by Climate change, a term we have all become familiar with. Whether it exists, or not, is a hotly debated topic. Whatever your stance on the subject, we can no longer argue the principle of protecting the natural environment for future generations. Globally, governments have begun to adopt sustainability and are committing to change. Numerous provinces and cities in Canada as well as hundreds of countries around the world have already pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, or earlier.
A Shift to a Green Economy
In my opinion, “green economy” is a blanket term that combines sustainability, economic growth, and social responsibility. A green economy forms a system where the success of one aspect is reliant on the success of the other to flourish. A shift to a green economy means change. Changes in technology, resource dependence, and the way people and the gov’t do business. So, how do we propel change? We start with education, training, and updating the skillset of workers and those who will eventually enter the workforce. The Canada Green Building Council – CAGBC has estimated that shifting to a green economy will produce over 1 million jobs.
The two learning pathways that follow, are not the answer that will save the world but rather solutions that can drastically assist in the decrease of GHG emissions to help Canada reach its climate change targets as well as increase the health and well-being of the planet and its people.
Two Learning Pathways
1 – CAGBC is a not-for-profit national organization that advances green building and sustainable community development practices. They have developed the LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) standard rating system and have educated over 45,000 green professionals. Nationally recognized, the LEED rating system can be applied to virtually any type of building and provides a framework for creating healthy, high-performance, and cost-saving infrastructure. “Since 2005, these LEED buildings have eliminated 4.04 million CO2e tonnes of GHG emissions, diverted 3.82 million tonnes of waste from landfill, and saved 37 billion liters of water per year, benefiting all Canadians”. Impressive!
Whether you are new to green building or a seasoned professional, Canada Green Building Council LEED accreditation demonstrates both credibility and commitment to green building practices. If you are a self-starter and ready to acquire knowledge that will place you on a green career path, check out how to get started!
2 – Energy efficiency is one of the cornerstones of a green economy. According to the world green building council, homes and buildings account for 17% of Canada’s GHG emissions and 28% of GHG emissions from buildings globally. While strides have been made to improve the efficiency of automobiles and appliances, when it comes to energy-efficient buildings, particularly older homes, there remains room for improvement. Improving building codes to ensure new buildings are high-performance and net-zero-ready and, a greater focus on retrofits to existing buildings is being adapted.
What can we do?
The energy-efficient modifications we make today for buildings are both actionable and achievable. To action change, it helps to know where homes lose energy. An energy audit, conducted by a licensed Energy Advisor (EA) identifies where energy loss is occurring and what steps to take to remediate. Conducting an energy audit can help homeowners make important renovation decisions that will improve their comfort levels at home, save money by decreasing heating and cooling bills and also reduce GHG emitted by the structure.
Here is the Call to Action
Would you like to consult with homeowners and assist them to make decisions to improve the efficiency of their homes? consider a career as an Energy Advisor. Even if you are an existing contractor, consider adding this credential to your portfolio. The current shortage of energy auditors translates to provincial government funding to recruit and train auditors! Below you will find the summary of the process of becoming an EA and two institutions that offer education to help you succeed.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Here is the summary of the process of becoming an EA-Energy Advisor
CIET Training for Energy Advisors – Canadian Institute for Education and Training, is a credible institution founded in 1996 that offers education and training for energy advisors and other energy-related careers.
Blue House Energy – Offers training and study packages to prepare potential EA candidates for foundation-level examinations. Blue House Energy also offers a host of other courses, from building science to construction mathematics.
Follow this link for a description of what the pathway to certification looks like.
From the 2021 Ontario Provincial Budget, announced December 2020:
- $2.6 billion will be provided over seven years to help homeowners with energy-efficient retrofits
- Funding to provide grants of up to $5,000 for renovations – Canada Greener Homes Grant
- Up to one million free EnerGuide assessments – Canada Greener Homes Grant
- Support to recruit and train EnerGuide auditors
If you are interested in another unique opportunity please check out the article about Earth Studio!
Best of luck and happy studies to anyone who wishes to pursue any of these careers. If you found this article helpful please subscribe to the newsletter to read about other related topics.
EcoLogic Energy Advisors offers online Energy Advisor courses to help Energy Advisor candidates prepare for the Foundation Level Exam and the Energy Advisor Exam, including instructional videos on HOT2000 energy modelling and Sketchup.
https://www.ecologicenergyadvisors.com/training