Allied Schools is a participant in the renewable energy technology revolution. Even though that is not the school's only focus, it does recognize the Obama administration's commitment to doubling the use of renewable energy by 2012, according to the Allied website. The degree program even has a class, The Business of Solar, whose purpose is to prepare entrepreneurially-minded people to build a viable solar energy business. The program also includes a class in photovaltaic systems. There is a test, but if you don't pass it, you pay nothing for the class. Allied Schools has provided distance education to its students since 1992. According to the website, it has enrolled close to 825,000 students. For more information concerning the school's programs, call toll free: 800-732-7410.
Pinnacle Career Institute, which has taught trade seeking students for over 50 years, teaches a course on being a wind turbine technician. The college--which has two locations in Kansas City, and one in Lawrence, as well as an online course--teaches hands-on skills. According to the PCI website, you will learn the requisite skills to operate and manage a wind turbine and to keep it in working order. The program ends with a boot camp in Sweetwater, Texas. To find out more about this institution, call 877-724-7344.
Everglades University, whose main campus is at 5002 T-Rex Avenue, in Boca Raton, Florida, started in 1998, the year that Arthur and Belinda Kaiser founded the school. The original name was the American Fliers College; in 1999 the college adopted the Everglades University name. The university also includes two satellite campuses, one in Altamonte Springs, Florida, and the other one in Sarasota. The institution offers a bachelor of science degree in the field of alternative and renewable energy. To complete the degree, you must also pass 30 credit hours of general education courses. For more information, call 888-772-6077.
Ecotech Institute, located on 1400 S. Abilene Street in Aurora, Colorado, bears the distinction of being the only school that specializes in preparing students for careers in renewable energy. Indeed, it is the only reason the college exists. Ecotech offers hands-on training designed to meet the needs of employers in the new green economy, according to the school website. The college employs teachers with real-life experience in the energy management and green design fields. The school opened its doors in April, 2010. In putting together its curriculum, the curriculum designers sought feedback from the heads of major corporations who said that they needed people with sustainable and renewable energy-related skills, such as windmill operation and management and solar power system construction and maintenance. The school's website says the only entrance requirement is a "desire and ability to learn." For more information about enrollment, call 877-326-5576.