Education & Training for Energy & Water Professionals
You have the power to make a difference by directly funding water and energy educational programming through Lane Community College. Call Roger Ebbage at 541 463 6160 or email to for more information.
Alternatively, you can donate directly online through LaneCC's Foundation website.
Be sure to select "other" under the designation and then type in "Energy Management"
We hope so! - The online program is considered a pilot during the grant period (2017-2019). If successful, the program will then transition into a standard Lane Community College Program offering and may even expand to be able to include students from other Pacific Northwest states.
Independent Learner Energy Education Design (iLEED) is a project grant awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to the expand the Energy Management technician program to provide an online degree, hands-on skills with “real world” field projects and cultivate employment opportunities with regional employers. Through Lane Community College (LCC) the project utilizes a method of career technical educational content delivery which enables energy efficiency education to be distributed to a wider geographic area. This is accomplished through a combination of online classes and real hands-on field work done locally with qualified Fieldwork Mentors.
Below are several steps with specific links that will help you through the student enrollment process. While you can apply to be a student and enroll in a program at anytime, you'll discover that there are many deadlines associated with each step that may delay the date you can start taking classes.
Step 1. |
![]() Apply for Admission / Re-Admission to Lane Community CollegeThis requires that you have an email address. |
Step 2. |
![]() Apply to the Energy Program of Your ChoiceThe application only takes about 10-15 minutes and gives us a better idea of the academic direction you're headed. All energy & water students are required to apply to the energy program in addition to applying to the college. |
Step 3. |
Review Lane Community College's New Student Resource webpage |
Step 4. |
![]() Apply for Financial Aid |
Step 5. |
![]() Complete the Math Prerequisite orSchedule your Placement TestingEnergy Program are required to pass Math 95 within the first year. |
Step 6. |
![]() Setup a Meeting with the Energy ProgramSend an email to Roger or stop by the offices - (4th floor in the Downtown Campus ) and request a meeting. Lane has implemented a stringent email filtration system. If you don't receive some kind of response within a week or two, follow up via phone to verify that the email was received. |
Step 7. |
Attend New Student Academic Advising Session, either in person or online. There are 2 days in June (17 & 18) for in person New Student Academic Advising or ONLINE Jun 3 to 11th for fall term. |
Step 8. |
Register for Classes |
Step 9.(optional) |
Visit a Student AdvisorAn advisor can help create a customized education plan outlining exactly what you need to do in order to stay on track and graduate. |
Below are some reports that directly address the subject of emplyment within the energy sector.
2016 U.S. Energy and Employment Report
This report was prepared with the assistance of BW Research Partnership and is based on data from BW Research's Energy Employment Index, an independently designed proprietary survey that was not sponsored by the Department of Energy.
2015 Building Energy Job Opportunities
The National Institute for Building Sciences for the U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines project tasked JFF with conducting a national analysis of 14 occupations1 across four job classifications related to the commercial workforce in advanced energy efficiency. JFF analyzed national job growth projections (2013-2018), job demographics (2014) and job postings (2014) for 14 select building science occupations. A combination of traditional and real-time labor market information was used for this analysis.
2014 Energy Management Jobs: Survey of the Energy Industry
2013 Energy Management Jobs: Survey of the Energy Industry
The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), a nonprofit professional society of over 16,000 members, issued a survey to its members to determine the need for Energy Management Jobs, Energy Industry Potential, and Salary Data. The results represented are based on 2,967 responses and are outlined in this report.
2013 pwc power utilities changing workforce
New research reveals both the scale of the challenge, and its complexity. It comes from PwC’s Human Resource Services practice— PwC Saratoga, the world’s leading source of workforce measurement, and a thought leader on the subject of HR benchmarking and Predictive Analytics, which analyzed data submitted by 29 utilities, representing nearly a quarter of a million employees.
Yes. The program is designed to prepare students for placement directly after graduation. If a student wishes (and some have) to continue on to a four-year college, general education and internship credits directly transfer. Because the energy core curriculum is unique (we develop our own courses depending the job market) most four-year institutions don't accept our credits.
No. Full-time enrollment is not necessary but advisable. The core courses are sequential and many are offered only once per year. Students must plan to complete these classes in order. Some students may choose to take some of the general education classes before they actually begin the program, leaving them with a lighter load during the two year program.
This six-quarter energy program teaches students the specific technical skills of energy auditing, as well as increasing students’ awareness of broader energy and sustainability issues. Graduates of the program receive an Associates of Applied Science (AAS) degree and are prepared for positions in engineering firms, utilities, government, community action programs, and energy service companies, as well as with facility owners.
The program consists of general education classes and NWEEI’s unique core curriculum classes. General education courses include math, physics, English, and social science. Technical courses include lighting, HVAC and controls, residential and commercial building analysis, building simulation, energy accounting and energy investment analysis. Students must take 12 credits of restricted electives and complete six credits of off-campus workplace experience.
By the end of the second year, students will practice their newly acquired skills by completing a full study of a commercial building.
Energy Management is the practice of analyzing a building’s energy usage and using that information to formulate and implement measures to reduce the building’s energy costs. The goal of an Energy Manager is to produce a building that uses the least possible energy while maintaining optimal levels of comfort, safety and productivity.
The Energy Management Program trains students to perform this whole building analysis using the latest software and diagnostic equipment. Students are taught how to create recommendations for energy conservation measures (ECMs) to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing comfort or safety.
The Energy Management Program has typically had a historic 80% job placement rate. The energy efficiency industry is still a hot job market and job opportunities continue to increase.
To ensure our students find jobs after they graduate from the Energy Management Program, students are required to take two cooperative education seminars that teach the "art" of work search. That, coupled with a strong core curriculum and healthy internship program, result in graduates that typically have little difficulty obtaining employment. Students have gone to work for engineering firms, utilities, government, community action programs, and energy service companies, as well as for facility owners.
Since this is not a physically demanding field, individuals with physical disabilities or those who are retraining from a physically demanding career can easily adapt to this program and perform well on the job.
We strongly recommend that students enhance their employment opportunities by developing an industry network through attending conferences and becoming involved in industry professional organizations. Additionally, students must be willing to consider the entire Pacific Northwest region in their job search to increase employment options.
Entry-level compensation is typically within the range of $32,000-$45,000 with benefits. Some of our early graduates now earn $50,000 plus annually.