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The first edition of a new collaboration of Shoreline
Community College, the Washington State University
Energy Extension and The Northwest Solar Center.
Articles and photos look at solar energy programs,
policy, technology and installations in Washington.
 In
the past few years, a spotlight has fallen on issues of
sustainability and our responsibility to the planet's
environment. Shoreline Community College has been
actively developing its leadership role as an educator
in this emerging societal issue, joining other
government leaders advocating for change and creating
systems and mechanisms for change.
In 2006, the College joined the City of Seattle as a
founding member of the Seattle Climate Partnership,
making a commitment to reduce the College's "carbon
footprint" in the next few years. The College
became a national training center for alternative fuels
and advanced vehicle technology and co-sponsored the
2006 Washington State Odyssey Days, a two-day conference
to heighten public awareness about the importance of
using alternative fuels and other practical solutions to
reduce carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gas
emissions.
Serving the future needs of our students and
communities is one of the top priorities of the College,
and therefore new curriculum is being developed to
support the emerging renewable energy industry. College,
business and labor officials met with representatives
from the Washington State University Energy Extension
Program and Northwest Solar Center to discuss curriculum
development and with College faculty to review existing
curricula from nationally-recognized renewable energy
programs. They also identified the knowledge, skills
and abilities needed to build and support a local
renewable energy workforce. This planning process
resulted in the production of a report to the community
to use as a guide for creating training programs for
jobs in renewable energy.
The group is currently developing certificate and
degree programs and plans to begin offering the first
pathway certificate program, the High Performance & Zero
Energy Building Practices Certificate:
The program was approved by the State Board for
Community and Technical Colleges in September. The
general knowledge, skills and abilities, tools and
equipment needs, worker behaviors, job titles and wages,
as well as future trends and concerns, have already been
identified for this program.
Two-year programs that are under consideration are
Solar Construction (leads to a bachelor's degree at
Washington State University); High Performance & Zero
Energy Building Practices; Photovoltaic Design &
Installation Certificate; Solar Energy Foundations; and
Renewable Energy Career Overview Tech Prep.
If you are interested in this program, please contact
Susan Hoyne, (206) 533-6638
 On
Thursday, May 17th, President Lee Lambert welcomed
guests to the dedication of the Washington State
University/Shoreline Community College Zero Energy House
(ZEH). The event marked the opening of the ZEH, which
has been in construction at SCC since September of last
year. The speakers recognized all the people who
were involved in the project.
"We want especially to thank the Washington State
University (WSU) students who designed and constructed
the ZEH for the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon
held in Washington D.C. in 2005," said Lambert.
"SCC will be the permanent "home" for this project.
We are grateful that we can show this house to the
people of our community who are interested in seeing how
solar energy can be used in their own homes."
Joining President Lambert at the dedication were
Washington State Representative Maralyn Chase, Dr.
Candis Claiborn, Washington State University Dean, WSU
Prof. Mat Taylor, Architecture, and Northwest Solar
House Executive Director Mike Nelson. Each speaker
expressed his opinion regarding the importance of this
facility for our community.
 Washington
State Representative Maralyn Chase shared information on
current state initiatives that promote environmental
sustainability and a vision of economic development in
Shoreline that will support solar energy. Chase, a
proponent of education and environmental health, was the
driving force behind the placement of the solar house at
SCC, and the relationship between SCC and the university
are the result of her work. Rep. Chase was also
was instrumental in getting funding for the project from
the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and
Economic Development.
Dr. Candis Claiborn, advisor to the project, and WSU
Asst. Professor, Architecture and Construction
Management, Matt Taylor expressed unified support of
both institutions for environmental sustainability.
Claiborn shared the history of the project and Prof.
Taylor spoke respectfully about the team of WSU
architecture and engineering students who designed and
built the solar facility.
Executive Director of the Northwest Solar Center,
Mike Nelson, gave a brief presentation on the merits of
solar energy and future goals of the center.
Nelson is considered "the Godfather" of solar energy in
the state, having lived off the grid since the 1970s.
Photos of the Dedication Ceremony for the
Zero Energy House 5/17/2007
If you were unable to attend the Zero Energy House
Dedication, there are several articles available online
from the
Seattle Post Intelligencer and the Daily Journal of
Commerce. In addition, stories were aired by KING
5, KIRO, and Northwest CableNews regarding the new
house.
Daily Journal of Commerce 5/16/07.
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