By: Trevor McNally, Editor
The Earth is changing. And with any change in life, adaptability is paramount. We’ve known for a long time that in order to create a sustainable world there must be more emphasis on the expansion of green-building and energy efficient technologies. Many industries across the globe are rising to meet these challenges; but here in New England in particular the plumbing, pipefitting and HVAC industries are helping to lead the way.
The United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is the gold standard rating system for green-building and energy efficiency. UA Local 716, headquartered in Augusta, Maine, has taken several steps to incorporate USGBC standards into their curriculum, on-the-job training and certification programs.
According to the UA Local 716 website, the United Association’s “Green Systems Awareness program has recently been recognized by the United States Green Building Council’s Educational Provider Program.” That means that from the very beginning of the program apprentices are learning about green-building and energy efficiency, and they can eventually earn an Associate’s Degree in Construction Supervision & Sustainable Technology. Local 716 also offers a “Green Systems Awareness” training program that’s not just available to their members, but to their employer partners and the general public as well.
Several companies in New England are contributing to the cause of energy efficiency too. One such company is Dynamic Systems Inc., a featured contractor on this site, who was responsible for providing the process piping, chemical distribution and tool hook-up for Evergreen Solar’s “first large-scale manufacturing plant in the U.S. able to produce 80 megawatts”- and again in an expansion phase that brought the total output to 160 megawatts. The facility is located in Devens, Massachusetts.
Organizations like Local 716 and companies like DSI understand that knowledge is power, and the men and women that comprise them are applying that knowledge through their trades to help build a better, cleaner world for all of us.