cooling systems, Llewellyn adds.

This work needs all skill sets. And there will be "increasing opportunities for lawyers, MBAs, public policymakers and others."

With President Obama's renewable energy initiatives, we might just see one of the greenest job initiatives in history.