Home Energy online: Effective Training for Small Businesses and Energy Independence

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Communities Discover Energy Independence

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University Park, Maryland, Plans to STEP Into New Communities

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Let's be honest: Perfect training doesn't lead to perfect results, says Bill Taylor, head of the training department at Advanced Energy in Raleigh, North Carolina, in his recent article "Effective Training for Small Businesses." He continues: That said, if you screw up your training, it could have a cascading effect, which could lead to losing money versus making a profit.

For small businesses, training can be daunting. The obvious reasons are time and budget. "Time is the biggest constraint" and "It's gotta be quick and effective" are what Taylor hears over and over again from home energy professionals.

In his article, he addresses these challenges and outlines a simple framework for creating a cost-effective training solution that actually works.

Read about the solution.

The Unavoidable Future - Q&A with Cyro Boccuzzi by Macie Melendez

Home Energy recently had the opportunity to speak with Cyro Boccuzzi, IEEE senior member and executive vice president at Brazil-based Enersul. Not only did he have insight into smart grid technology and trends, but the smart grid expert also says that smart grids are the unavoidable wave of the future.

Read our exclusive interview here.

SPONSOR

Communities Discover Energy Independence by Steve Canale

Many residents today are looking for freedom from mounting electric bills and a way to help the environment. Enter Standard Solar, which since its founding in 2004 has helped 1,000+ households (and many more commercial and government organizations) achieve their goal of energy independence by providing a way to invest in clean energy for their homes and businesses.

Standard Solar's energy efficiency division offers full-service energy auditing and contracting to help guide homeowners to a comfortable and efficient home. Plus, they offer homeowners the technology that allows them to track their energy use online.

Read a customer case study here.

Industry News

DOE's Building America program recently released a report titled "The Role of Appraisals in Energy Efficiency Financing," which covers critical obstacles to documenting and assessing the potential added value from energy efficiency improvements. View the report here.
Participate in ACI's Women in Home Performance Wake-Up! Webinar Series on Wednesday, August 22. Amy Fazio, Executive Director of ACI, will be interviewing Kateri Callahan, President of Alliance to Save Energy (ASE). Register here.
RESNET recently adopted the "RESNET EnergySmart Project and EnergySmart Contractor Standard," which defines EnergySmart Contractors, EnergySmart Projects and the RESNET EnergySmart Home Performance Teams. The new standard went into effect on July 30.
Home Energy has joined Pinterest, an online sharing board. View our boards here.

Spotlights From Our Calendar

September 22
11th Annual Build It Green! Home Tour and Info Fair
Portland, Oregon

Multiple green remodels and new homes open their doors around the Portland metropolitan area for this self-guided tour. Start and stop where and when you choose. Chat with homeowners, designers, do-it-yourselfers and contractors about solar panels, ecoroofs, rainwater harvesting, natural landscaping, and much more! Learn more here.

September 25 - 27

EEBA Excellence in Building Conference & Expo

Scottsdale, AZ

The Energy & Environmental Building Alliance looks forward to welcoming you to Scottsdale for the 30th Excellence in Building Conference & Expo, which will feature more than 55 educational sessions covering every facet of the building science industry. Register here.

September 27 - 30
2012 North American Passive House Conference
Denver, CO

This conference will be presented in partnership with the Colorado chapter of the Passive House Alliance US. The call for conference presentation proposals is still open. Register here.

October 9 - 10
ACCA Building Performance Forum
Austin, TX

This forum is focused on ensuring that your contracting business achieves its full potential by helping your customers achieve theirs. Featured presenters include Hal Smith, Chandler von Schrader, and Steve Baden, among others. Register here.

View a full calendar of industry events at homeenergy.org.