Steven Miller wants a new career. He intends to find one in renewable energy.
"I see it as a possible avenue of employment, one I hope the country will get excited about. I am," Miller said.
Miller, from Elk Rapids, is enrolled in a new Northwestern Michigan College class called Principles of Renewable Energy Technology, an eight-week evening course that begins Jan. 22. Students will learn about technologies from solar and wind power to geothermal and biomass energies, plus their potential uses in businesses and homes.
It's among more than a dozen courses or workshops on renewable energies the college will offer in coming months.
"It's an exciting field and I believe it will be in the forefront and it will last," Miller said.
Mike Schmerl owns Panoramic Electric in Traverse City, an electrical contractor specializing in solar and wind technology installation.
Schmerl taught electrical classes for the community college and several years ago chose to enroll in a solar course there. He later transformed his business into a renewable energy outfit, he said.
"I expect it to be all we do within three years," Schmerl said.
Now Schmerl also teaches NMC's introductory and advanced solar classes as a local expert and adjunct instructor.
The field lacks trained workers to meet a growing demand, said Conrad Heins, an NMC professor who will teach several renewable energy courses this semester.
"I think it's going to be increasingly important because we need to train a green work force. It really is going to be a trade skill," Heins said.
Heins will teach students about various renewable energies, including solar thermal, photovoltaics, biomass, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal and tides and waves.
NMC worked the last five years to build a renewable energy program in unison with the building construction program, said Bill Queen, its extended education coordinator. It took laboratories, equipment, technicians and instructors, he said.
"A lot of community colleges are beginning to embrace this type of training," Queen said. "We are ready to train people now."
More students are enrolling in the noncredit courses that initially had trouble filling seats. Now college officials look to expand offerings and also begin tracking their students in the work force, Queen said.
