The training program at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) offers online and in-person educational workshops that cover both the technical and financial side of the clean energy industry. For a busy professional, recent graduate or military veteran, our self-paced, online courses are a great resource to gain the training and credentials needed to kick start your career.

In 2020, NCCETC announced a partnership with online education provider ed2go to offer 12 online training courses. This year, NCCETC is adding 2 new courses to for a total of 14 online courses which are on-demand, ongoing and offered indefinitely in our training program. 

These courses cover a wide 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. 

• Welder Technician
• Engineering Technician
• Maintenance Technician
• Certified Indoor Air Quality Manager
• Certified Indoor Environmentalist Prep
• Home Inspection Certificate
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate
• HVAC/R Certified Technician
• HVAC/R Simulations for Field Technicians
• HVAC/R Technician
• HVAC/R Controls/Building Automation Systems
• Programa de Certificado de Conocimiento Básico de HVACR NATE Core

Over the next several months, two new courses will expand upon NCCETC’s professional development course offerings. Soon interested students will be able to register for Certified Green Supply Chain Professional and Senior Certified Sustainability Professional courses. 

Like all of NCCETC’s current training courses, the curriculum for each ed2go class has been curated by industry experts and can lead to credentials and certifications. The NCCETC is always examining new course offerings, as well as updating existing course curriculum to be current and code compliant.

Allison Carr, clean energy training specialist, coordinates NCCETC’s training program. “Our programs are for all interested individuals,” she said, “whether you’re interested in green buildings, improving energy efficiency, developing solar projects, or integrating clean energy into your home, business, and community.”

Ed2go, founded in 1997, has a catalog offering over 750 online continuing education courses, with more than 40 industry specialties and more than 150 certifications available. The education provider has partnered with over 2,000 academic institutions, more than 80 corporations, and over 100 workforce agencies.

”We want to support the development of the clean energy industry in North Carolina and beyond. And the industry is changing quickly. We are looking ahead to provide the best available tools now and are building on more than 15 years of training over 1000 students.”

The training program is continually looking for the needs and opportunities to provide essential training and education across the clean energy industry. Currently, staff is developing partnerships to provide additional courses related to green building within both the residential and commercial sector.

Energy storage and distributed energy resources (DERs) are another area of growing interest within the industry. This June, motivated students with interest in cybersecurity and DER can choose from three of our online Cyberguardians courses. Military veterans are eligible for full scholarships for all Cyberguardians courses.

The Cyberguardians program began from a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and the SunSpec Alliance to prepare military veteran job seekers for cybersecurity positions working with distributed energy resources.  A total of six Cyberguardians courses will be offered online, with pre-recorded weekly lectures:

• Introduction to Distributed Energy Resources in the Electrical Grid
• Introduction to Cybersecurity in the Smart Energy Environment
• Secure Communication Networking for Distributed Energy Resources
• System Cybersecurity for IEEE 2030.5 DER Networks
• Implementation of SunSpec Modbus
• Data Communication Solutions for Rapid Shutdown Requirements 

The NCCETC is also excited to announce the return of in-person classes this fall, offering students a chance to gain face-to-face, hands on experience. Those interested in the design and installation of photovoltaic systems can register for both REPV: Fundamentals of Photovoltaic (PV) Design and Installation and REPVA: Advanced Photovoltaic Design and Installation to start their journey towards becoming a NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional.

Our training program helps students and industry professionals gain essential skills and credentials to hit the ground running in the clean energy industry. A skilled and educated workforce will lead the way towards a sustainable and energy efficient industry in North Carolina and beyond.