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Green Collar Careers - The Green World

Two centuries of fast pace energy demand growth has exposed the limit of fossil fuel supply.  Where America was a leader in demand growth we are but a fraction of the global population.  As the rest of the world begin to tap into the existing and limited supplies of carbon based fuel the costs will only continue to escalate and at a very rapid pace over the next century.  The good news is the technology afforded by the consumption of fossil fuels have made possible to begin a cost effective conversion from a non-renewable based energy production to a renewable based energy economy.

Ten years ago the costs of renewable energy were still too high to consider for a thriving economy.  Today the cost of non-renewable are too high not to consider alternative sources.  Other concerns such as Man Made Global Warming whether real or not, present some moral issues with the sustained dependence on carbon based fuels.

Perhaps the most compelling issue is also the least considered issue on the subject - National Security.  America has an abundance of coal and natural gas however we import the majority of our oil.  We've already seen the prices of all these fossil fuels spike over the last decade and the prices will only rise from here.  Our economy is totally dependent on a foreign supply chain and our buying power is rapidly diminishing among the global population.  China and India alone will likely double the total global demand for fossil fuels over then 25 years.  If American demand for foreign fossil fuels continues at the current pace our economy and possibly even the country will likely collapse within 25 years.

We have an abundance of renewable energy at our fingertips just waiting to be harnessed.  Germany took a world leadership role in the development of renewable energy and its beginning to pay off.  As a result German firms now dominate the large scale design and manufacture of solar and wind based renewable energy equipment and enjoy a long term fixed production cost for their electricity.  Germany was forced into this position as the once abundant reserves of surface mine-able coal were exhausted. 

America has been positioned to take leadership with renewable energy with some controversial commitments from our politicians.  Americans have a glorious history of prevailing over the challenges we've encountered and the challenge for renewable energy will be no exception. 

Growth among the renewable energy industry was very slow over the last decade however the growth is just beginning to pick up the pace.  With predictions of millions of jobs coming in a time of high unemployment it seems those jobs are not coming quickly enough.  The opportunities are certainly there for the entrepreneurs but not everyone is convinced they can be a successful entrepreneur.  Those taking the entrepreneurial road will likely be well rewarded over the coming decade as the demand for renewable energy and conservation services will explode.

Renewable energy technologies continue to evolve with lower cost systems in development.  Thin Film Photo Voltaic cell technology is one of many exciting new products coming that will offer cost less then half that of current silicon technology.  Stirling Engine mechanical driven systems have reached record setting solar electric efficiencies and have recent put a stake in the ground for large scale commercial electricity generation.  New technology has improved long term reliability and lowered costs for AC inverter systems used in renewable electricity generation systems.

Renewable energy incentives have reduced costs even further, to a point where its hard not to consider the option of solar energy.  Over a 20 year home life, the average homeowner will spend nearly 25% of the purchase price of their home on electricity.  Had the homeowner purchased a Solar PV system at today's cost the same amount of power would cost them 8%, or less then 1/3 of buying that power from the utility.

When we speak of the Green World, its not just about Green Energy.  Its the Green that goes in your bank account.