عربي | Español

Darius Fells was considering working in an auto plant before he took a job as an energy specialist at Detroit-based Walker-Miller Energy Services. As one of many people across metro Detroit and the nation who are finding careers in the rapidly expanding green building industry, the 32-year-old Harper Woods resident said he’s been delighted by a job that satisfies his curiosity and has a positive impact.

“The energy efficiency field is always growing and improving,” Fells said. “There’s always room to learn new things. That’s what really struck my interest, because I’m a person who likes to learn and grow.”

Fells started working for Walker-Miller in 2016. As an energy specialist, he visited customers’ homes to recommend ways they could save energy, install energy-efficient light bulbs, and perform other simple retrofits. In 2021, after completing several professional certifications and trainings with the assistance of his employer, he was promoted to energy auditor. 

Now, Fells does similar but more in-depth work, performing thorough analyses of homes to identify safety issues and energy-saving opportunities including gas leaks, air leakage issues, and more.

“Each house is a different system,” he said. “It’s like our bodies. Everybody has a body, but the way they react is different. … I investigate everywhere I can to make this house as safe and healthy and efficient as possible.”

Fells’ work has an impact for the environment and for the clients he works with, like Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency.

“Our goal is to provide the greatest impact for the residents and communities we serve. By collaborating with organizations like Walker-Miller and residents like Darius, we are co-developing a community-based building sciences workforce here in Detroit while improving housing quality and efficiency,” said Steve Cato, director of community development at Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency. “It’s a collective win.” 

Fells hopes to eventually train others to become energy auditors.

“I definitely see opportunities to advance,” he said. “The energy field is always growing, so there’s always going to be room to improve.”

If you’re thinking about following in Fells’ footsteps, the green building sector offers numerous entry-level career opportunities with significant potential for advancement in Metro Detroit and beyond. In this community guide, we’ll dig into some common questions about this growing field.

What is a green building job?

“Green building jobs, to me, involve the intersection of jobs that have to do with either building or upgrading infrastructure, and doing that in a way that results in a net reduction of impacts to the environment,” said David Gard, executive director of the Michigan Energy Efficiency Contractors Association. “Often, what comes along with these kinds of practices are things that tend to improve the building quality for the occupants, things that improve air quality, health and safety, and comfort.”

Alternately, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines green jobs as jobs that “produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources,” or jobs that involve making businesses’ “production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.” 

By either definition, green building careers encompass a huge variety of jobs that may involve reducing air pollution or water usage, improving water quality, installing solar power infrastructure, lead abatement, conducting energy audits, and much more. Skilled tradespeople like electricians, heating and air conditioning technicians, and carpenters are also in high demand in the green building industry. 

What’s more, green building jobs don’t necessarily entail getting your hands dirty on a building site. Tim Skrotzki is a senior market development lead for the environmental justice nonprofit Elevate and community energy consultant for Michigan Energy Options. He notes that green building jobs can also involve marketing, sales, and business development. “You don’t necessarily have to have technical skills,” Skrotzki said.

Gard adds that green building jobs are more than just a way to make money. For those who are passionate about the environment, a green building job can also be an opportunity to live out one’s values.

“By working on Michigan’s building sector, you can really do something that has an impact beyond yourself,” he said. “We know climate change is an issue that we have to address. This is a way that you can directly impact that issue in a positive way, if that’s important to you.”

What is the outlook for green building careers?

The green building sector is expanding rapidly right now. That’s in part due to rapidly growing interest in sustainability and climate change mitigation. According to one analysis, 875,000 Americans already hold green jobs, and the sector is expected to add another 114,300 jobs over the next decade. 

Major legislation like the recently passed federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) also stands to dramatically increase green jobs, including green building jobs. The IRA established an estimated $370 billion in solar, wind, and electric vehicle subsidies. An analysis commissioned by the Nature Conservancy forecasts that the IRA will create 537,000 jobs a year over the next decade, including over 95,000 per year in energy-efficient and electrified buildings. 

In addition to this nationwide momentum, green building jobs are growing rapidly in Michigan. The state currently has over 113,000 clean energy jobs, nearly 22% of them in construction. And creating more green jobs is a linchpin of the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, which lays out a roadmap for the state to achieve 100% carbon neutrality by 2050.

Even better news for workers considering a green building job, despite the headaches it currently causes for employers, is that there’s currently a serious lack of workers to fill green building jobs. 

“I’m certain that in 2023 we’re not going to find enough workers,” Skrotzki said. “We all know it. The weatherization programs know it. The solar industry knows it.”

That’s due to a variety of factors. The national unemployment rate currently remains low. The state of Michigan is also anticipating a continuing shortage of workers in all skilled trades (not just green jobs), due to baby boomers retiring while younger generations have pursued college degrees rather than trade school. 

“It’s an industry that is going to demand more people going forward,” Gard said. “And they can come in at all different levels, from entry level all the way up to skilled technicians with lots of experience to everything in between.”

Many green building employers are also particularly motivated to hire people of color, who are more likely to die and experience other negative effects from climate change and other environmental issues. Black and Hispanic/Latino workers are underrepresented in the clean energy sector, but employers like Ali Dirul, CEO of Highland Park-based solar power provider Ryter Cooperative Industries, aim to change that. 

“We want to ensure that people in underserved communities have a real solid footing in this space,” he said. “These areas are the most disaffected and they’re the ones that actually have the rapport with the community to actually get people engaged.”

How can I get started in a green building career?

Connie Lilley, executive director of the Detroit 2030 District, said that as interest in sustainable practices has risen, “Everybody kind of starts to think they’re a sustainability expert.” 

However, she said true success in the ever-evolving field of green building requires expertise – and green building professionals are “never going to have to stop learning.” Fortunately, an array of certifications, training programs, and other educational options are available for those looking to get into the field – and some of them are free. Here are just a few of the available options if you’re seeking training or professional certifications in green building:

• LEED is an international gold standard for green building standards, and the U.S. Green Building Council offers LEED credentials in areas including building design and construction, interior design and construction, and homes.
• The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) offers a number of well-regarded professional certifications in clean energy fields, with an emphasis on solar energy. NABCEP has board certifications for photovoltaic (PV) installers, design specialists, inspectors, and more. And its Associate Program recognizes individuals with knowledge of photovoltaic, solar heating, or small wind energy systems.
• The nonprofit Building Performance Institute (BPI) focuses on developing standards and credentials for residential energy auditing and upgrade work. It offers certificates in building science principles, emphasizing energy efficiency; and healthy housing principles. Professional certifications are available for energy auditors, heating professionals, building analysts, and other careers.
• Michigan’s Weatherization Assistance Program offers free training in energy-efficient weatherization processes through participating contractors. 
• The state of Michigan’s website offers an overview of certifications available to those considering a career in lead abatement, as well as certification scholarship opportunities.
• Detroit-based Walker-Miller Energy Services has partnered with DTE Energy to host the Energy Efficiency Academy, an eight-week paid program that teaches participants how to carry out energy-efficient upgrades or installs in homes. The program includes both classroom and field work, and participants are connected to job opportunities upon completion. Participants can earn BPI certifications through the academy. For more information, email workforce@wmenergy.com. 
• The Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s Rise Up Scholarship program offers free entry-level solar industry training for individuals who are underemployed, unemployed, formerly incarcerated, aged 18-25, and/or Black, Indigenous, or people of color. Scholarship recipients have the ability to attain the NABCEP Associate credential.
• The Detroit-based Green Door Initiative offers the Environmental Technician Career Worker Training Program, which aims to educate disadvantaged and underrepresented minority workers in fields including construction and environmental remediation/restoration. The program offers a six-week basic skills training, as well as more specialized technical training in areas including construction, weatherization, and lead abatement.
• Detroit-based Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency offers the Growing Green Jobs Training Program, a 10-week, $16/hour paid program that trains participants to be weatherization installation technicians, water conservation auditors, or weatherization home assessors. The next cohort begins in April 2023.
• The Michigan AFL-CIO’s Workforce Development Institute aims to connect unemployed or underemployed individuals to “training and resources necessary to find gainful employment and transition Michigan to a cleaner, greener economy.” It offers several apprenticeship programs.

Local trade schools, community colleges, and universities also offer a variety of green building job training options:

• The Detroit-based Emerging Industries Training Institute is a vocational school that offers a course designed to prepare newcomers for apprenticeships in renewable and solar energy.
• The Wayne County Community College District offers a two-year certificate program in renewable energy, with a special emphasis on solar panel installation. The program prepares students to take NABCEP’s PV installer exam or a LEED exam.
• Henry Ford College offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in energy technology and HVAC, which also gives students an opportunity to complete an Energy Technology — HVAC Basic Certificate or an Energy Technology — HVAC Advanced Certificate.
• Macomb Community College offers a two-year Construction Technology – Renewable Energy Specialist certificate program.
• Wayne State University (WSU) offers a two-year Master of Science degree in alternative energy technology, which was the first of its kind in the U.S. when WSU established it in 2004.
• The Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium offers a list of energy industry training opportunities at high schools, community colleges, and universities across Michigan.

What green building jobs are available right now?

“There’s a place for you in this industry, no matter what you’re good at, no matter what you like to do,” Gard said. “If you’re a math person, a science person, a people person, a sales person, or administrative person, there’s a role for you in this industry.”

While there’s high demand for talent in almost every green building-related job, the solar power industry is in particularly high need, due in part to the IRA’s solar subsidies. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast predicts that solar photovoltaic installation will be one of the fastest growing green jobs, anticipating that the occupation will add 6,100 jobs between 2020 and 2030. 

Gard adds that there’s always a high need for qualified energy auditors, who review clients’ utility bills and energy use to advise the client on how best to save energy. And Lilley notes that basic tradespeople – such as HVAC and electricians – are in high demand in the green building sector just as they are elsewhere. Detroit at Work is a good general resource if you’re looking for local job postings. 

Entry-level green building jobs also offer promising pathways to advancement in the field. For just one example, you could start as a solar assembler or basic installer (median pay $28,640/year), work your way up to a mid-level career as an electrician with solar expertise (median pay $47,180/year), and then advance to become a solar installation contractor (median pay $85,360/year). For many more examples like this, check out the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s career maps, which show opportunities for advancement in green building, solar, and climate control technology fields.

What options are available for starting my own green building business?

Just as there’s a great need for workers in the field, there’s also a need for new employers. Skrotzki said contractors closed up shop en masse during the housing market implosion of the Great Recession, and they still haven’t recovered.

“Now we just have all these giant construction firms that have exorbitant profit margins,” he said. “And so we have to build up that small contractor base [in all areas of construction], let alone the green contractor base.”

For those interested in filling that need by starting up a green building contractor business, numerous resources are available. Here are a few of them:

• The Michigan Small Business Development Center offers a variety of free classes, programs, and other services for new business owners.
• The Chicago-based nonprofit Elevate offers a Contractor Accelerator Program designed to “​​help remove the barriers that prevent developing and diverse contractors from entering the clean energy economy.” Accelerator programs are tailored to the specific group of participants, last six to eight weeks, and have been held in Detroit and other Midwest cities.
• The nonprofit Michigan Energy Efficiency Contractors Association advocates for energy efficiency contractors’ priorities in Lansing. Gard said the organization, which he leads as executive director, also offers “a ready audience of peers that would be willing to willing and happy to share best practices and just help mentor new people to the industry.”
• The nonprofit Michigan Minority Contractors Association offers advocacy and educational resources for minority-owned contracting businesses in the state.
• The Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council provides advocacy, education, and networking for Michigan’s advanced energy industry. 

National organizations offer resources as well:

• The nonprofit National Association of Black Women in Construction offers networking opportunities for Black female contractors and advocates for them to get contracting opportunities.
• Black Owners of Solar Services advocates for African-American professionals working in the solar space. 
• Advancing Women in Energy offers networking, education, and mentoring for women in energy careers.

This Planet Detroit Climate Guide was made possible with the generous support of General Motors.