Case Studies in Rural Practice

Green Schools and 

Sustainability in Appalachia

Prepared under contract for:

Appalachian Regional Commission

March 2011cOctober 27, 2010

Preliminary research findings prepared by:

Regional Technology Strategies, Carrboro, NC
Acknowledgements

This report was prepared by Regional Technology Strategies under contract to the 

Appalachian Regional Commission. These preliminary findings are part of a larger study 

supported by ARC entitled Energy Workforce Trends and Training Requirements. The 

principal authors of this report and the related research study include: Stuart Rosenfeld, 

principal, Regional Technology Strategies (RTS); Dan Broun, Chris Beacham, and 

Jenna Bryant of RTS; Dana Archer-Rosenthal, University of North Carolina at Chapel 

Hill’s Graduate School, intern at RTS; Rose Baker, David Passmore, and Dave Riley of 

Pennsylvania State University; and Cynthia Liston of CD Liston Consulting. In addition, 

this report has been reviewed by David Carrier, Ray Daffner, and Jeff Schwartz of the 

Appalachian Regional Commission.

Appalachian Regional Commission The Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) mission is to be a strategic partner and 

advocate for sustainable community and economic development in Appalachia. 

ARC is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, 

state, and local government. Established by an act of Congress in 1965, ARC is composed 

of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal co-chair appointed by the 

president. Local participation is provided through multi-county local development districts.

ARC funds projects that address the four goals identified in the Commission’s strategic plan:

1. Increase job opportunities and per capita income in Appalachia to reach parity with 

the nation. 

2. Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia to compete in the 

global economy. 

3. Develop and improve Appalachia’s infrastructure to make the Region economically 

competitive. 

4. Build the Appalachian Development Highway System to reduce Appalachia’s isolation. 

Each year ARC provides funding for several hundred projects in the Appalachian Region, 

in areas such as business development, education and job training, telecommunications, 

infrastructure, community development, housing, and transportation. These projects create 

thousands of new jobs; improve local water and sewer systems; increase school readiness; 

expand access to health care; assist local communities with strategic planning; and provide 

technical and managerial assistance to emerging businesses.
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Table of Contents

Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 2

Introduction and Overview .................................................................................................. 4

Case Studies: Green Schools and Sustainability in Appalachia ..................................... 12

Energy Efficient Residential Construction 

Cleveland State Community College, Cleveland, Tennessee......................... 12

Advanced Energy and Fuel Cell Technology

Hocking College, Nelsonville, Ohio .................................................................. 18

Leading the Green Revolution

Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina ..................................... 24

Serving the Present Needs, Preparing for a Sustainable Future

Lanier Technical College, Oakwood, Georgia.................................................. 28

Spreading Clean Energy Across the Campus

Alfred State College, Alfred, New York............................................................. 32

Banking on Wind and Solar

Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Maryland.............................................. 36

Resources for Green Schools and Sustainability.............................................................. 40
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Executive Summary

This report was prepared by Regional Technology 

Strategies under contract to the Appalachian Regional 

Commission. These preliminary findings are part of 

a larger study supported by ARC entitled “Energy 

Workforce Trends and Training Requirements” which will 

be released in the Spring of 2011.

Appalachia and energy have been closely linked 

throughout the history of the nation, from the first 

discovery and production of oil, to the mining of coal 

to fuel our industrial growth, to the development of 

hydropower to bring prosperity and progress to remote 

rural communities. By using its full range of energy 

resources and staying at the forefront of emerging 

energy technologies and practices, Appalachia has the 

potential to increase the supply of locally produced 

clean energy and create and retain jobs. ARC believes 

that this approach will help the Region find new 

ways to satisfy domestic energy demand, minimize 

environmental impacts, and attract service and supply 

side industries and businesses. 

In 2006, the Commission released Energizing 

Appalachia: A Regional Blueprint for Economic 

and Energy Development, to provide a strategic 

framework for the promotion of new energy-related job 

opportunities throughout the Appalachian Region. In 

developing the blueprint, the Commission convened 

an Energy Advisory Council made up of state energy 

office directors and other experts. In addition, in 2009 

ARC began working closely with White House Council 

on Environmental Quality and seven other Federal 

agencies on the Appalachian Regional Development 

Initiative, a process designed to provide federal support 

to strengthen and diversify the Appalachian economy.

Research sponsored by the Appalachian Regional 

Commission indicates that new economic opportunities 

in the energy sector are robust. For example, energy 

efficiency investments could create 77,000 net new 

jobs in Appalachia by 2030, and 70,000 new jobs in 

the renewable energy sector are projected within the 

13 Appalachian states as a result of the production of 

74GW of renewable energy nationally.

Throughout Appalachia, educational institutions 

have been historic leaders in rural communities, and 

important new strategies and bold new initiatives often 

are a direct result of the vision and support of local 

secondary and higher educational institutions. Given 

this important community role, this publication seeks to 

address two principal questions:

How can colleges and universities work with 

communities to promote sustainable development 

and create new economic opportunities in rural 

Appalachia?

How can education-community-industry-labor 

partnerships encourage and lead local policy efforts 

to create local jobs and retain more wealth in the 

community while improving energy efficiency, and 

boosting renewable energy production?

This publication highlights best practices in colleges 

that are both environmentally sustainable themselves, 

and that foster education-community partnerships to 

support local economic growth. It emphasizes those 

institutions most closely aligned with local economies. 

The examples provided showcase the policies, people, 

and resources needed to foster a sustainable approach 

to campus development and management, as well as 

energize local communities to pursue new opportunities 

that are available throughout Appalachia.
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

For example, a survey of the membership of the 

Community College Alliance for Sustainability illustrates 

the strength of commitments to achieving more 

sustainable communities, economies, and campuses. 

Four in five member colleges have formed college 

sustainability committees, almost half have a college 

sustainability officer, and ninety percent are developing 

new programs in sustainability. 

Research now underway, commissioned by ARC, 

reveals that over 1,500 community and technical college 

students are enrolled in credit and non-credit courses 

in renewable energy in Appalachia, while 1,700 students 

are enrolled in courses focused on energy efficiency. 

Looking at specific programs that relate directly to 

efficient energy use, a majority of community and 

technical colleges in the Region devote some time 

to energy efficiency or energy management. When 

complete by early 2011, this research study will provide 

detailed information about complete supply and 

forecasted demand patterns for all occupations related 

to energy sectors in Southern, Central, and Northern 

Appalachia. 

The case studies presented in this publication provide 

examples of sustainable energy resources and their 

uses, and illustrate how educational institutions in 

Appalachia provide both critical leadership and 

training to meet the needs of emerging industry, and 

help communities develop markets and generate 

demand for green products and services. These profiles 

represent a cross section of innovative practices at 

post-secondary institutions. Each college profiled 

approaches education, training, and community 

leadership in a slightly different way, and develops its 

own innovative programs designed to prepare students, 

and communities, for participation in a new energy 

economy. 

Lessons learned from these case studies are also 

provided, and include:

1. The majority of demand for “green” skills can 

be met through existing occupations, not new 

occupations. 

2. Sustainability should be treated systemically, 

as a goal that generates and retains wealth in 

a community through employment and self 

employment, increased incomes, better health, 

higher quality of life, and public sector support.

3. Educational institutions have major roles to 

play, not only in reacting to business needs but 

also in influencing business in adopting more 

sustainable practices. 

4. Community and regional colleges have the pulse 

of the community, understand local needs and 

biases, and are able to respond and influence 

them. 

5. Effective programs are those that understand the 

constraints of their market and design programs 

with the flexibility to accommodate a wide range 

of students. 

6. Many of the new economic opportunities in 

green jobs are entrepreneurial. 

7. Support in terms of time, resources, and 

recognition from senior college administrators is 

essential for the success of these programs. 

8. Cross-fertilization among colleges in different 

regions is valuable to innovation. 

9. Measures of success used in higher education are 

not always consistent with wealth generation and 

retention goals for a community.

10. Many colleges serve as models for sustainability 

by emphasizing and rewarding energy efficient 

practices among their students, managing 

energy use, and building green facilities. By 

practicing sustainability in their own institutions 

they become models for the community and 

economy.
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Introduction and Overview

Appalachia and energy have been closely linked 

throughout the history of the nation, from the first 

discovery and production of oil, to the mining of coal 

to fuel our industrial growth, to the development of 

hydropower to bring prosperity and progress to remote 

rural communities. By using its full range of energy 

resources and staying at the forefront of emerging 

energy technologies and practices, Appalachia has the 

potential to increase the supply of locally produced 

clean energy and create and retain jobs. ARC believes 

that this approach will help the Region find new 

ways to satisfy domestic energy demand, minimize 

environmental impacts, and attract service and supply 

side industries and businesses. Moreover, because of 

the importance of energy production and conservation 

to the growth and competitiveness of so many sectors 

of the economy, from agriculture to automobiles, this 

approach will help generate and retain wealth in the 

region’s communities. 

In 2006, the Commission released Energizing 

Appalachia: A Regional Blueprint for Economic 

and Energy Development to provide a strategic 

framework for the promotion of new energy-related 

job opportunities throughout the Appalachian Region. 

Approved by the governors of the 13 Appalachian 

states and the ARC Federal Co-Chair, the blueprint 

was developed in response to the changing energy 

supply, policy, and use environment. In addition, in 2009 

ARC began working closely with White House Council 

on Environmental Quality and seven other Federal 

agencies on the Appalachian Regional Development 

Initiative, a process designed to provide federal support 

to strengthen and diversify the Appalachian economy.

In developing the blueprint, the Commission convened 

an Energy Advisory Council made up of state energy 

office directors and other experts. Members of this 

group used their expertise, ideas, and experience, 

as well as information gathered by ARC, to develop 

regional energy strategies and identify opportunities 

for ARC and its member states to address the changing 

energy market environment. The three broad strategic 

objectives highlighted in the Energy Blueprint include: 

(1) promoting energy efficiency in Appalachia to 

enhance the Region’s economic competitiveness; (2) 

increasing the use of renewable energy resources to 

stimulate the growth of new jobs; and (3) supporting the 

development of clean conventional energy resources to 

retain the existing economic infrastructure.

National research suggests that energy—both 

renewable energy production and conservation—will 

produce millions of jobs. Energy efficiency alone is 

projected to grow fourfold in the next decade and 

employ 1.3 million.1

 Another industry-sponsored study 

estimated that renewable energy and energy efficiency 

together accounted for 9 million jobs and more than 

$970 billion in revenue in 2007.2

 Many of the jobs will 

require new skill sets, but many others, such as building 

and maintaining the transmission lines needed to 

connect rural wind energy farms to cities, will require 

more conventional skills.

Research sponsored by the Appalachian Regional 

Commission indicates that new economic opportunities 

in the energy sector are robust. For example:

n energy efficiency investments could create 77,000 

net new jobs in Appalachia by 2030 while cutting 

projected energy use by 24 percent, resulting in 

energy savings of over $21 billion in the Region 

n 70,000 new jobs in the renewable energy sector 

are projected within the 13 Appalachian states as 

a result of the production of 74GW of renewable 

energy nationally.

1 Goldman, C., et al. (2010). Energy Efficiency and Services Sector: Workforce and Training Needs. Berkeley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 2 Bezdek, R. (2009). Green Collar Jobs in the U.S. and Colorado: Economic Drivers for the 21st Century. Boulder: American Solar Energy Society.
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

As part of its Energy Initiative, the Commission has 

undertaken a range of activities, including educational 

conferences, targeted grants programs, and research 

activities, that have thus far provided funding for over 

100 projects to support the creation of over 1,000 new 

jobs and train over 4,000 workers and students for 

positions in the renewable energy, energy efficiency, 

and clean fossil energy sectors. 

In addition, the Commission has adopted new policies 

for enhancing the energy efficiency of all ARC-funded 

construction projects. These policies include a focus 

on outreach and education to community leaders 

and requirements that ARC-funded construction 

projects address energy efficiency. These new policy 

measures help ensure that ARC will be promoting 

efficient development in the Region going forward and 

help create demand for related green construction 

employment.

Strategic partnerships have been and will continue to 

be essential in the development and implementation 

of all these activities. Some of the leading national 

organizations and federal agencies that are working with 

the ARC to develop and implement these programs 

include the U.S. Department of Energy, National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory, American Wind Energy 

Association, National Energy Education Development 

Project, Southface Institute, Southern Alliance for Clean 

Energy, U.S. Green Building Council, American Council 

on Energy Efficient Economy, Penn Future, Tennessee 

Valley Authority, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, U.S. Department of Labor, and State 

Energy Offices.

The Role of Educational Institutions

Throughout the ARC region, its educational institutions 

have been historic leaders in rural communities, and 

important new strategies and bold new initiatives often 

are a direct result of the vision and support of local 

secondary and higher educational institutions. How 

do colleges and universities work with communities 

to promote sustainable development and create new 

economic opportunities in rural Appalachia? How 

can education-community-industry-labor partnerships 

encourage and lead local policy efforts to create local 

jobs and retain more wealth in the community while 

improving energy efficiency and boosting renewable 

energy production?

The success of responding to changing demands for 

efficient energy use and renewable energy production 

will depend heavily on the region’s educational 

institutions, from elementary through graduate schools. 

These institutions not only train tomorrow’s workforce 

and educate future entrepreneurs, but they also reach 

out to the community to improve understanding of the 

long-term implications of the new energy economy. 

To support this leadership role and develop the 

necessary new programs, the U.S. Department of Labor 

provided over $500 million of economic stimulus funds 

for training for green jobs programs. In addition, leading 

the way in energy efficiency in their communities, some 

3,813 higher education projects across the nation were 

in the process of obtaining LEED certification in the 

spring of 2010.3

 

3 Hough, Mark (May 16, 2010). The Campus Green: Trampled by the Wheels of LEED?, Chronicle of Higher Education.
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

This publication highlights best practices in colleges 

that are both environmentally sustainable themselves 

and that foster education-community partnerships to 

support local economic growth. It emphasizes those 

institutions most closely aligned with local economies. 

The examples provided showcase the policies, people, 

and resources needed to foster a sustainable approach 

to campus development and management and to

energize local communities to pursue new opportunities 

that are available throughout Appalachia.

Exemplary and Innovative Practices in Higher Education

Many of Appalachia’s colleges and universities have 

moved quickly toward sustainability, in terms of 

educating and training for, promoting, and adopting 

sustainable practices. Although virtually all ARC 

institutions are responding in some way, this document 

highlights a few that are particularly innovative or 

exemplary. Each case study highlights innovative ways 

that higher education institutions, and community 

colleges in particular, are responding to and leading the 

way towards a more sustainable economy and how that 

change is affecting jobs and wealth across the region. 

These case studies draw largely on information and 

insights gleaned from two sources. The first source is the 

Alliance for Sustainability, a project supported by the Ford 

Foundation to engage a group of community colleges in 

central Appalachia in efforts to generate and retain more 

wealth while pursuing triple bottom line outcomes—

economic, social, and environmental. The second source 

is an on-going evaluation of the economic impacts of 

energy and environmental policy in Appalachia with a 

heavy emphasis on workforce implications. 

The Community College Alliance for Sustainability

Formed in 2009 with a grant from the Ford Foundation 

to support members in central Appalachia, this 

network seeks to develop new and better ways to 

educate, train, promote, and support sustainable rural 

development. This learning and innovation network 

has worked to introduce new ideas into their curricula 

and community that involve forms of renewable energy, 

energy conservation, and local production aligned with 

local talents and markets. This project, one of many 

supported by the Ford Foundation, treats sustainability 

as part of a local wealth creation system in which the 

colleges are part of a value chain that connects people, 

sectors of the economy, community organizations, and 

places near and far. 

The goals of the Alliance are: expanding or improving 

programs that support employment in sustainable 

enterprises; attracting and retaining students in 

programs that lead to employment opportunities; 

supporting entrepreneurship in green building, 

energy conservation, sustainable agriculture, and 

ecotourism; helping local businesses understand the 

economics of sustainability and social inclusion; building 

partnerships with government agencies, communitybased organizations, and extension services; increasing 

energy efficiency and renewable energy on campuses; 

and sharing everything learned or developed across 

Appalachia and the United States. 

A survey of the membership illustrates the strength 

of their commitments to achieving more sustainable 

communities, economies, and campuses. Four in five 

member colleges have formed college sustainability 

committees, almost half have a college sustainability 

officer, and 90 percent are developing new programs in 

sustainability. Programs are slower to appear, as it takes 

time to get state approval and build the demand among 

students. Only a few colleges have dedicated two-year 

degree programs in place in the field of sustainable 

development, with the largest number of such programs 

being found in solar installation and repair and electric/

hybrid vehicles. All colleges, however, have made 

adaptations to existing programs by adding courses 

addressing skills associated with renewable energy or 

energy conservation. 

Introduction and Overview

CONTINUED
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

A sampling of these innovative efforts includes:

Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, has the only 

eco-tourism program, is in the process of developing 

a local food systems program with ACENet, and 

has degree programs in alternative energy and in 

automotive hybrids. (Details in case study.)

Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, 

Tennessee, has a degree program in environmental 

sciences, is working to make its campus green, and embeds 

sustainability into all programs. (Details in case study.)

WVU-Parkersburg’s two-year college has developed 

Energy Assessment/Management and Solar Energy 

Technology certificate and degree programs. The 

college is a founding member of the Mid-Ohio Valley 

Green-Up Council, which was created to integrate green 

practices into current college curricula and organized 

labor apprenticeship programs. Further, with the 

support of the West Virginia Community and Technical 

College System and the WV Division of Energy, the 

college is becoming the Solar Training Center for the 

state of West Virginia, providing train-the-trainer and 

faculty development workshops for other community 

and technical colleges. Putting sustainability principles 

into practice, WVU-Parkersburg also has internal 

and external recycling programs, practices energy 

and resource conservation, and provides workshops, 

programs and information that address questions, 

concerns and careers in emerging energy fields.

Bridgemont Community Technical College in 

Montgomery, West Virginia, is establishing the 

Bridgemont Sustainability Institute with a planning 

grant from the West Virginia Community and Technical 

College System and help from the West Virginia 

Department of Environmental Protection. The Institute’s 

threefold mission is to educate West Virginia’s workforce 

in sustainability concepts, enhance West Virginia’s 

academic offerings in green technologies, and assist 

communities in their pursuit of sustainability. According 

to President Jo Harris, “It is vital to our state and our 

nation that we commit ourselves to sustainability to be 

good stewards of the environment.” The college also 

purchased a biodiesel reactor and waste wood pelletizer 

for use in their Diesel Technology and Mechanical 

Engineering Technology programs to help demonstrate 

real world applications of green technologies. More 

than 400 students have taken a new introductory course, 

Sustainability 101, which covers the triple bottom line of 

sustainability. Further, the college changed its Building 

Construction Management degree to Building Sciences 

Technology to incorporate weatherization training as 

part of the green construction curriculum and now has a 

certified Home Energy Rating System rater on staff. 

Bevill State Community College in Fayette, 

Alabama, formed a college-wide Sustainability 

Committee to comprehensively examine progress 

towards sustainability strategies. The college received 

a Department of Labor grant to start a Center for 

Renewable Energy, the initial focus of which is a 

certificate program in Bioenergy that focuses on training 

for biomass companies located in the region. The 

college also plans to implement several new courses 

related to sustainability and green technology in a 

number of career and technical programs. In addition, 

last summer the college entered into an agreement 

with an independent contractor to implement a plan 

for programming, procedures, and other measures to 

ensure energy consumption savings. The objectives 

were to reduce the yearly energy consumption and to 

train personnel for maintaining the building automation 

systems at an optimal condition. Since implementing 

this project, Bevill State Community College reduced 

its annual energy usage by approximately 90,000 kWh, 

leading to a savings of about $180,000. Bevill State 

plans to continue this process and add more buildings 

for additional energy and monetary savings.
8

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Walters State Community College in Morristown, 

Tennessee, is shepherding a Clean Energy Technology 

A.A.S. degree program through the state-level approval 

process. It has been approved by the Tennessee Board 

of Regents and awaits approval from the Tennessee 

Higher Education Commission. Once the program is 

approved, it will be added to the college’s catalog as 

a full degree program. The college was also awarded 

contracts to install a wind turbine and solar arrays on 

campus and has greenhouses awaiting geothermal 

design and installation. The college also has a $1 million 

grant to develop training in green energy technology 

with a focus on biomass from wood pelletization and 

solar panels for public housing and has plans to develop 

a viticulture program.

Haywood Community College (HCC) in Clyde, 

North Carolina, is building a Research Demonstration 

House on campus in cooperation the USDA Forest 

Products Laboratory as a model of sustainable building 

practices, low impact development, and green building 

technology. The model, which will feature energy 

efficient technologies, will be constructed by students 

and will demonstrate green building technologies, 

the recycling of construction waste materials, and 

the relationship of energy efficiency to affordable 

housing. The college received the top ranking in 

North Carolina and placed 19th in the nation in the 

Waste Minimization category in the RecycleMania 2010 

competition. RecycleMania, a friendly competition and 

benchmarking tool for college and university recycling 

programs, promotes waste reduction activities to their 

campus communities. HCC received a grant from the 

Biofuels Center of North Carolina for the Haywood 

County Biofuels Production, Education, and Training 

Project to provide alternative fuel supplies for campus 

and county diesel vehicles; integrate biodiesel training 

into the college’s existing Industrial and Automotive 

Systems Technology curricula and Continuing Education 

programs; train the workforce in biofuels technology; 

and increase awareness of biofuels. HCC was also 

one of three local community colleges that received 

a $100,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional 

Commission to develop and expand green jobs training 

programs.

Renewable energy and conservation are making 

headway in even the most coal-dependent parts of 

Appalachia. For example: 

Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone 

Gap, Virginia, is working with the local power company 

on carbon sequestration and developing a biomass 

program. The community college received a $5 million 

grant for training in weatherization and an ARC grant 

to develop training for installation of solar and wind 

energy. 

Ashland Community College in Ashland, Kentucky, is 

moving towards offering training in solar installation. 

Southeast Community Technical College in 

Cumberland, Kentucky, under Kentucky’s state-wide 

program, is developing programs in weatherization, 

winterization, and energy efficiency. 

Introduction and Overview

CONTINUED
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GREEN SCHOOLS AND SUSTAI N ABI LITY I N A PPALA CH IA | CASE STUDIES I N RURA L PR ACTI CE

ARC Energy Workforce Trends and Training Needs

The second source of information for this publication 

is a study now underway at Regional Technology 

Strategies for the Appalachian Regional Commission. 

The study analyzes the workforce trends and training 

needs for the region’s non-renewable and renewable 

energy industry. Based on 114 responses to a survey of 

community and technical colleges in the ARC region, 

Table 1 shows that 198 students were enrolled in credit 

courses and 344 in non-credit courses in renewable 

energy, and that 1,207 students were enrolled in 

credit courses and 394 in non-credit courses in energy 

efficiency, which has broader appeal because of 

its application to so many sectors of the economy. 

Considering specific programs that relate directly to 

efficient energy use shows that a majority of colleges do 

devote some time (in nearly all cases three credit hours 

or less) to energy efficiency or management. However, 

in most programs between 25 and 50 percent still do 

not (Table 2). This suggests that sustainability is still not 

a high priority in higher education. 

When complete by early 2011, the report will provide 

detailed information about complete supply and 

forecasted demand patterns for all occupations related 

to energy sectors for each ARC sub-region. 

Table 1: Number of students in ARC region enrolled in Community or Technical Colleges with classes related to 

sustainable energy issues, 2010

Subject Enrollments in 

credit courses

Colleges

with courses

Enrollments in 

non-credit courses

Colleges

With courses

 Energy Efficiency 1,207 18 394 23

 Renewable Energy 1 198 6 344 18

1

 Wind, solar, biofuels, etc.

Source: On-line survey conducted by RTS for ARC in 2010 with 114 responses.

Table 2: Percentage of Community or Technical Colleges that devote at least one credit hour to energy 

efficiency or management in selected fields 

Program of study Number of respondents 

offering

Percent teaching

about energy or

conservation

Construction 45 74

Manufacturing 48 67

 Heating, ventilation, air conditioning 69 79

 Automotive technology 45 72

 Architectural engineering technology 45 54

Source: On-line survey conducted by RTS for ARC in 2010 with 114 responses.
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

The case studies that follow are six of 13 that have been 

written for this study that relate directly to sustainable 

energy sources and uses and illustrate places that higher 

education has provided leadership and workers. 

n Cleveland State Community College in Tennessee, 

the Tennessee Valley’s only Zero Energy College, 

offers degree programs in renewable energy and 

is preparing and retraining the workforce in energy 

efficient residential construction. 

n Hocking College in Ohio has offered a degree 

in fuel cells and automotive hybrids since 2003, 

developed in part to drive the state’s fuel cell 

cluster initiative. 

n The Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and 

Economics at Appalachian State University in North 

Carolina oversees the schools extensive programs 

in sustainability. 

n In Georgia, Lanier Technical College is making 

plans to add renewable energy to its conventional 

electric utility programs. 

n Alfred State College in New York, fully committed 

to sustainability, is integrating renewable energy 

and energy efficiency into its School for Applied 

Technology and is having students work on green 

houses constructed to Energy Star standards.

n Maryland’s Frostburg State University’s new WISE 

program (Wind and Solar Energy),organized around 

eight-week modules, has already graduated almost 

200 students.

Lessons from the Field

The college profiles that are included in this publication 

show a cross section of innovative practices at postsecondary institutions in the region. Each college 

profiled approaches education and training in a slightly 

different way and develops its own innovative spin on 

how to prepare its workforce. There are, however, some 

commonalities to the success of these programs.

1. The vast majority of green skills are required 

for existing occupations, not new occupations. 

Therefore, the most effective way to teach 

about energy conservation and management 

is to integrate it into the existing curricula and 

to develop modules that can be customized 

to fit multiple programs such as construction, 

automotive, engineering, and agriculture. For 

example, a construction technology program 

would make sure that weatherization practices are 

made standard practice in basic classes. Green is a 

context in which students learn as well as a skill set. 

2. Sustainability should be treated systemically, 

as a goal that generates and retains wealth in 

a community through employment and selfemployment, increased incomes, better health, 

higher quality of life, and public sector support.

3. Educational institutions have major roles to play, 

not only in reacting to business needs but also in 

influencing business to adopt more sustainable 

practices. Energy, energy conservation, and energy 

management programs are most successful when 

post-secondary institutions work closely with local 

industry to ascertain its skill needs and demand 

for graduates and services, and when institutions 

demonstrate the potential value of sustainable 

practices to businesses in terms of bottom line 

outcomes.

Introduction and Overview

CONTINUED
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

4. Community and regional colleges have the pulse 

of their community. They understand the local 

needs and biases and are able to respond to and 

influence them. They are sensitive to local political 

environments and the language that must be 

used to reach key players, particularly in energy 

dependent regions of Appalachia. At the same 

time, higher education institutions are not natural 

partners of non-profit community and regional 

organizations. Partnerships that have developed 

are often based on individual relationships 

generated by overlapping interests. These 

relationships are crucial to generating and retaining 

wealth systematically across the community. 

5. Effective programs are those that understand the 

constraints of their market and are designed with 

the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of 

students, including non-traditional students. Many 

students pursue careers and skills in energy fields 

as add-ons to current careers or as basic skills 

enhancement, and they may not be able to or need 

to devote themselves to a full-time course of study. 

Effective programs offer flexibility with online and 

accelerated curricula plus remedial programs. 

6. Many of the new economic opportunities in 

green jobs are entrepreneurial. The strongest 

colleges emphasize entrepreneurial skills that are 

directly relevant to the energy management and 

conservation fields. Some even provide incubator 

facilities.

7. Support in terms of time, resources, and 

recognition from the college administration is 

essential. Without such support, college faculty will 

not be able to give sustainability sufficient attention 

and the priority it needs. 

8. Cross-fertilization among colleges in different 

regions is valuable to innovation. Even where 

political and philosophical differences exist, 

colleges recognize that common interests offer 

opportunities for learning from one another. 

9. Measures of success used in higher education are 

not always consistent with wealth generation and 

retention goals. Colleges’ primary responsibilities 

are first to the students, second to the communities. 

New, or at least additional, measures for community 

impact and wealth retention are needed.

10. Many colleges are models for sustainability by 

emphasizing and rewarding conservation among 

their students, managing energy use, and building 

green facilities. By practicing sustainability in their 

own institutions, they become models for the 

community and economy.
12

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Case Studies: Green Schools 

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CSCC is a community college at the helm of efforts 

to transform the way energy is used in its region. 

Through its program in energy efficient residential 

construction (EERC), CSCC is revamping its curriculum 

in construction technologies to attract students and 

companies who see the economic benefits of using 

energy efficiency to brand them in the marketplace. 

Cleveland State’s program in energy efficient residential 

construction began in 2005 with a grant from the U.S. 

Department of Labor for $861,840, one of 70 Community 

Based Job Training Grants. The project that CSCC 

designed for the grant incorporated concepts of green 

building, energy efficiency, and sustainability into the 

existing construction technology curriculum; reached 

out to the local education community to raise awareness 

of energy-efficient construction; purchased equipment 

and technologies to support classroom learning; and 

offered continuing education to local contractors in the 

construction industry.

Curriculum: With the DOL grant funds, the college 

created six courses in topics related to energy 

efficiency and alternative energy. The courses 

could be taken as part of the associate of applied 

sciences (A.A.S.) degree in construction technology; 

as a stand-alone certificate program called the zero 

energy home certificate; or on a one-off basis with 

students taking only classes interesting or relevant to 

them. The six courses are Renewable Energy; Solar 

Cleveland State Community College

Allan M. Gentry, Assistant Professor and 

Technology Department Chair

Energy Efficient Residential Construction

Cleveland State Community College

www.clevelandstatecc.edu

agentry@clevelandstatecc.edu

Background: Cleveland State

Community College (CSCC) is located

in Cleveland, Tennessee, in the state’s

southeast corner. The school serves

the five-county area of Bradley, Meigs, 

McMinn, Monroe, and Polk counties and

has an enrollment of approximately

3,500 credit-seeking students and 1,500 

non-credit students. 

Energy Efficient Residential 

Construction

Cleveland State Community 1 College, Cleveland, Tennessee
13

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Photovoltaic (PV) System Design and Installation; 

Energy Efficient Residential Elements; Ground Source 

Heat Pumps; Home Energy Rating System; and Service 

Learning. CSCC is in the process of developing an 

articulation agreement with the University of Tennessee 

at Chattanooga for a bachelor of science degree in 

construction management. 

Greening the Construction Industry: Integrating 

energy efficiency into existing curricula is considered 

best practice in designing industry-specific training 

and has been recommended for green job training. 

The rationale for embedding energy efficiency courses 

into the construction technology program is that job 

descriptions for traditional construction jobs and for 

energy efficiency construction and retrofitting jobs 

are not very different.4

 In fact, in response to the 

overwhelming enthusiasm over the promise of green 

jobs, more-cautious analysts have warned that many 

green jobs are not new but are traditional jobs using 

new or different skills and inputs.5

4 Center on Wisconsin Strategy. (2008). Greener Pathways: Jobs and workforce development in the clean energy economy. Madison: Center on 

Wisconsin Strategy.

5 Chapple, K. (2008). Defining the Green Economy: A primer on green economic development. Berkeley: Center for Community Innovation.
14

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

In the case of energy efficient construction, this is largely 

true. The differences between traditional and energy 

efficient construction are found in materials, equipment 

and techniques that do not require different technical 

competencies but rather awareness and knowledge of 

how to apply them differently. For example, the way 

a house is framed has an effect on the way it can be 

insulated, which in turn influences the energy savings 

that can result from better insulation. The energy 

efficient framing technique does not require a different 

set of basic competencies for a framer, but it does mean 

that a framer needs additional or different knowledge to 

build an energy efficient home. 

Because energy efficiency techniques and principles are 

taught within the context of a construction curriculum 

and because the program has flexible enrollment 

options, the EERC sequence of course at CSCC is being 

used by some incumbent construction industry workers 

as a means of upgrading their skills. The average age 

of students in the EERC program is 28 to 29, reflecting 

the fact that students are coming to the program “from 

both sides,” said Technology Chair Allan Gentry. He 

estimates that approximately two-thirds of the students 

in the program are incumbent workers from the 

construction industry, owners and employees of local 

construction and building companies. 

Some people suspect that the weak job market, 

combined with the buzz around green jobs, is helping 

to attract students who desire to have some first-mover 

advantage in the energy efficient construction industry. 

In this sense, participation in the program is anticipatory 

of changes seen as inevitable in the construction 

industry. Some students are also enrolling with plans 

to pursue opportunities for contracting and selfemployment in the areas of weatherization and home 

energy auditing and rating.

For students who are self-employed or are business 

owners in the construction industry, gaining new skills 

related to energy efficiency is a way of expanding the 

scope of services they can offer clients. Further, building 

these competencies is a low-cost way of improving 

competitiveness, which is particularly important in an 

economic downturn. 

John Proffitt, outreach coordinator for the EERC 

program, noted that when the national housing boom 

was at its height, it was harder to get people to slow 

down enough to listen to pitches about the benefits 

of energy efficiency. Now, when the market for new 

construction is soft, energy efficiency is seen as a way of 

distinguishing one’s products and services from those of 

other firms. Although some firms have disappeared as a 

result of the recession, Proffitt senses that the ones that 

remain are here to stay. He sees value in continuing to 

educate them about the importance of energy efficient 

construction because of the lasting influence they will 

have in the region. 

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Energy Efficient Residential 

Construction

Cleveland State Community 1 College, Cleveland, Tennessee
15

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Finding the Right Mix of Alternative Energy: In 

summarizing the launch of the EERC curriculum, Allan 

Gentry said that the greatest challenge was figuring 

out how to package the concepts and elements of 

renewable energy in a way that makes sense for the 

region in which the program operates. There were 

several layers to this challenge. 

The first was the culture of energy supply and demand. 

Tennessee is part of the East South Central census 

division, which includes Alabama, Kentucky and 

Mississippi. In 2008, this census division had the highest 

average monthly energy consumption per capita—twice 

that of New England—and Tennessee had the highest 

of the group with 1,302 average monthly kilowatt 

hours per person. Furthermore, even with one of the 

lowest average retail prices per kilowatt hour at 8.92 

cents, the average monthly residential electricity bill 

was $116.02.6

 For this reason, a large part of what the 

EERC program aims to do—both in the classroom and 

through its outreach activities--is raise awareness about 

the concepts and benefits of energy efficiency and 

renewable energy. 

A second layer to the challenge of packaging 

renewable energy for the region was to determine 

which energy sources should be emphasized based 

on their potential for the region given its climate and 

local economic conditions. For example, Gentry noted 

that wind turbines, the popular image of renewable 

energy, are not a viable option in the Tennessee Valley 

because of local climate conditions. On the other 

hand, the local climate does make solar energy a 

viable option, particularly in conjunction with energy 

efficient construction where the solar installation can 

be downsized as a result of a building’s reduced energy 

demand. 

The choice to emphasize energy efficiency is both 

obvious and ambiguous. On the one hand, as a strategy 

for reduced fossil fuel use and stimulating economic 

activity, energy efficiency is a green economy sector 

that has no geographic constraints. Energy efficient 

construction and retrofitting is estimated to create 

18 times more direct and indirect jobs than the 

renewable energy sectors in the United States.7 8 

When acknowledging this plus the trends of high 

energy consumption and low energy costs in Tennessee, 

there is a clear rationale for a training program that 

emphasizes energy efficient construction. 

6 U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2010). Average monthly bill by census division and state, 2008. Retrieved on March 6, 2010 from 

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/esr/table5.html.

7 Center on Wisconsin Strategy. (2008). 

8 Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. (2008). Growing Green: The potential for green job growth in Tennessee. Tennessee 

Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Employment Security Division, Labor Market Information Section.
16

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Cleveland State Community College as Catalyst:

Outreach, one of four areas of activity funded by the 

grant that launched the program, has been an important 

part of the program faculty’s role. Part of the DOL grant 

that launched the EERC program funded seminars 

and workshops for the local construction and utilities 

industries, highlighting the benefits of energy efficient 

construction and the negative effects of inefficient 

construction on energy consumption. 

EERC also educates people about the need for energy 

efficiency and the opportunities for energy savings 

afforded by renewable energy sources. A CSCC trailer 

equipped with a solar panel array travels to career fairs 

and events to raise interest in the program and provide 

a visual representation of the idea of green jobs and 

clean energy. 

In early 2010, at “Save Green, Go Green,” an event at a 

local mall, CSCC staff described how creating an energy 

efficient home and changing energy-use behavior can 

save homeowners and renters money. Gentry was joined 

at the event by Kristi Strode of the Local Workforce 

Investment Area 5, the agency with which CSCC is 

partnering to offer courses to displaced workers.

CSCC responds to the needs of displaced workers 

by working in partnership with the local workforce 

investment agency to offer the EERC courses as a series 

of modules leading to a certificate. Each EERC course, 

typically taught over a 15-week quarter, is offered as a 

40-hour, week long class. The program follows a weekon, week-off schedule that allows for the classes to be 

taught to two cohorts at two locations over the same 

10-week time period.

Challenges: Continued Outreach and Strengthened 

Links to Industry: As the EERC program continues to 

grow and develop, three issues must be addressed in 

order to strengthen the value of the program to and its 

impact on the region. The first is creating employment 

opportunities. Finding a job after program completion 

is of central concern for students who are not incumbent 

workers. Further, the degree to which technical training 

programs are able to develop strong ties with local 

industries—engaging them in curricular design and, 

in exchange, securing hiring commitments for their 

students—is often considered a metric of success for 

training initiatives. 

Enrollment in EERC courses has grown each year but 

remains quite small. In the fall of 2009, 32 students were 

enrolled in at least one EERC course. Because many 

students are adults working full-time, it can take several 

years to complete the sequence of courses, if that is the 

student’s goal. Thus, the pool of people who have taken 

all or some of the EERC courses remains quite small. 

This small pool of alumni, the fact that many participants 

already work in the construction industry, and a soft job 

market are ample explanations for why the program has 

no formal job placement service and why connections 

between the program and industry remain largely 

informal. 

The second and third issues are related and have to 

do with the skills the EERC program teaches. The 

program’s focus is on hard skills and knowledge, such 

as the technical skills and know-how to diagnose 

residential energy use and design and the ability to 

implement retrofits and new construction that 

minimize energy use. However, in addition to these 

hard skills and knowledge, the EERC program also 

prepares students for work that has entrepreneurial 

leanings, such as launching new ventures, adding new 

services to existing businesses, or seeking contract 

employment for home energy rating and retrofitting 

work available through government agencies, nonprofit 

organizations, and utilities. This suggests the need for 

CSCC to provide EERC students with parallel training 

and support in skills related to entrepreneurship and 

business management.

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Energy Efficient Residential 

Construction

Cleveland State Community 1 College, Cleveland, Tennessee
17

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Similarly, EERC program graduates face the challenge 

of raising awareness of and demand for energy efficient 

construction among homeowners and renters. They 

must target different populations with the message of 

energy conservation and efficiency. These populations 

include: the general public, reached through 

participation in fairs and other events; high school 

students, reached through partnerships with schools 

with vocational education programs in fields related to 

construction; and the construction industry, reached 

through seminars held as part of the initial grant-funded 

project that launched the EERC program. 

Since the outreach capacity of the EERC program is 

limited by the size of its faculty, an argument can be 

made for preparing students to be ambassadors for the 

program and for energy efficiency. This would require 

training them in soft-skills related to public speaking, 

presentation, and marketing. It would also require 

the creation of new venues for outreach activities, so 

EERC students would have channels through which 

to promote their skills and so the EERC program can 

reach a wider audience with its message about energy 

conservation. 
18

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Hocking College and its advanced energy and fuel 

cell program are a critical element of a statewide 

strategy for fuel cell industry development, and of 

local efforts to build a vibrant clean energy sector 

and revitalize a distressed rural area. Hocking College 

demonstrates the integral role that community colleges 

play in building and anchoring clean energy firms and 

clusters by training a mid-skilled workforce that can 

meet industry needs. The school also illustrates how 

a community college, as a prominent local asset in 

a distressed rural area, can encourage the growth of 

clean energy-related firms and thus encourage local 

development that creates good jobs. 

Hocking College offers associate of applied science 

degrees in advanced energy and fuel cells as well as 

a major in automotive hybrids through the Hocking 

College Energy Institute (HCEI), which was founded in 

2003. A degree in regenerative sustainable agriculture, 

also to be offered through HCEI, is planned to begin 

in the fall of 2010. 

While the institute and its course offerings are still 

relatively new, the roots of HCEI and Hocking College’s 

leadership in clean energy date back to the early 

1980s when Dr. Jerry Hutton, who grew up on a farm 

in southeastern Ohio and was a former HC student, 

helped start the International Energy Center. The 

Center, which no longer exists, focused on natural gaspowered vehicles.

Hocking College

Brian McLaughlin, Coordinating Instructor

Advanced Energy & Fuel Cells

www2.hocking.edu/hcei

mclaughlin_b@hocking.edu

James Baker, Coordinating Instructor

Advanced Energy & Fuel Cells; Automotive 

Hybrids & Fuel Cells

www2.hocking.edu/hcei

baker_j@hocking.edu

Background: Hocking College (HC) is a

two-year college with its main campus

in Nelsonville, Ohio, 60 miles southeast

of Columbus. The college’s service area

is Hocking, Athens, and Perry counties, 

but the college enrolls students from

every county in the state, from 17 other

states, and from 30 foreign countries. 

Enrollment for the 2010 semester was

approximately 6,000 students.

Advanced Energy and 

Fuel Cell Technology

Hocking College, 2 Nelsonville, Ohio

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia
19

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

By the early 2000s, Hutton had left the college and 

begun working for Quantum Technologies in California, 

a company making fuel cell systems and other advanced 

energy technologies. Having maintained his ties to 

southeastern Ohio and to Hocking College’s thenpresident, Dr. John Light, Hutton suggested starting 

a program in fuel cells. In 2002, Light asked Hutton to 

start such a program, and in 2003, HCEI’s curricula in 

advanced energy and fuel cells and automotive hybrids 

were launched “with three students and a briefcase.” 

In the fall of 2009, the programs enrolled 61 first-year 

students, twice the number who had enrolled the 

previous year. 

Degree Program Structure: The associate of applied 

science degree in advanced energy and fuel cells 

requires 102 to 107 credit hours. Approximately 60 

percent of these are technical courses that cover 

fundamental theories and practice of energy; 

fundamental theories and practice of energy 

components for fuel cells, solar, wind and hydroelectric, 

and cryogenics; and the fundamental processes and 

technologies associated with batteries, instrumentation 

and controls. The remaining 40 percent of required 

classes are in general education and have a clear 

relationship to the technical content of the curricula 

and to the general emphasis of community colleges on 

preparing students for the workforce. 

HCEI’s program prepares students to maintain and 

service installed fuel cells or to be research assistants. 

The course of study covers the basics of fuel cell 

technology for residential, commercial, and industrial 

power and for vehicles as well as the requirements for 

testing, configuring, assembling, and troubleshooting 

single and stacked fuel cell systems. 
20

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

For students interested in continuing their education, 

HC has a new articulation agreement with the University 

of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), whereby students 

can complete an additional 45 credits in the School 

of Agriculture and Natural Resources and receive a 

bachelor of science in agricultural systems management 

with an emphasis in biofuels and renewable energy 

technologies. 

While the name of the program includes the term “fuel 

cells”, graduates are actually prepared for technician 

positions that support a range of renewable energy 

sources and systems: solar, geothermal, biofuels, and 

hydroelectric. This is an important distinction because 

HCEI’s programs relate to energy industry activity at 

both the local and state levels. At the state level, there 

is a tie-in to a well-defined cluster strategy for the fuel 

cell industry. At the local level, HCEI is part of a more 

general strategy to promote alternative energy and 

green companies. A concentration of local solar and 

wind installation companies is the major influence on job 

opportunities for students. 

Supporting and Anchoring Cluster Development: 

Community colleges play an important role in strategies, 

like Ohio’s Fuel Cell Initiative, to develop new or 

strengthen existing clusters. At its most basic level, 

the match between community colleges and clusters 

is based on the college’s core competency in training 

students to fill the ranks of the mid-skilled labor force.9 

HCEI graduates fill Ohio’s critical need for more workers 

to service fuel cells than to manufacture them, according 

to Pat Valente of the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition. Further, 

the availability of service providers will be particularly 

important as Ohio seeks to stimulate the demand and 

use for fuel cells by end-user industries within the state. 

Part of the rationale behind Ohio’s decision to pursue 

fuel cell cluster building as an economic development 

strategy is the state’s manufacturing history, particularly 

in the automotive industry. Ohio’s goal of becoming 

a leading fuel cell manufacturing site is also a bid to 

restore job opportunities to workers displaced as a 

result of contraction of the domestic automotive market 

which hit Ohio particularly hard. The establishment of 

fuel cell curricula at HCEI and at Stark State Community 

College in North Canton is a way of preparing displaced 

workers for the emerging fuel cell industry. Accordingly, 

Jerry Hutton estimates that 35% of students enrolled in 

HCEI’s fuel cell programs are displaced adult workers, 

while the rest are younger students representing the 

next generation of Ohio’s workforce. 

As with any training initiative, though, there is a fine 

line to walk between preparing students for future job 

opportunities, in anticipation of industry development, 

and training them for jobs that do not yet exist—

thus jeopardizing the intended effect of increased 

employment for trainees. Currently, jobs in research 

and development outnumber those in manufacturing, 

though this is predicted to change since the end-goal is 

for Ohio to be a leader in fuel cell manufacturing.10 To 

date, HCEI has not had trouble placing students in jobs 

in the fuel cell and advanced energy industries. This is 

probably due to the small size of the program so far 

and to the fact that there are already a number of fuel 

cell firms in the state. However, this could change if the 

program continues to grow at a pace mismatched to 

the growth in relevant job opportunities in the fuel cell 

industry. 

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Advanced Energy and 

Fuel Cell Technology

Hocking College, 2 Nelsonville, Ohio

9 Grubb, W. N. (1996). Working In the Middle. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

10 Ohio Department of Development Technology Division. (2009). An Update on Ohio’s Fuel Cell Roadmap. Columbus: Ohio Department of 

 Development Technology Division.
21

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Beyond training students for existing employment 

opportunities, HCEI is playing a critical role in 

encouraging and anchoring the growth of the fuel 

cell industry in Ohio. The existence of HCEI’s training 

program—and a similar one offered at Stark State—is a 

powerful signal to fuel cell companies, demonstrating 

the commitment of the state to developing a midskilled workforce that will meet the needs of the nascent 

industry. By building a local supply of mid-skilled labor, 

Ohio is making clear to new and existing fuel cell firms 

that it is committed to encouraging and retaining fuel 

cell manufacturing within the state, rather than seeing 

these blue-collar opportunities shipped overseas. 

Further, Ohio is giving teeth to the incentives it uses to 

attract new firms to the state, to encourage Ohio firms 

to diversify production into fuel cell components, and 

to encourage national or international firms—some that 

may already have a presence in the state—to locate the 

fuel cell part of their operations in Ohio. 

One example is the successful recruitment of Rolls 

Royce’s fuel cell operations to Ohio. Ohio Fuel Cell 

Coalition Executive Director Patrick Valente was the 

deputy director of the technology division of the 

Department of Development when the state entered 

into recruitment discussions with Rolls Royce. At that 

time, Rolls Royce had operations in Ohio, but none of 

its fuel cell work was there, and they were considering 

two other states as locations to headquarter this work. 

Valente recalls the president of the division saying to 

him, “I’m not interested in the [financial] incentives that 

you have. Let’s talk about the other things I need.” The 

division president then listed half a dozen issues that he 

considered critical, including available training programs 

and providers.

Encouraging Local Green Growth: At the local level, 

HCEI benefits from being located in a multi-county 

area that has embraced the movement towards clean 

energy as an opportunity for economic development 

and job creation. HCEI plays two roles in these efforts. 

The first is as an institutional asset that can bolster 

efforts to attract and retain clean energy industries by 

guaranteeing access to skilled workers. The second role 

HCEI plays is as a partner in local efforts, working with 

economic development actors and firms to promote the 

transition to a clean energy economy. 

Since its inception, HCEI has operated at a satellite 

location, the Logan-Hocking Industrial Park (LHIP) in 

the town of Logan. The relationship between HCEI and 

LHIP is indicative of how HCEI fits into a broader picture 

of local economic development strategy. LHIP opened 

in 2003 and is owned and operated by the Hocking 

County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC). 

Until recently, according to Executive Director Bill 

Rinehart, the CIC’s approach to recruiting was to 

go after “every and any company”. In 2009, the CIC 

commissioned a study from the Voinovich School of 

Leadership and Public Affairs at near-by Ohio University 

to determine the feasibility of adopting a green focus 

for the marketing and recruitment strategy for LHIP. The 

study confirmed the instinct the CIC leadership had: that 

there was an opportunity for LHIP to brand and market 

itself as a green industrial park because of what makes 

LHIP unique—its relationship with HCEI. LHIP can offer 

companies access to a prepared workforce as well as 

the prospect of increased visibility by virtue of proximity 

and informal affiliation with HCEI, which is attracting 

much attention and many visitors to its unique programs 

and to its new LEED-certified building. The building 

stands out from the surrounding rural landscape with its 

distinct look and features.
22

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

The relationship between HCEI and LHIP is not just 

about proximity; it is much deeper than that of tenant 

and landlord. Around 2003, the Hocking County 

commissioners approached Bill Rinehart about pursuing 

a grant in partnership with Hocking College to have a 

workforce development facility located in the county 

as a tool to attract companies. Six years later this 

finally happened with $1.6 million in funding from the 

Economic Development Administration (EDA), nearly 

$200,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission, 

and a matching amount from bonds issued by the CIC. 

Classes are taught in the HCEI building located on 

HC-owned land across the road from the existing LHIP 

building, which houses HCEI’s administrative offices as 

well as two local start-ups, both of which fit with the new 

green strategy. EMEGA Technologies is two research 

and development companies with the same owner and 

a shared mission of producing advanced, sustainable 

materials that can facilitate “near-zero energy use” for 

homes and buildings. 

The other tenant, Spark Production, produces a rack 

system used for solar installations. Patrick Preston, 

founder of the company, lived in the area, but his 

career in building specialized machinery was mostly on 

contract outside of the state. After attending a seminar 

offered by the state of Ohio on alternative energy and 

talking to some solar installation companies, Preston 

saw a need for racking for local solar installation. Most 

of the mounting equipment had been coming from 

the West Coast and was unsuited for Ohio’s winters. 

Installers were having trouble getting timely deliveries. 

Working closely with Dovetail Solar and Wind, a solar 

and wind installation firm headquartered in Athens, 

Preston designed racking systems for a number of their 

solar installation projects. The collaborative process has 

allowed him to continually refine his product, and while 

each installation to date has been customized, Preston 

is hoping to move to mass production. 

Proximity to HCEI has had multiple benefits for Preston 

and his young company. The first has been assistance 

in building his pipeline of interested customers as 

Jerry Hutton brings more and more visitors to Preston’s 

offices. Preston also has used HCEI as an educational 

resource by taking a one-week, 40-hour course in solar 

photovoltaic energy that is offered occasionally at HCEI. 

In a nice bit of synergy, the participants in the course 

used Spark Production’s racks to install a full solar array 

on the roof of HCEI as a hands-on learning experience. 

Though EMEGA Technologies and Spark Production 

are small, they hope to provide internships for students 

soon. More importantly, retaining companies like

EMEGA Technologies and Spark Production in

southeast Ohio increases the opportunity to effect 

change in the local economy, provide needed 

employment opportunities, and help stem the tide 

of workers who commute to Columbus. 

Alternative and sustainable energy is one of the three 

target industries of the Athens County Economic 

Development Council (ACEDC). The focus on alternative 

and sustainable energy emerged approximately five 

years ago and reflects the culture and assets of the 

county, as well as its needs. In addition to HCEI, the 

county’s other assets include being home to several 

companies involved in alternative and advanced 

energy, the chronic unemployment issues its workers 

have faced, and the existing interest and support for 

alternative energies and for moving away from reliance 

on coal. 

There are five solar and wind installation companies in 

Athens County, not insignificant for a rural county of 

approximately 63,000.11 The critical mass of these firms 

is important to HCEI because it ultimately will mean 

employment opportunities for HCEI students 

and graduates. 

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Advanced Energy and 

Fuel Cell Technology

Hocking College, 2 Nelsonville, Ohio

11 U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). State and County Quick Facts: Athens County, Ohio. Retrieved on March 11, 2010 from 

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/39009.html. (Shelton, 2010).
23

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Both CIC and ACEDC now are focusing efforts on 

supporting existing and aspiring local clean energy 

firms. Towards this end, CIC retained the services of a 

consulting group to study the feasibility of launching an 

incubator at LHIP. Incubation is a proactive approach 

on the part of Athens and Hocking counties to support 

the growth of local firms that can contribute to their 

economic development strategies. Incubation can 

provide support that will fill possible gaps between 

technological know-how and product innovation 

and application, and the fundamentals of business 

management, including access to finances and patents. 

For HCEI, county-level support for businesses is 

promising because it helps ensure that existing solar 

and wind companies in the area survive and continue to 

grow. As with Spark Production, the potential incubator 

at LHIP can offer proximity to HCEI’s resources, physical 

plant, and students as an extra benefit of being a 

tenant, and HCEI’s students will continue to benefit 

from the opportunities for learning and exchange, both 

formal and informal, that proximity to new firms can 

provide. Finally, the presence of an incubator provides 

encouragement and support for HCEI graduates to 

pursue self-employment or entrepreneurship as an 

option once they complete their course of study. 

HCEI’s presence helps shape the qualitative nature 

of economic development in the region, acting as a 

resource and support for firms looking to establish 

themselves and grow in southeast Ohio—where, 

because of the region’s economic distress, there are 

a number of financial incentives from the federal 

government for business establishment and job 

creation. HCEI’s presence influences the types of firms 

attracted to the region, which is important for economic 

development actors concerned with not just the 

quantitative measures of economic growth (e.g. jobs 

and tax revenue), but also with the qualitative aspects of 

economic development such as job quality and industry 

environmental impact. 

Challenges: Increasing Access and Opportunity: 

HCEI’s associate degree programs now function more 

like programs at a residential four-year college than 

do most community college programs. Students come 

from a broader service area, and courses are offered 

during the business day. This creates access barriers for 

local people who work full-time, for people who cannot 

relocate to the Hocking College area to seek full-time 

training, and for people who lack transportation from 

urban areas. 

Further, because the curricula is taught in a community 

college setting, HCEI is inadvertently excluding people, 

such as minorities, high-school dropouts, and other 

disadvantaged groups, who have struggled within 

the institutional setting of public education and are 

therefore unlikely to seek training at a community 

college. 

To date, HCEI has not had trouble with students not 

being able to find jobs, though Jerry Hutton notes 

that this could change since the program has grown 

faster than expected. Interestingly, as the fuel cell 

industry moves toward greater maturity in Ohio, training 

programs like HCEI’s will likely need to be brought 

to scale to train the number of workers necessary to 

maintain and service installed fuel cells. This scaling-up 

may call for expansion of the curricula to other schools, 

repackaging the curricula for delivery through different 

channels (e.g. distance learning), or distilling the broad 

fuel cell curriculum into shorter certificate-granting 

programs focused on different technologies (e.g. solid 

oxide fuel cell technology versus porous exchange 

membrane technology) or end-uses of fuel cells (e.g. 

transportation versus utilities). This repackaging of 

curricula is well within the realm of the community 

college’s core competencies, as flexibility in adopting 

new and adapted curricula is one way that community 

colleges have proven to be strong partners to industry. 
24

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Over the past ten years, universities and community 

colleges around the nation have been frantically 

creating programs aimed at training their students to 

enter the green workforce. Whether these programs 

are created as independent programs or are modules 

within existing departments, they all tend to represent 

a new direction for the post-secondary institution that 

develops them. But for Appalachian State University, 

the green revolution started more than thirty years ago. 

Since the mid-1970s, ASU has been training its students 

on ways to build homes more efficiently and develop 

new ways to harness the power of the wind and sun. 

In the process, the university serves as a model for 

institutions seeking to enter the fields of energyfocused green technology.

Reaching Out to the Community: ASU is located in 

the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, 

in Boone, a small college town with the distinction of 

being one of the more culturally funky communities 

in Appalachia as well as home to the mighty ASU 

Mountaineers, the winners of three straight NCAA 

football championships in the last decade. The 

university enrolls 14,872 undergraduates and 2,086 

graduate students.

One of the highest profile activities at ASU is the 

Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and 

Economics, an umbrella organization started in 2008 

to oversee three main activities at the university: the

Appalachian Energy Center, the Center for Economic

Appalachian State University 

Jeff Ramsdell, Director

Appalachian State University Energy Center

http://www.energy.appstate.edu/

ramsdellje@appstate.edu

Background: Appalachian State University

(ASU) is a part of the University of North

Carolina system. ASU is located in Boone

and draws students from around the

state and the nation. Of the nearly 17,000 

students enrolled in the fall of 2009, 

nearly 1,500 were from out of state. The

university offers both undergraduate and

graduate programs, with just over 2,000 

students enrolled in graduate programs.

Leading the Green Revolution

Appalachian State University 3 Boone, North Carolina

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia
25

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA), and the Southern 

Appalachian Environmental Research and Education 

Center (SAEREC). The Appalachian Energy Center 

pursues a wide range of activities aimed at helping 

communities around the region become more energy 

efficient. Although there is some applied research, 

most of the work of the center is in outreach.

“The best way to think about it is that we try to improve 

the energy efficiency of buildings in the state and 

beyond,” said Jeff Ramsdell, the Energy Center’s 

director. “We do outreach to improve the construction 

techniques of builders and create standards for energy 

efficiency.”

The Center offers a wide range of training programs 

aimed at helping people involved in the construction 

industry understand how to retrofit their buildings to 

meet new energy standards and how to make new 

construction more energy efficient.

Workshops offered through the center have included 

obvious targets such as sub-contractors as well as less 

obvious targets like realtors and financial institutions. 

According to Ramsdell, including these types of actors 

is critical to making energy efficiency ingrained in the 

home-buying process.

“One big thing there is a movement towards getting 

recognition of home energy efficiency in the valuation of 

a home,” Ramsdell said. “Right now when an appraisal 

is done, energy efficiency is not really counted for. [The 

Center] put together a conference to help certify raters 

to perform a diagnostic to help determine the energy 

efficiency of homes.”
26

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

“What is great is that even with the last two years our 

students are still getting jobs,” Ramsdell said. “They are 

finding work in high performance and green building. 

There is a huge market for the installation of building 

systems that save money.”

The appropriate technology program, although 

separate from the building sciences offering, contains 

significant overlap. For instance, a student who studies 

how to install solar panels on a house will have to be 

well versed in the overall construction of the building.

Students who earn a degree in appropriate technology 

receive extensive training on renewable energy systems 

and find jobs with many of the renewable energy 

companies throughout the region. Dennis Scanlin, chair 

of the appropriate technology program, says those with 

a bachelor of science in appropriate technology are in 

high demand.

“People are in need of our graduates,” he said. “You 

may be able to hire an electrician, but you need 

someone who understands the system as a whole to 

make sure it is correctly installed.”

Ged Moody, a graduate of the program, says he was 

drawn to ASU in part because of its ability to teach the 

practical side of the work.

“One thing that really appealed to me was the applied 

approach,” he said. “It is not an engineering school—it 

is an applied program. The other thing that led me 

here was that the university has offered the program for 

decades. I knew they weren’t bandwagon people.” 

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Leading the Green Revolution

Appalachian State University 3 Boone, North Carolina

The Energy Center also works closely in renewable 

energy fields. The Center operates a site on 

Beech Mountain to test small scale wind turbines. 

Manufacturers send their products to the Center for 

testing on the site.

The Center also promotes the idea of capturing 

energy from landfills. A particular area of emphasis is 

developing ways to capture gas from the smaller scale 

landfills that exist in many small communities in the 

Appalachian region. The Center works with businesses 

and communities to help them harness this often 

untapped energy source.

An Emphasis on Training: The heart of ASU’s efforts 

around energy, however, continue to be on the 

academic side of the equation. The university offers 

two main programs, which are both housed in its 

Department of Technology: building sciences, which 

has concentrations in construction management and 

architectural technology, and appropriate technology, 

which is ASU’s renewable energy program.

The building design program offers students 

comprehensive study in making residences and 

buildings more energy efficient.

“What has really differentiated our construction 

program is the emphasis on energy efficiency,” Ramsdell 

said. “We were doing it before it was cool.”

Students who graduate from the program find work 

as project managers for construction companies or 

enter graduate programs in architecture. Despite the 

downturn in the construction economy, Ramsdell says 

ASU graduates are still in demand.
27

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

In addition to the undergraduate program, the school 

offers a Master of Science degree in technology with 

a concentration in either appropriate technology or 

building sciences. The program is flourishing, attracting 

students from around the country. A planned program 

in building science engineering will add to the graduate 

level offerings at ASU.

A Holistic Approach: The academic environment 

at ASU is enhanced by the overall commitment to 

sustainability at the university. Moody, the former 

student, returned to the college as sustainability 

director. The high level of administrative commitment 

is also shared by the university’s students. Students 

voted overwhelmingly to raise their fees by $10 to help 

power the campus through renewable energy. Through 

the Renewable Energy Initiative (REI), students are 

conceiving, installing and managing different energyrelated programs at the campus. Projects have included 

installing the state of North Carolina’s largest wind 

turbine and installing solar panels to provide power to 

the university’s student union.

Moody believes that efforts like REI show that the entire 

university is embracing the idea of sustainability not just 

the Energy Center and its related programs.

“We have this approach that everyone at ASU will 

leave with a holistic approach to sustainability,” he 

said. “Whether you major in English, health care, or 

another subject, you will leave understanding elements 

of green building and renewable energy. We believe 

that sustainability is the new paradigm. Businesses that 

don’t promote sustainability, I don’t think are going to 

make it.”

The College of Business provides an example of how 

sustainability is being embedded in the campus. This 

academic year, the school will offer its first sustainable 

business concentration for its MBA program. 

Continually imbuing the school with sustainability 

creates an institution that can stay at the forefront of 

promoting a green economy.

“When you start with the value-set already built into the 

institution, it really is a head start,” Moody said. 
28

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Electrical Utility Technology Programs: Through its 

Electrical Utility Technology (EUT) program, Lanier Tech 

offers three courses of study that prepare students for 

work in the electrical power industry. Courses of study 

range from a 42 credit-hour certificate program to a 

two-year associate in applied science (A.A.S.) degree. 

The 42 credit-hour program leads to an electrical 

utility technician certificate. The certificate program is 

intended for incumbent workers in the electrical utility 

industry and is meant as a way for them to upgrade or 

enhance their academic or professional skills. Required 

courses include three in core subjects—English, 

algebra and trigonometry—and six in occupational 

subjects, including direct and alternating current 

circuits, computers, and power fundamentals. The 

certificate offers incumbent workers a way to move up 

within their industry—for example, from a physically 

demanding or low-skill job to a mid-skilled technician 

job. 

The electrical utility technology diploma program is 

meant to prepare students for entry-level positions 

in the electrical utilities field. Along with a focus on 

electrical theory, the diploma program emphasizes 

basic and work skills and practical application of 

electrical theory in order to prepare students for 

success in the workplace. Diploma seekers must 

complete 90 credit hours of coursework, of which 

one-quarter are general education requirements. The 

Lanier Technical College

Corson Lee Allen, Lead Instructor

Electric Utility Technology

http://www.laniertech.edu/academicprograms_/electrical%20utility%20technology.

asp?m=4&deptid=81

lallen@laniertech.edu

Lanier Technical College, part of the

Technical College System of Georgia, 

is a leader in workforce development

for individuals and industries in an

eight-county region of northeastern

Georgia. Its associate degree, diploma, 

and certificate programs, short-term

workshops, continuing education, and

customized trainings are spread out across

the school’s five campuses. Undergraduate

enrollment is approximately 3,100. 

Serving the Present Needs, 

Preparing for a Sustainable Future

Lanier Technical College 4 Oakwood, Georgia

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia
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GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

majority of the courses are occupation courses, which 

introduce the electrical utility industry and the fundamentals 

of power production and distribution. This grouping of 

courses also includes a course in power generation. 

The A.A.S. degree in electrical utility technology 

requires students to complete 102 credit hours. It 

builds on the diploma curriculum and requires students 

to complete general education courses in the natural 

sciences, social sciences, and humanities. These courses 

are taught at the college level. Most students who 

choose to switch to the degree program do so during 

their second year. 

Students who graduate from the program are qualified 

to fill a number of positions in the electrical utility 

industry: engineering technician or representative, 

substation maintenance technician or electrician, meter 

technician or generator technician. 

Students in the diploma program are eligible for the 

state’s HOPE grant program, which covers tuition and 

expenses. Students entering the degree program can 

be considered for the HOPE scholarship program for 

students who have demonstrated academic excellence. 

Together, these opportunities enable students to 

prepare themselves to enter the electrical utility 

workforce at virtually no cost. 

The EUT program has completed its second academic 

year. While enrollment was steady for the first two 

years at an average of 25 students, enrollment at the 

beginning of the third year has dramatically increased to 

38. According to Lee Allen, program director and lead 

instructor, approximately 75 percent of these students 

are employed and enrolled part time. Occupational 

courses are offered in the evenings, since many of the 

instructors are current utility company employees. 
30

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Partnership with Industry: The A.A.S. program was 

born out of collaboration with the Georgia Energy and 

Industrial Construction Consortium (GEICC). The GEICC 

is itself a partnership between the state’s electrical and 

natural gas utilities and utility associations; nuclear, 

oil, and gas industries; the industrial construction 

industry; and the state and federal offices of workforce 

development, labor, and education. This coalition 

was formed in 2007 to engage the energy industry in 

a strategic, results-driven plan of action to address the 

workforce needs of the energy sectors across the state. 

At that time, one of the biggest problems utilities were 

facing was the aging of their line workers. To address 

this issue, the GEICC worked with three community 

colleges to develop a line worker apprentice program. 

Similarly, the consortium entered into a partnership with 

Lanier Tech, with initial funding from the Appalachian 

Regional Commission, to launch the Electrical Utility 

Technology A.A.S. degree program. Courses from the 

lineworker apprentice programs are accepted by the 

EUT program as transfer credit electives. 

Though the state of Georgia has many power 

companies, Georgia Power and Jackson EMC have 

been the strongest partners to Lanier Tech so far. Their 

employees serve as program instructors and members 

of the program’s advisory board. 

In preparation for the next year or two, when the 

program begins graduating a larger number of 

students, the EUT program is shifting the composition 

of its advisory board to include workforce development 

representatives of power companies. Neil Matheson, 

the original program director, stated that the program’s 

advisory board was composed of “movers and shakers” 

in the statewide industry who saw the need for training 

programs and mobilized the resources to launch the 

EUT program. Now Matheson sees the need for people 

responsible for hiring to be closely involved with the 

program, so they can see the quality of the training 

students are receiving and provide input to refine the 

training process. 

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Serving the Present Needs, 

Preparing for a Sustainable Future

Lanier Technical College 4 Oakwood, Georgia
31

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Directions for the Future: In the near future, Lanier 

Tech is planning to add curricula in solar photovoltaic 

and solar thermal technologies. These programs will be 

offered through the electronics technology department 

of the school’s division of industrial technology, 

and are currently being prepared to undergo the 

accreditation process. In the meantime, individuals 

with some knowledge of electricity fundamentals can 

take a 40-hour course in solar installation that is being 

offered through the economic development arm of the 

technical college. 

Matheson, now director of the electronics technology 

department, is looking toward adding a program in 

smart grid technologies to the department. 

The EUT program is ready for replication across the 

state, and possibly beyond. The EUT program at Lanier 

Tech was intended to be a pilot program, and it is now 

in the early stages of replication at Savannah Technical 

College. The curricula may also expand to schools in 

other states that fall within the service area of Southern 

Company, the parent company of Georgia Power, which 

has been a leader in convening the GEICC. 
32

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Alfred State College is a small college with a large 

green agenda. By incorporating training in green 

practices and technologies into different courses and 

degree programs spread across the college, and by 

installing renewable energy sources on the campus, 

ASC is playing a central role in New York’s efforts to 

become a leader in green-collar employment and clean 

energy use. 

ASC is one of the State University of New York’s few 

technology colleges. The main campus is located in 

Alfred, a town of nearly 6,000 people in the region 

of the state known as the Southern Tier. ASC was 

founded in 1908 and incorporated into the SUNY 

system in 1948. The college offers 53 associate 

in applied science and associate in occupational 

studies degrees and 17 bachelor’s degrees, as well as 

certificates and continuing education courses. Current 

full-time student enrollment is about 3,300. 

Institutional Commitment to Sustainability: ASC 

has made an institutional commitment to sustainability 

and renewable energy. The college is a signatory 

to the American College and University President 

Climate Commitment, and in 2008, ASC President John 

Anderson was one of only three college presidents 

to attend the Clinton Global Initiative Summit, an 

annual event convened by former President Bill 

Clinton to bring together leaders from the business, 

governmental, and non-governmental spheres to find 

solutions to some of the most pressing global issues, 

including energy and climate change.

Alfred State College

Glenn Brubaker, Assistant Professor

Electrician, Computer and Robotics Department

Alfred State College

www.alfredstate.edu

brubakgr@alfredstate.edu

Background: Alfred State College (ASC) 

is part of the State University of New

York public education system and offers

both four-year and two-year degrees. 

The college enrolls approximately 3,300 

students. ASC operates two campuses, one

in Alfred and one in nearby Wellsville. The

town of Alfred is approximately 70 miles

south of Rochester, New York.

Spreading Clean Energy 

Across the Campus

Alfred State College 5 Alfred, New York

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia
33

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

But, as Glenn Brubaker, an assistant professor in the 

electrical construction and maintenance program, 

pointed out, vision alone does not translate into a 

greener college. Rather, Brubaker noted, there is 

interest in and support for renewable energy at all levels 

of ASC’s leadership. Individual faculty members with 

interests in renewable energy receive support from 

the school’s leadership for professional development 

and demonstration technologies. In turn, interested 

and capable faculty members provide the staffing 

for implementing special demonstration and training 

projects for which the college has leveraged resources 

from public and private funding sources, including the 

Appalachian Regional Commission. 

Integrating Renewable Energy into Existing 

Programs: Much of the activity related to renewable 

energy at ASC has been centered at the 22-acre 

Wellsville campus, where the School of Applied 

Technology has been located since it opened in 1968. 

There, energy efficiency plus solar, wind, and other 

renewable energy technologies and techniques are being 

integrated into the curricula for several of the school’s 

associate of occupational studies (A.O.S.) degrees, 

most notably the building trades/building construction, 

electrical construction and maintenance technician, and 

air conditioning and heating technology programs. 

For example, the approximately 90 students earning 

an associate degree in electrical construction and 

maintenance receive four weeks of course and lab 

work that is dedicated exclusively to renewable energy 

sources, according to Brubaker. This integration of 

renewable energy technologies and applications into 

existing programs reflects the college’s commitment to 

providing students with strong foundations in the theory 

and application of their chosen technical field of study. 

Further, Brubaker thinks that the use of renewable 

energy technologies as demonstration in these courses 

provides a more engaging way for students to learn the 

foundational theories that they must master to work in 

any electrical field, renewable or traditional. 
34

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Craig Clark, dean of the School of Applied Technology, 

believes that the hands-on approach sets ASC apart 

and is a reason why the school draws students from 

every county in New York and from other states. 

At other colleges, students may gain experience in 

renewable energy sources through extracurricular 

activities and clubs. But the way renewable energy has 

been incorporated into existing courses of study at ASC 

allows students to learn these theories and skills while 

fulfilling their degree requirements. 

A Wealth of Opportunity for Hands-On Learning: 

The commitment of the college to using renewable 

energy sources provides students with further 

opportunities for hands-on learning. Leading by 

example in its commitment to reduced environmental 

impact, the college has installed three photovoltaic 

systems and four wind turbines on the Wellsville 

campus. When it comes to greening ASC’s operations, 

“students do all the work,” according to Clark. 

For example, one of the installed photovoltaic systems 

provides nearly 50 percent of the energy demands 

of the School of Applied Technology’s library and 

administrative offices. Students in the electrical 

construction and maintenance technician program 

were involved in the four-day installation process and, 

with the guidance of a program faculty member and a 

local solar industry representative, had a great deal of 

autonomy in deciding the specifics of the installation. 

With the support of the Educational Foundation 

of Alfred, a private foundation with the mission of 

enhancing learning opportunities for students, faculty 

and staff, ASC students in the building trades, heavy 

machinery, and electrical construction and maintenance 

electrician programs have been learning by doing, 

building homes from the ground up in a subdivision 

owned by the foundation. These houses, whose 

construction is financed by the foundation, are sold at 

market rates, upwards of $200,000. The 49th house built 

was constructed to Energy Star standards, and uses 

geothermal pumping. 

Construction of the 50th student-built house started in 

the fall of 2009. Unlike the other student-built houses, 

this one will not be put up for sale. Rather, it will serve 

as a showcase Green Home, built to meet the standards 

of the federal Energy Star program and the green 

building guidelines of the National Association of Home 

Builders. 

As such, it will serve several purposes. First, it will 

be a learning laboratory for students, constructed so 

that the home’s energy-saving and energy–producing 

elements can be observed and monitored for energy 

usage. Second, it will be open to business, industry 

and community members as a way of raising awareness 

and understanding of the latest technologies in green 

building. Lastly, it will house the administrative offices 

of the School of Applied Technology and include several 

guest rooms for visitors. 

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Spreading Clean Energy 

Across the Campus

Alfred State College 5 Alfred, New York
35

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Opportunities for hands-on learning are not confined 

to the ASC campuses. In 2009, a team of students 

traveled to Washington, DC, under the supervision of 

Jeff Stevens, an instructor in the electrical construction 

and maintenance electrician program. There they led 

a four-day workshop at the United States National 

Arboretum on the benefits, functions, design and 

installation of solar photovoltaic systems. The workshop 

was attended by homeowners, contractors, engineers 

and other interested parties, and culminated in the ASC 

students installing a 1 kWh solar array, which will power 

the arboretum’s irrigation system. This workshop and 

installation experience is part of a five-year cooperative 

agreement between ASC and the National Arboretum, 

initiated by the arboretum with the goal of receiving 

technical assistance in making their operations more 

environmentally friendly. 
36

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Not all post-secondary programs around energy are 

offered on a for-credit basis. Frostburg State University 

in Western Maryland offers a not-for-credit program 

that provides participants with the knowledge needed 

to install residential wind and solar systems.

The program WISE (Wind and Solar Energy) is offered 

as a two-stage program. In the first stage, students 

complete an eight-week online course. In the second 

stage of the program, students travel to Frostburg for 

an intense three-day workshop allowing them hands-on 

demonstrations of these complicated systems. At the 

end of the course, students can choose to sit for a PV 

entry level certificate of knowledge exam offered by the 

North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners 

(NABCEP). Students who complete the course enter 

the energy field with the ability to install residential 

wind and solar systems and an understanding of how 

these systems work.

The WISE program began in 2007, funded in part 

through a grant from the Appalachian Regional 

Commission. Initially, separate modules were offered 

for solar and wind installation. However, all members 

of the first cohort of attendees signed up for both 

modules, so Frostburg decided it made much more 

sense to offer the combined curriculum.

From the start, the university designed the program to 

reach non-traditional students. The only pre-requisite 

for the class is a high school degree.

Frostburg State University

Oguz A. Soysal 

Hilkat S. Soysal

Co-directors 

Renewable Energy Center 

Department of Physics and Engineering 

http://www.frostburg.edu/renewable/

renewable@frostburg.edu

Background: Frostburg State University

is a four-year institution that is part

of the University of Maryland system. 

Located in Frostburg in the far western

part of Maryland, the school enrolls

just over 5,000 undergraduates and 900 

graduate students. 

Banking on Wind and Solar

Frostburg State University, 6 Frostburg, Maryland

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia
37

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

“We have a very diverse group, which makes 

administering the class challenging,” said Dr. Soysal, 

program director and one of the program’s founders 

and managers. “In terms of knowledge background we 

have people who have no technical background and 

people with electrical engineering degrees and postdocs. This makes our work more challenging.”

The individuals come from diverse educational 

backgrounds as well as diverse careers. Some students 

come into the program hoping to enter directly into 

the energy field while others want to use the residential 

installation training as a way to enhance their current 

position. The majority of participants are contractors, 

but some unexpected occupations are included. 

For instance, Soysal mentioned one attendee with 

a full-time job as a real estate agent who believed 

that knowledge of residential power systems would 

be valuable in selling and pricing properties. Other 

participants from non-technical fields include lawyers, 

dentists, investment advisors, and homeowners.

Students come from a variety of locations. Of the 120 

students in the first three sessions of the program, 89 

percent came from the ARC states of Maryland, Virginia, 

Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York. Maryland 

has contributed just over half of the participants. The 

online component of the class allows for participation 

from more far-flung locales. Several international 

students have taken the class, though they still must 

participate in the intensive workshop.
38

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Course structure: The online component of the course 

is divided into eight sessions that cover the basics of 

wind and solar power and their applications in the 

residential environment. Specifically the eight weeklong 

modules are:

1. Electricity Basics

2. PV and Wind Markets and Applications

3. Solar Energy Fundamentals and PV Module 

Characteristics

4. Wind Energy Fundamentals and 

Turbine Characteristics

5. Residential Generation Types and Components

6. System Sizing and National Electric Code

7. Mechanical Design Considerations

8. Safety Basics, OSHA Requirements

At the end of each self-guided week, students are 

invited to take a self-assessment “test” online to 

gauge their progress. Feedback is given so students 

can understand what elements they need to work on 

before progressing to the next module. Classes can 

be accessed anytime, a necessity given the fact that so 

many of the participants are not full-time students.

The on-site workshop offers an intensive introduction 

to the practical world of installing these systems. 

Students attend labs where they are given instruction 

on installing a small grid-connected photovoltaic 

system, given hands-on demonstrations on wind turbine 

characteristics. Attendees are also given instructions 

on inspecting residential generation systems and 

information about regulatory standards for the 

installation.

Program Director Soysal, who is also a professor of 

electrical engineering in Frostburg’s Department of 

Physics and Engineering, has prepared the online 

curriculum based on a broad range of reference sources. 

He continually updates the website to include the most 

recent documents and external links. Faculty members 

for the hands-on part of the workshop primarily come 

from private industry, ensuring that students receive 

real-world instruction on this technology. It is also key 

that the university has adequate technology on hand for 

demonstrating the installation techniques. A portion of 

the $850 tuition goes towards ensuring that the program 

has adequate facilities to instruct their students. In 

addition, Frostburg State has received funding to build 

the Sustainable Energy Research Facility, which will 

house WISE and other programs.

Case Studies: Green Schools

and Sustainability in Appalachia

CONTINUED

Banking on Wind and Solar

Frostburg State University, 6 Frostburg, Maryland
39

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Program impacts: To date, nearly 200 individual have 

gone through the program which has been offered 

twice yearly since the fall of 2007. Many graduates have 

gone directly into renewable energy fields while others 

have used the knowledge to supplement their careers or 

even install systems in their homes or businesses. One 

way of measuring the impact is the number of students 

sitting for the NABCEP certificate of knowledge exam, 

which is specifically geared towards solar installation. In 

spring of 2009, 40 students took the test administered 

by Frostburg State and 36 passed.

Challenges: The program’s main challenges come 

from its non-traditional nature. While community 

colleges are accustomed to offering non-credit 

classes, though not always at the ambitious scale of 

Frostburg State, such programs are more unusual at 

the university level. Consequently, getting university 

administrators to embrace the program has been a 

challenge. Universities are often accustomed to dealing 

with traditional students in the 18- to 22-year-old 

range, a cohort that is only a partial component of the 

Frostburg State program. The success of the program, 

demonstrated both in terms of impact on students and 

its financial self-sufficiency, should alleviate the concerns 

that are brought by university administrators. 
40

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Resources for Green Schools 

and Sustainability

American Association of Community Colleges

www.aacc.nche.edu

www.theseedcenter.org/

In service since 1920, the American Association of 

Community Colleges has been the “voice of America’s 

community colleges.” The Association represents 

and advocates for more than 1,200 associate degree 

granting institutions enrolling more than 12 million 

students – almost half of all U.S. undergraduates. The 

mission of AACC is to build a nation of learners by 

advancing America’s community colleges.

The Sustainability Education & Economic Development 

(SEED) Center is a leadership initiative and resource 

center created by the American Association of 

Community Colleges and ecoAmerica that will 

provide strategic guidance and detailed resources 

for community colleges to dramatically ramp-up their 

programs to educate America’s 21st century workforce.

The SEED Center offers access to resources such 

as promising practices and curriculum materials in 

subject areas including renewable energy, energy 

efficiency, green building, general sustainability, and 

more. The SEED Center offers access to resources such 

as promising practices and curriculum. In the SEED 

Community, educators exchange information and ideas 

using a wiki and topical discussion boards.

The SEED Center is currently focusing on four key 

green economy sectors: solar, wind, green building, 

and energy efficiency. In time, the site plans to build out 

other areas that are known to be crucial to job growth, 

such as sustainable agriculture, geothermal, smart grid 

technology, water and wastewater, and alternative fuels.

The American College & University Presidents’ 

Climate Commitment

www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

The American College & University Presidents’ Climate 

Commitment (ACUPCC) is a high-visibility effort 

to address global climate disruption. Members of 

this network of colleges and universities have made 

institutional commitments to eliminate net greenhouse 

gas emissions from specified campus operations, and to 

promote the research and educational efforts of higher 

education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s 

climate. Its mission is to accelerate progress towards 

climate neutrality and sustainability by empowering the 

higher education sector to educate students, create 

solutions, and provide leadership-by-example for the 

rest of society.

The ACUPCC provides a framework and support for 

America’s colleges and universities to implement 

comprehensive plans in pursuit of climate neutrality. The 

commitment recognizes the unique responsibility that 

institutions of higher education have as role models for 

their communities and in educating the people who 

will develop the social, economic, and technological 

solutions to reverse global warming and help create 

a thriving, civil, and sustainable society. Over 650 

presidents and chancellors representing the spectrum 

of higher education have become charter signatories of 

the ACUPCC. 
41

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

The Association for the Advancement of 

Sustainability in Higher Education

www.aashe.org

AASHE is an association of colleges and universities 

that are working to create a sustainable future. The 

mission of the organization is to empower higher 

education to lead the sustainability transformation. 

AASHE undertakes this work by providing resources, 

professional development, and a network of support 

to enable institutions of higher education to model 

and advance sustainability in everything they do, from 

governance and operations to education and research.

AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way, 

encompassing human and ecological health, social 

justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all 

generations. AASHE is a member-driven, independent 

501(c)(3). Membership in AASHE covers every individual 

at an institution.

Campus Environmental Resource Center

www.campuserc.org

The Campus Environmental Resource Center is a 

library of resources to support campus environmental 

performance improvement. Developed collaboratively 

by the National Association of College and University 

Business Officers, the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, and other partners, the primary audience

is staff, administrators, or faculty who are looking 

for resources to better understand environmental 

regulations, find relevant contacts, seek model 

practices, track news, or build and manage better 

environmental programs.

Center for Green Schools, U.S. Green 

Building Council

www.usgbc.org

The Center will build upon the Green Schools and 

Green Campus campaigns and collaborate with leading 

education and environmental associations, creating 

tools and resources that help make green schools 

possible. Through the Center, USGBC is escalating its 

work on green schools caucuses in the U.S. Congress 

and the 50 for 50 Initiative with state legislatures 

nationwide; the nationwide Mayors’ Alliance for Green 

Schools; and the Coalition for Green Schools, which 

represents more than 10 million members collectively 

and comprises organizations such as the National PTA, 

the National School Boards Association, the National 

Education Association, and the American Federation 

of Teachers. The Center is creating new resources and 

advocacy tools to support USGBC Student Groups on 

college campuses and a nationwide network of more 

than 1,000 Green School Committee professional 

volunteers. It is also focused on providing training and 

helpful resources to those who need it most – K-12 

schools serving lower-income families, under-resourced 

institutions, and community colleges. A Center for 

Green Schools Advisory Board made up of green 

advocates, experts, educators, philanthropists, and 

other key stakeholders has also been formed.
42

GREEN SCHOOLS and Sustainability in Appalachia | Case Studies in Rural Practice

Since 1993, Second Nature has worked with higher 

education to transform our economic, social, and

environmental habits to ensure a healthy, just, secure, 

and sustainable future. We believe that creating a 

thriving, enduring society is the fundamental purpose 

of all learning; sustainability should be a foundational 

principle of higher education rather than a specialized 

program or discipline. We call this Education for 

Sustainability (EFS), and it has grown into a movement 

synonymous with Second Nature.

Trans-Atlantic Technology and Training Alliance

www.ta3online.org

The Trans-Atlantic Technology and Training Alliance 

(TA3

) is a network of leading post-secondary education 

and training institutions in the United States, Europe, 

and South Africa. This international alliance is 

dedicated to sharing practices that prepare workers 

to be creative and productive employees; improving 

access for non-traditional students; providing 

opportunities for multi-cultural faculty development and 

student exchange; building connections to economy 

and community; and strengthening and expanding 

the roles of the colleges in providing business, social, 

cultural, and entrepreneurial services. The focus of 

the TA3 is on the intersection of education, economic 

development, and social cohesion, and beginning 

with its 2010 conference on building sustainable 

communities, it is turning its attention to learning and 

shared practices to improve sustainability among its 

member colleges and for the emerging work force.

The Community College Alliance for Sustainability

www.rtsinc.org 

Formed in 2009 with a grant from the Ford Foundation 

to support members in central Appalachia, the network 

develops new and better ways to educate, train, 

promote, and support sustainable rural development. 

The goals of the Alliance are: expanding or improving 

programs that support employment in sustainable 

enterprises; attracting and retaining students in 

programs that lead to employment opportunities; 

supporting entrepreneurship in green building, 

energy conservation, sustainable agriculture, and 

ecotourism; helping local businesses understand the 

economics of sustainability and social inclusion; building 

partnerships with government agencies, communitybased organizations, and extension services; increasing 

energy efficiency and renewable energy on campuses; 

and sharing everything learned or developed across 

Appalachia and the United States. 

Second Nature

www.secondnature.org 

Second Nature’s mission is to accelerate movement 

toward a sustainable future by serving and supporting 

senior college and university leaders in making healthy, 

just, and sustainable living the foundation of all learning 

and practice in higher education.

Resources for Green Schools 

and Sustainability

CONTINUED
www.arc.gov/energy

Photos courtesy of: Cleveland State Community College, Cleveland, Tennessee

 Hocking College, Nelsonville, Ohio

 Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina

 Lanier Technical College, Oakwood, Georgia

 Alfred State College, Alfred, New York

 Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Maryland

 Feinknopf Photography: cover photo, photos on pages 

 18, 20, 22, and inside back cover
Appalachian Regional Commission

1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC 20009-1068

www.arc.gov | www.arc.gov/energy