STP is Likely to Get You a Job in the Sustainability Industry
Solar jobs are growing in the double-digit rate range (~24 % per year).
A new Los Angeles law requires all large commercial buildings to “benchmark” their
buildings. The Energy Efficiency courses prepare you with the skill set to benchmark
for a potential employer or a set of clients, if you choose to form your own business!
Class assignments involve preparing your resume and developing your elevator speech,
preparing you for the future. One students role-play with an imagined Elon Musk that
eventually led him to a job at Tesla, and a three-hour conversation with him one day.
Class content based on “job task analyses” of these industries, and as informed by
our Industry Advisory Board.
You Can Earn Multiple Credentials in Just One Semester
Departmental certificate in Solar Photovoltaics (8 credits: PV11(3) + PV12(2) + EE1
(3))
Passing the NABCEP Entry Level Exam for Solar PV. SMC’s pass rate ranges from 75-94%.
Students encouraged to take EE2 – which prepares them for taking and passing the LEED
Green Associate exam (LEED is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and its credentials lead
to opportunities in construction-related industries tied to health, environmental
stewardship, efficiency, and productivity).
An energy efficiency certificate (EE1 + EE2 + EE3 + PV11) prepares you for entry to a number of careers related to
auditing, retrofit, contracting, and building simulation modeling.
Get Real-World Work Experience and Make an Impact
PV11 students attend a lab day where they install solar PV modules on a low-income home, learning the craft while improving someone’s life.
EE1 students learn how to immediately reduce utility expenses at their homes or in the homes of their loved ones.
EE3 students learn the latest in technologies: from energy storage, to LED lighting, to the Living Building Challenge, the most
extreme sustainable certification for a building in the world, and the City of Santa
Monica’s City Services Building is one of the next to achieve that level.
Students will have an opportunity to experience some new learning modalities, including
virtual reality, 360 video, and to work hands-on with industry-specific high-technology tools (infrared
imaging, photovoltaic analyzers, sound pressure level meters, digital monitoring equipment,
and more!).
