Clean Energy Resources During COVID-19
To help navigate this challenging time, we at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) have put together a list of external and internal resources surrounding energy and sustainability – including recycling, pending legislation, activities and resources for children at home, training, efficiency tips and more.
For Your Business
GoldenLeaf Foundation – Rapid Recovery Loan
The North Carolina COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Lending program supports North Carolina small businesses and family farms as they recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. This rapid recovery loan helps small businesses bridge the gap between when crisis strikes and when federal loans, insurance payouts, and other relief funds are approved, or businesses have time to recover.
Webinar: Maintaining Fleet Safety & Service Levels During the COVID-19 Crisis
Leading fleet managers recently described how they are responding to COVID-19 within their fleet operations. This free webinar features a roundtable discussion on the issues, strategies and protocol for fleets responding to the crisis, while safely and responsibly maintaining operations.
For Your Home
Wake County Food Waste Recycling
Wake County offers convenient locations for residents who want to keep food waste out of the landfill, but don’t have the space or time to compost at home.
Edison International – Teleworking and Energy Efficiency Tips
Edison International put together tips on how to save energy while working from home.
Get Solar Quotes for Your Home Online
Have you ever been interested in adding solar to your rooftop? Take the time to do some initial research! Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) website and click on the EnergySage icon to instantly receive solar quotes for your home. Consumers can easily type in their address and receive quotes for solar to compare the best offers for solar installers for their property for free – all done online.
Working From Home Tips from NC State University
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of Americans to work remotely from their homes, but not everyone is set up with a proper home office. In addition to regularly and thoroughly sanitizing your work area and office components, your home office should be set up using the same basic ergonomics principles as a work office. These recommendations are provided to assist you in increasing your comfort while using your laptop or computer at home. Learn more here.
For Your Kids
“Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest
Looking for something fun and educational to do with your K-12 kids at home? North Carolina students can submit their artwork to the 3rd Annual “Keep Our Air Clean” Student Art Contest for a chance to have their artwork featured on billboards across the state.
EnergyExplorium Teaching Resources
Duke Energy’s EnergyExplorium provides teaching materials and lesson plans for use inside the classroom and out. Download fact sheets, lesson plans, experiments and other learning tools. The K-12 resources cover energy and electricity, science and nuclear energy.
National Energy Education Development (NEED) Activities
The National Energy Education Development (NEED) pulled together some of its favorite engaging and hands-on ideas to use to keep kids thinking, exploring, and inquiring during this time for teachers, students, and families to utilize.
Other Resources
Virtual Solar and Energy Efficiency Training
NCCETC is partnered with online education provider ed2go and offers 12 new online training courses – which are on-demand, ongoing and offered indefinitely. The NCCETC ed2go courses cover a variety of topics including wind energy, HVAC/R, home inspections, indoor air quality, indoor environmentalist prep, LEED, welding and an HVAC course offered in Spanish. Like NCCETC’s current training classes, the curriculum for each ed2go class has been created by industry experts and can lead to credentials and certifications. Learn more here.
In accordance with NC State University’s recent policies in response to the spread and potential impacts of COVID-19, all of NCCETC’s in-person training classes though July 2020 will now be held digitally via live stream in an online classroom. Learn more here.
E4 Carolinas Virtual Energy Boot Camp
Center for Energy Education (C4EE) Live Online Classes
Center for Energy Education (C4EE) has expanded its online platform to offer a new online learning page for students and lifelong learners. There will be new STEM and Renewable Energy educational content uploaded weekly, along with interactive games and online quizzes. C4EE will provide classes via live stream every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Learn more here.
State Response Tracker
Many state utility commissions are considering policies for utility disconnection and how to evolve practices to continue proceedings without in-person meetings. The National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC), NRRI, EEI, and other industry groups have coordinated to provide a tool for tracking state responses to COVID-19. This tracker will be updated regularly as additional information becomes available.
SJF Ventures is offering Cleantech Open Office Hours from 10 am – 6 pm on Thursday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 13 to support growth-stage companies with the potential to rapidly scale in an economic recovery. Learn more here.
Online Resources: Fact Sheets and White papers
NCCETC has a library full of fact sheets and white papers on our website, covering electric vehicles, solar research, the 50 States Reports, and more. Take this time to learn about clean energy! Explore more here.
Insights for States Preparing for Electric Transportation
As the market for electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States continues to grow, states are beginning to pay more attention to the issues that arise. Although no one state agency has clear responsibility for it, utility commissions are taking their first steps toward determining how best to prepare for, accommodate and promote this transition. Learn more here.