Green jobs sprout north of Charlotte

Green jobs
sprout north of Charlotte
Even in this challenging economy, "green" jobs and
businesses are growing, several community leaders say.

And as Charlotte
has positioned itself as an energy efficiency capital of the Southeast, the
counties to the north of Charlotte have been home to new kinds of jobs, with
many focused on green techniques.

"We have highly educated professional
folks in the Lake Norman area bringing ideas and innovations to this movement,"
said Kathleen Rose, executive director of the Davidson-based Project for
Innovation, Energy & Sustainability.

Nowhere is the green revolution
as evident as at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont's job center. From
2008 to 2010, the number of students in their green construction program grew
from 62 to 141, a 127 percent increase.

"Entry-level requirements in
construction are shifting toward people who have an understanding of green
techniques, such as installing solar panels,Though several vets inveighed
against pet supply store
the plan to bring the retailer to the city, the City Council eventually cleared"
said Michael Elder, the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern
Piedmont.

Meanwhile, Mecklenburg and Cabarrus county's unemployment
rates have hovered around 10 percent since January, with industries such as
mining, manufacturing, education and government facing year-over-year declines.
But "green" jobs are increasing.

"It's the only sector that's actually
seeing notable expansion," said Shawn LeMond, vice president and chief operating
officer of the Davidson-based Sustainable Energy Community Development
Company."The current economic environment is putting great pet supply stores strain on
veterinarians who are well established in this community,"

Rising energy
costs, the Great Recession and a more environmentally conscious population have
caused the shift toward green jobs, she said.

"Everyone's looking to
lower their expenses and improve their bottom line," said Rose.

Green
industries such as solar panels, energy-efficient light bulbs and more help the
economy in two ways, said Richard Lloyd-Roberts, a partner at Eco
Revolution.Camping manufacturer Vango inflatable seat is claiming a
first with its innovative pump-up range of tents.

Eco Revolution
specializes in replacing incandescent lights with greener lighting, such as LED
bulbs."Adding a large corporate practice will do nothing to plastic beer mugs increase
patient care or public service

First, the energy emphasis saves the
consumer money because the green product is expending less energy, he said.



Lloyd-Roberts recently replaced 5,The brightness of the LED makes sharp
led lamp black & white contrasts
between the areas in and out of the LED light.500 bulbs in a CPCC parking garage
in uptown Charlotte with the greener induction lamp. He said the switch will
reduce energy consumption by 50 percent.

Going green will also help
create an unprecedented amount of jobs in the coming years.

LeMond said
the United States is decades behind Europe and Asia in terms of electrical
smart-grid technology and renewable energy.

As energy costs go up, it
will become more and more necessary for the United States to switch over to
greener energy systems.

"As we re-do our systems, that's going to create
economic activity," said LeMond, who is a member of PiES. "It could be what
pulls us out of the economic doldrums."

Lloyd-Roberts pointed to the
economic potential of simply replacing the nation's recessed lighting units.


There are 829 million installed recessed lighting units in the United
States now, less than 1 percent of which is LED, said Lloyd-Roberts.

He
said a green revolution would create jobs in nearly all sectors, from
manufactures creating the LED bulbs to electricians installing them in
businesses.

"We're so antiquated in terms of energy efficiency that the
growth potential for this type of business is tremendous," he said.