The SWITCH Project is a green career readiness program designed to engage and develop the personal, professional, and leadership skills of disadvantaged urban adults (ages 18-26) for entry-level positions in energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart grid technology.
Participants in SWITCH work toward earning professional certifications from the Building Performance Institute (BPI) and/or the North American Certification of Energy Professionals (NABCEP), which are nationally recognized certifications of expertise for those desiring entry into energy auditing and retrofitting or solar system design and installation.
To date, 47 individuals have participated in the program and have visited over 5,000 Seattle-area homes, installing 10,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs and 500 low flow shower heads. Crew members have also caulked windows, weather stripped doors and installed other energy and water saving device, saving over 400,000 kWh of residential energy use.
Moontown Associates register residents to vote and deliver eco-bags, filled with CFLs and low flow shower heads, during the White Center Energy and Prosperity Project.
Graduates are currently continuing their training through specialized programs with the Labor International Union of North America’s (LiUNA), Veteran Conservation Corps, Seattle Public Utility, Seattle City Light, and Puget Sound Energy, and EcoFab.
