SUNY Orange to host green technologies open house Jan. 19

MIDDLETOWN - SUNY Orange, the Mid-Hudson Energy Smart Communities and Sustainable Hudson Valley will host a “Green Careers and Green Technology Courses” open house from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19, in the Gilman Center for International Education on SUNY Orange’s Middletown campus. SUNY Orange’s Continuing Education staff will highlight upcoming non-credit course offerings in green technologies, including courses that train students in installing photovoltaic solar panels, accredit students in geothermal installation processes and prepare students to design solar hot water systems. The evening’s keynote speaker will be photovoltaics instructor Howard Aschoff, who is among the pre-eminent leaders in the development of solar technologies in the Hudson Valley. His research and development experience at Honeywell Labs Corp. and Princeton University helped him establish the applied engineering concept that he teaches in his classes. In addition, Patricia Courtney Strong, coordinator of Mid-Hudson Energy Smart Communities, will provide an overview of the green economy, along with job prospects and current incentives offered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Dr. Melissa Everett, executive director of Sustainable Hudson Valley will discuss career paths and possibilities in the green economy, and Barbara Reer, program manager for Clean Energy Technology training at SUNY Ulster, will highlight the variety of green technology courses available throughout the Hudson Valley. SUNY Orange will offer the following green technology courses this spring: Renewable Energy Math and Electricity (Jan. 24 to Feb. 14) Solar Hot Water System Design (Jan. 28-30) Geothermal Installer (Feb. 28 to March 2) Photovoltaic Systems (March 2 to April 2). All courses are a joint venture between SUNY Orange and SUNY Ulster under a NYSERDA grant. For more information on the open house or upcoming courses, contact Lou DeFeo, SUNY Orange workforce development education coordinator, at 845-341-9532.