Alternative Energy Associate

380 Hours/12 Months/Instructor Supported

Course Overview:

Become an Alternative Energy Specialist and learn ways to help conserve, reduce, reuse, recycle, and thus minimize our impact on the planet. Through this "entry-level" green course you will learn that even small changes make a difference and that going green is good for our health, the planet, and even our budgets.

If you are concerned about our energy future you will want to learn about the many aspects of the energy value chain:

Oil and natural gas
Coal
Fossil fuels and the greenhouse effect
Energy from water
Biomass
Solar energy
Geothermal energy
Wind energy
Nuclear energy
Electricity
Energy storage
Transportation
Housing
Smart energy consumption
Hydrogen

Armed with the knowledge from this course you can form educated and informed opinions on the future of energy and its impact on the economy, health, and the environment.

As an Alternative Energy Specialist you will discover how to establish your business as a green business. You can become a Green Consultant and help others by exploring environmentally-friendly business opportunities to choosing eco-friendly means of production. Learn business basics with a green twist including financing, office setup, day-to-day operations and so much more!

Have you ever eaten a Mrs. Fields cookie? Used an Apple computer? Listened to a hip-hop CD? Entrepreneurs brought these products to your world. People that start their own businesses and work for themselves are called entrepreneurs. For an entrepreneur the sky is the limit as far as earnings are concerned. An entrepreneur is someone who's recognized an opportunity to start a business that other people may not have noticed -- and jumps at it a skillfully. Entrepreneur can shape and create an opportunity where others see little or nothing -- or see it too early or too late.

This "Start Your Own Business" class will help you create the business you want. Throughout this course you will be working on your business plan and creating a quick comprehensive overview of the elements you want in your new business.

The Alternative Energy Associate program includes 2 courses:

Alternative Energy Specialist
Start Your Own Business

Course Outline:

Alternative Energy Associate

Alternative Energy Specialist Module 1
Picture Yourself Going Green

What is Green?
Ten Simple Steps
Green Your Home
The Air We Breathe
Waste Not: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Greening Your Home Office
Green Your Energy
The History of Energy
Buying Clean Power Locally
Offsetting Your Energy Use
Green Your Appetite
The Pesticide Proliferation
Going Local, Going Organic
Green Your Yard
Fertilizers, Herbicides, and Pesticides
Conserving Water

Alternative Energy Specialist Module 2
Green Your Life

Green Your Wardrobe
Genetically Engineered Cotton
Clothing Production & Chemicals
Green is Beautiful
Green House cleaning
Personal Care Products
Green Your Transportation
Why Carbon Emissions Matter
Fine-Tuning for Better Gas Mileage
Green Your Travel
Choosing Ecotourism
Supporting Green Businesses
Eco Kids and Green Pets
Healthy Nursery or Bedroom
Choosing Natural Pet Food Options
Five Ways to Go UberGreen

Alternative Energy Specialist Module 3
Understanding Energy

We Need Energy
Primary and Secondary energy
Energy and First Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy and Second Law of Thermodynamics
Energy Sources We Use
Oil and Natural Gas
Properties of Hydrocarbons
Oil Fields
Coal: Fossil Fuel of the Future
Classification of Coals
Coal Combustion for Power Generation
Coal-to-Liquid Technologies
Fossil Fuels and Greenhouse Effect
Weather and Climate
Anthropogenic Emissions
Kyoto Protocol

Alternative Energy Specialist Module 4
Energy Options

Hydropower
Dams and Diversions
Small-Scale Hydropower
Energy from the Ocean
Marine Current Energy
Osmotic Energy
Producing Biomass
Direct Combustion Technologies
Biomass and the Environmental Impact
Biofuels
Solar Energy
Thermal Solar Energy
Concentrated Solar Power Plants
Photovoltaic Systems
Geothermal Energy
Wind Energy

Alternative Energy Specialist Module 5
Electricity & Transportation

Nuclear Energy
Uses of Nuclear Energy
Thermonuclear Energy
Electricity: Smart Use of Energy
Energy Sources for Electricity Production
From Mechanical Energy to Consumer
Energy Storage
Weak Points of Energy Supply Chain
Large-Quantity Storage Technologies
Thermal Energy Storage
Underground Energy Storage
History of Transportation
Energy and Transportation
CO2 Emissions
Hybrid & Electric Vehicles

Alternative Energy Specialist Module 6
Smart Energy Consumption

Toward More Efficient Housing
Different Regions, Different Solutions
Bioclimatic Architecture
Energy Use in a Household
Improving the Way We Consume Energy
Cogeneration
Hydrogen
Production to Distribution
Hydrogen: Energetic Applications
Fundamentals of Fuel Cells
Direct Combined Heat and Power
Hydrogen Safety

Alternative Energy Specialist Module 7
Your Own Green Business

What Does "Green" Mean?
Green Business Decisions
Customers and Market Research
Building a Green Business
Green Business Equipment and Furniture
Figuring Out Your Costs
Getting Green Financing
Making Your Way in a Greener World
Your Green Team & Community
Spreading the Green Word
Green Marketing, Promotion & Advertising
Social Responsibility
Maintaining Positive Green Habits
Green Business Resources

Start Your Own Business

Start Your Own Business Module 1
What Business Do You Want to Start?

What Is an Entrepreneur?
Why be an Entrepreneur?
Costs and Benefits of Becoming an Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship Options
An Idea Is Not Necessarily an Opportunity
Paths to Small Business Ownership
Making the Business Work on Your Terms
The Business Plan: Road Map to Success
Why Do You Need a Business Plan?
Business Plan Components
Business Plan Suggestions
Creating Business from Opportunity
Your Competitive Advantage
Feasibility: The "Economics of One Unit"

Start Your Own Business Module 2
Who Are Your Customers?

Exploring Your Market
Market Research Prepares You for Success
Know Your Customer
How Customers Decide to Buy
Which Segment of the Market Will You Target?
Market Positioning
Developing the Right Marketing Mix
The Four Marketing Factors
Product: What Are You Selling?
Price: What It Says About Your Product
Place: Location, Location, Location!
Promotion: Advertising + Publicity
Marketing as a Fixed Cost
Smart Selling and Effective Customer Service
The Sales Call
Successful Businesses Need Customers Who Return
Customer Service IS Marketing

Start Your Own Business Module 3
Show Me the Money! Finding, Securing and Managing It

What Does It Cost to Operate a Business?
Start-Up Investment
Fixed and Variable Costs: Essential Building Blocks
Calculating Critical Costs
Creating Financial Statements for the Journal
Three Rules for Managing Your Cash
Using Financial Statements to Guide a Business
Income Statements
Balance Sheets
Financial Ratio Analysis
Cash Flow: The Lifeblood of a Business
The Value of Money Changes Over Time
Taxes
Financing Strategy: Debt, Equity or Both?
What Is the Best Type of Financing for Your Business?
Gifts and Grants
Debt Financing
Equity Financing
Accessing Sources through Online Networking
Investors Want Their Money to Grow

Start Your Own Business Module 4
Operating a Small Business Effectively

Business Legal Structures
Contracts: The Building Blocks of Business
Protecting What You Have: Intellectual Property
Risk Management
Licenses, Permits and Certificates
Operating for Success
The Production-Distribution Chain
Supply Chain Management
The Idea-to-Product Process
Job Shops
Manufacturing Tips
Defining Quality
Organization Wide Quality Initiatives
Using Technology to Your Advantage
Setting the Tone for the Company
Leadership Comes from Self-Esteem
Adding Employees to Your Business
Corporate Management: Team Building
Ethical leadership
Human Resources Fundamentals
What Do You Want from Your Business?
Growth Through Licensing and Franchising
Harvesting and Exiting Options
Creating Wealth by Selling a Profitable Business
Exit Strategy Options
100 Business Ideas

All necessary materials included.

Certifications:

Upon successful completion of our Alternative Energy Specialist course, students will be prepared to sit for the NCCB national certification exam to become a Certified Alternative Energy Specialist (CAES).

System Requirements:

Internet Access

Broadband or high-speed internet access is required. Broadband includes DSL, cable, and wireless connections.
Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Moodle pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.

Hardware

Windows hardware configurations and processors are acceptable.
Mac computers MUST have Microsoft Window Operating Systems over Bootcamp (Bootcamp is a free download from Apple's website).
1 GB RAM recommended
Software
Operating Systems
Windows XP or Vista and Mac OS X 10 and higher with Windows
Web Browsers
Google Chrome
Safari, Internet Explorer & FireFox are not currently recommended as they cannot display certain Moodle editing menus for both students and instructors
Adobe PDF Reader
Media Plug-ins (These may be required depending on your course media-click on the links below to download the latest versions)
Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Apple Quicktime
Windows Media Player
Real Player
PowerPoint Viewer (use this if you don't have PowerPoint)

Alternative Energy Associate