It’s been a busy week for me with my startup, OurKudos.com, so I haven’t had much time to contribute to Ted’s Tips. But now on a rainy Friday night, I feel the need to decompress and talk about energy efficiency and sustainable building again!
I got an announcement today from the Sustainable Building Advisor Program, an organization dear to my heart. They have changed their name to the Sustainable Building Advisor Institute and launched a new website.
Why is this so exciting? The SBA program is a wonderful organization dedicated to training people in the world of sustainable building. Unlike so many organizations that have sprung up in the last few years simply to make a buck on the “green” excitement, the SBAi is truly about the teaching. It’s a very small organization of dedicated individuals, passionate about what they do.
I took the course in 2006 when the SBAi first offered ther course in Pennsylvania and it changed my life. I subsequently joined their board for a year and am now an instructor in the course.
The SBAi curriculum is truly a standout. With a year long course, providing background in a broad range of topics, the SBAi training provides a uniquely wide education in sustainable building. From land stewardship so solar design to hard core HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), the SBAi training gives students an amazing perspective on a complex field.
To this day, I am in contact with my classmates and students from the SBAi training, which brings together a diverse crowd. I’ve met green real-estate agents and environmental engineers. Architects and Feng-shui experts. And that’s what makes this class so unique – it brings together such a broad range of people, passionate about a topic. People who go on to make a difference in their communities and around the world.
If you have an interest in sustainable building and are fortunate enough to live close enough to one of their training centers, I strongly suggest applying. The time commitment is small – a Friday and Saturday each month for nine months. But for such a small amount of time, you will gain a background in many topics, and open doors you never knew existed. But most importantly, you will forge relationships that will last a lifetime.
Check it out – the Sustainable Building Advisor Institute.
Ted's Energy Tips 
Thanks Ted,
Our college, Mt. Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon has been hosting the CSBA since 2005 and we now have over 300 graduates.
This course provides a solid foundation for such a wide variety of professionals including Architects, Contractors, Educators and Innovative Home Owners.
The big push now is in Commissioning and Operations/Maintenance in the commercial world.
Kudos Robert! It’s great that key institutions have taken the SBA program and run with it. I’ve never found another professional training course like it.
Keep up the great work!