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EMAIL: info @ renewablerecruits . com

 written by Gregg Machlachlan 

WorkCabin, Renewable Recruits form strategic partnership 

WorkCabin, Canada’s professional green careers site, and Renewable Recruits, a BC-based sustainable energy promotions and recruiting firm, both launched in April 2007 and have quickly established themselves as progressive and innovative companies in the growing green economy. ”By working together to promote training and employment in Canada’s sustainable energy sectors, WorkCabin and Renewable Recruits are helping to put this industry on the radar for students, skilled workers, and environmentally-motivated people seeking to make a real difference,” said Randyn Seibold, owner of Renewable Recruits, and a member of the BC Sustainable Energy Association. Renewable Recruits is currently working with the BCSEA in developing Clean Energy Classrooms: A Canadian Guide to Sustainable Energy Training.  The print-based and on-line tool will promote renewable energy training options currently offered at schools across the country, and is due to appear in June ‘08. ”Renewable Recruits not only has a passion for the renewable energy sector, but is also showing leadership by assisting schools and colleges to grow opportunities in this field,” said WorkCabin president Gregg McLachlan. “That’s one of the major reasons we like this partnership: it’s about working together with another forward-thinking company that will ultimately benefit Canadians and our environment.”

Visit the link to WorkCabin.ca on our Jobs page, and the Clean Energy Tracker on the WorkCabin page.

The efforts of SolarBC were recognized with the Solar Advocate of the Year award at the Canadian Solar Industry Association’s annual gathering in Toronto this past week.  SolarBC, spearheaded by Nitya Harris, aims to develop a concrete action plan to install 100,000 solar roofs throughout the province by 2020.  It is sponsored by the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources, and is being developed by a diverse task team. 

SolarBC, in partnership with BC communities and the federal and provincial governments, achieved its goal in 2005 of installing 50 solar hot water systems on roofs throughout the province.  In addition:

Delivered homeowner rebates

Developed qualifications for solar energy systems and installers

Increased the awareness of building inspectors for this technology

Helped develop solar installer training

Provided solar assistance to First Nations communities

The project website, www.SolarBC.org, is in need of updating.  The winning of the Solar Advocate of the Year award for 2005 is still up!  This new boost of profile for Ms. Harris’ project should help remedy this, as well as prospects for the solar hot water industry in BC generally.

 RETScreen is the World’s most prolific project assessment tool for renewable energy projects.  It also allows the user to do Combined-Heat-and-Power modelling (CHP), and now allows for Energy Efficiency modelling.  Today I attended a presentation by Gregory Leng and Urban Ziegler about the new features of RETScreen 4.0.  Mr Leng is the innovator behind the software, which now has over 129,000 registered users worldwide.  Mr. Ziegler is a lead engineer on the 4.0 evolution.  About 35,000 of those users are in Canada.  If you’re not familiar with RETScreen, however, don’t worry you’re not alone.  There is a major effort underway right now by Natural Resources Canada to spread the adoption of the software more widely througout Canada.  It can be effectively used by everyone from college classes to municipal planners.  The program is the most radical use of Excel ever witnessed, and is available in 26 different languages.  There is an international ‘technology marketplace’ that allows the user to review renewable energy goods and services from all the major sectors.  I could go on and on, but why not check it out yourself at www.RETSCREEN.net

The program has always been and will continue to be available at no cost.  Download it now, and start playing.  Its like a Sim game for the renewable energy project enthusiast! 

I would be remiss not to include information about the development of the Peak Oil situation, now a foregone conclusion by anyone who takes themselves and the public seriously.  This article on TIME Magazine’s site, traced through the excellent Peak Oil news site www.energybulletin.net, takes a look at the human resource shortage issue as it affects the oil supply business.

 http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1686084,00.html

“With prices at near record highs, projects to extract hard-to-reach oil and gas are suddenly viable. But only if there are engineers and scientists to design the deep-water platforms, conduct the advanced seismology, route the new pipelines and so on. Complex projects take longer to build and put a premium on experience — at precisely the time that veteran managers and engineers are passing from the ranks.”

Today I had a great conversation with Ms. Picard’s Grade 11 English class.  The purpose of my visit was to introduce the concept for Clean Energy Classrooms: A Students’ Guide to Canadian Sustainable Energy Training, and get reactions from its intended readers.  It was an intriguing dialogue.  Being talked down to, mistrusted, and pitched to with exaggerated statements all ranked as things not to do to the teenage member of society.  They were canny to the goings on in the World, but not yet at a place where there was a clear direction or ambition how to find a place in it all.  I proposed to them that this is actually a position of  strength, not weakness, as it makes one open to examine diverse options.

I hope to return to see this group again some day soon, and present them with a copy of the guide.

Thanks guys

Vancouver - The fifth annual Independent Power Producers Conference was by all accounts a smashing success, with around 500 registrants.  Had the pleasure to be there as a media correspondent, capturing a story for REAccess.  Promoting my own services was also high on my agenda, and it seemed I was the only business there representing renewable energy training and recruiting.

The IPPBC membership is comprised of about 100 power developers, and about 3oo support businesses, such as environmental assessors, manufacturers, and engineering firms.  This was reflected at the conference, leading to a wide diversity of contacts made.  Numerous speakers brought out the wide range of factors concerning this industry: The run-of-river land use debate, proper First Nations’ consultation, the evolution of BCHydro’s market to a limited-privatization model, transmission constraints, all play a major role in the BC energy theatre. 

The story I am focusing on from this event is the new level of concern around the importance of consulting in good faith with First Nations’ communities.  Many spoke of this when I asked them questions around what was affecting their business practice.  The other of course was the lack of experienced new personnel.  These two stories have the potential to be mutually beneficial.  The whole picture, especially around the run-of-river development conflicts, point towards co-operation and collaboration as the only long-term answer in solving the problems of jurisdiction, rights-of-way, profits, and sustainability. 

To learn more about the IPPBC, visit www.IPPBC.com  

The Premier’s Technology Council, a task force that reports directly to Premier G. Campbell, has recommended that the province implement renewable energy feed-in tariffs as soon as possible.  Greening BC Energy Purchasing Policies is the title of the report, released on October12.

Among other measures, the report specifically requests a price point for renewable energy technologies, set at such a level as to encourage their widespread adoption in the marketplace, and declining over time.  This would be a model consistent with Ontario’s Standard Offer Contract, and Germany’s much lauded feed-in tariff structure for renewable energies.  The report points to BC Hydro’s recently introduced Standing Offer Contract as a good first step, but that more aggressive policies are required to include technologies that the BC Hydro policy excluded.

The report may be found here: http://www.gov.bc.ca/premier/attachments/ptc_10th_report.pdf .

This post inspired by material from Paul Gipe

www.wind-works.org

The idea for a students’ guidebook to available training in renewable energy and energy efficiency surfaced back in May, in a discussion between myself and Peter Ronald, co-ordinator for the BCSEA. When considering how Renewable Recruits could make its strongest impression in live presentations, it occurred to me that a guidebook such as this was just what was needed. First, make a book, then present it!

So what is involved in this undertaking? As far as budgets, timelines, and proper protocol, more than I first expected. But its a terrific opportunity to learn some project management skills, and temper sheer enthusiasm with logistical savvy. At the moment an Advisory Team is being formed, which draws from the relevant areas of expertise. Crafting a dynamite proposal together, acquiring the necessary funding and getting to work on the guidebook itself! It is tentatively titled Clean Energy Classrooms:  A Canadian Guide to Sustainable Energy Training. Any feedback on this title, or alternate suggestions are welcome!

www.CommonEnergy.org

A collaborative effort called Common Energy is holding its second annual conference this weekend, which kicked off last night with a local foods dinner, hosting over 270 people.  Its purpose is to transform the resources and expertise found on campus into a force for sustainability in the Capital Regional District.      The University of Victoria-based initiative will continue through Saturday and Sunday, and structured in an Open Space format.  This allows for a free movement of participants between different break-out discussion groups, and people can organize around common interests and strengths.  If you are a member of UVic, or feel it would be mutually beneficial to in some way be involved with Common Energy, visit them online.

Renewable Recruits is in attendance in a volunteer capacity, representing the www.BCSEA.org

It is Sept. 25, and prospects are growing for Renewable Recruits.

Recently the we began small business training sessions with Business Victoria, and they have been very useful, informative, and entertaining.  www.BusinessVictoria.net

Its time for RR to conduct market research! Is there a real need at this time for promotion, training, and staffing services for the sustainable energy industry in Western Canada? Is there a need for a student-friendly, interactive website that introduces you to different renewable energy sources, training, and opportunities? We believe there is, now its time to survey people and find out if its true.

Fill out our market research surveys on the Work & Training Specials page, and thank you in advance.