Search: Research job/volunteer opps, Renewable Energy

Clinton Foundation/Clinton Climate Initiative

Location: Flexible, Latin America preferred (willingness to travel)

President Clinton launched the Clinton Foundation’s Climate Initiative (CCI) in August 2006 with the mission of applying the Foundation’s business-oriented approach to the fight against climate change in practical, measurable and significant ways. Announced in May 2007, the Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program (EEBRP) is CCI’s first major climate change program. CCI is working with 40 of the world’s largest cities (www.c40cities.org) and their leading private building owners to promote the wide-scale adoption of scalable, low-cost business models for energy efficiency projects in existing buildings. In Latin America, the C40 partner cities are: Bogota, Buenos Aires, Curitiba, Lima, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Sao Paolo. The EEBRP will be assisting public and private-sector building owners to launch large-scale building efficiency projects to reduce the carbon footprint of existing buildings.

We seek a candidate that is motivated by the climate change mission and experienced in energy services project development and procurement. An ideal background would include buying or selling energy services, including strategic sourcing and procurement, supplier relationship management, project management, and service contracting. Knowledge of the energy services supply chain, capital budgeting and building systems technology is desirable, but not required. Energy Services Project Development Managers must be able to work collaboratively with CCI colleagues over great distances, willing to travel extensively, and operate independently.

Job Description:

The Energy Services Project Development Manager will work in partnership with CCI local city staff to originate and manage EEBRP projects in the Latin American C40 cities. This person will be responsible for working with local City Directors to identify and approach government, institutional, and private building owners to educate them about the program, remove project barriers and facilitate project action. In addition, this person will work with other CCI and external technical resources to support building owners in all aspects of planning of EEBRP projects, including creating compatible energy services procurement processes, drafting and reviewing international tender and contract terms and conditions, recommending processes for selecting vendors and evaluating vendor performance. The Energy Services Project Development Manager is expected to have an understanding of the energy services procurement process in order to provide or source technical training for planning and implementation of energy efficiency projects.

The Energy Services Project Development Manager will also advise CCI staff supporting project development on the overall assessment of client needs, including identifying and overcoming organizational, legal, financial barriers to large-scale building efficiency project implementation. The Energy Services Project Development Manager will leverage and work closely with EEBRP industry and professional partners to deliver this support.

Key Responsibilities:

* Work with CCI City Directors to identify, develop, and manage EEBRP projects in Latin American C40 Cities
* Assess projects for technical support needs in all areas of energy services procurement, including creating and reviewing project and contract documentation, sourcing and qualifying vendors, and performance evaluation and identifying and deploying CCI or external resources to support projects where needed.
* Build a local technical support team including experts in specific skills (such as legal, engineering, architectural, etc.)

Skills:

* Minimum of 10 years experience and a proven track record in the business and project development of energy services
* Experience with energy services procurement processes in the public or private sector
* Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, set priorities, meet deadlines
* Background in working with senior management and / or government officials
* Strong collaborative skills including; diplomatic and negotiation skills; demonstrated ability to navigate complex processes with multiple players and achieve consensus
* Willingness to travel as needed
* Fluency in English and Spanish required, Portuguese a plus

Experience and Education:

A related degree and/or job experience in business and project development of energy services or building technology. A graduate business degree is desirable.

TO APPLY: Please send an e-mail with letter of interest, resume, and names of three references to ccijobs@clintonfoundation.org. Please indicate where you saw the advertisement and include the title “Energy Services Project Development Manager: Latin American Region” in the subject line.

ClimateWorks is a new global philanthropic network organized to win the battle against climate change.
Its goal is to ensure that global average temperatures do not increase by more than 2o C – a threshold many scientists describe as a dangerous tipping point. ClimateWorks’ method is to work in the top-emitting nations to build low-carbon energy policies and to reduce the rate of deforestation in the world’s largest, most threatened tropical forests.
To carry out its goals, ClimateWorks will develop a network of institutions with two broad archetypes: Regional Climate Foundations and Best Practice Networks. The Regional Foundations will drive campaign-style grant making steeped in the local context and politics, like the existing Energy Foundation and China Sustainable Energy Program, in each of our priority countries/regions – U.S., Europe, China, India, and Latin America.

The Best Practice Networks (BPNs) are to be vehicles for collecting, developing and distributing sector-specific best practice information and assistance to key decision makers globally, with an emphasis on our priority countries/regions. Up to ten BPNs are envisioned in total, including: vehicle and fuel standards; transportation and urban systems; building codes; appliance standards; utility reform; industrial efficiency; and, carbon capture and storage.

ClimateWorks seeks two highly skilled and motivated Program Officers in the areas of Energy Efficiency and Transportation to provide institutional development and sector-based strategy support for the ClimateWorks Network. The Energy Efficiency Program Officer will focus on design and implementation of building codes, appliance standards and utility reform to incentivize demand-side management. The Transportation Program Officer will focus on design and implementation of vehicle efficiency standards and low carbon fuel standards, and the design of transportation and urban systems which aid mobility while reducing car use.

These Program Officers will provide support to the ClimateWorks sector-based Best Practice Networks as well as the Program Officers focused on these sectors residing at the ClimateWorks Regional Foundations.
Most immediately, the Program Officers will help build new or expand existing institutions to serve as the Best Practice Networks including the development of strategic plans, operational plans, staff and governance plans and mechanisms which increase the organizations access to and impact in influencing key decision-makers. Over time, the Program Officers will provide support to the entire network on these topics, helping to develop and refine sector-based strategies and research, convene key decision-makers to increase the understanding of and commitment to implementing energy and transportation policies, and facilitate exchange between internal and external groups to uncover and address new issues within the sectors.

-Primary Duties and Responsibilities

More specifically, the Program Officer will:
Work with external organizations and/or experts to develop or establish institutions to serve as ClimateWorks’ Best Practice Networks, including the development of strategic and operational plans, hiring of staff, establishing Boards of Directors, setting up new offices, establishing partnerships with other relevant organizations, and providing outreach to the decision-makers these Networks will be looking to influence;
Oversee a grant portfolio and budget (approximately $10 million to start) for the Best Practice Networks to accomplish targeted policy goals, as well as providing guidance to and monitoring of the portfolio of grants managed by the Regional Climate Foundations;
Solicit, review, and recommend strategic plans for funding;
Write dockets for board consideration;
Monitor the impact of individual grants;
Maintain relationships with the ClimateWorks Network, grantees, other funders, and other experts and leaders in the field;
Initiate strategy calls and meetings as needed;
Engage directly in the field as needed; and,
Help prepare compelling proposals and reports for the ClimateWorks Foundation’s funding partners and broader stakeholders.

-Professional Qualifications and Personal Attributes

The successful applicant will have the following minimum qualifications:
A deep commitment to the mission and values of the ClimateWorks Foundation.
Extensive experience in building new institutions or programs, including the development of strategic and operational plans, hiring staff and developing Boards of Directors, and building organizational partnerships.
At least five to seven years’ experience in the fields of energy or transportation policy, either in policy development or execution.
Comfort with qualitative and quantitative energy and transportation policy analysis.
A strong track record of applying sound political and strategic judgment in complex situations.
Experience in working or living abroad, particularly in developing countries.
An insightful, independent analytic mind.
Strong facilitation, convening and negotiation skills.
Experience negotiating with government officials or business leaders.
Experience creating collaboration among networks of organizations or companies.
Proven ability to initiate and manage projects.
Outstanding written and verbal communications skills.
Ability to work well in a team; enthusiastic personality; sense of humor.
Willingness to travel.
Multilingual preferred.
Masters or other advanced degree preferred.

Compensation and Benefits
The expected start date for this position is in August 2008. The position will be located in San Francisco, California. ClimateWorks Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to:
Melissa B. Clack
Search Coordinator
Email: ClimateWorksPO@ceaconsulting.com
Please specify your interest in either the Energy Efficiency or Transportation position. Please also let us know where you where you learned of this posting.
No phone calls, please.
ClimateWorks Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.

The successful candidate will utilize and develop analytical modeling and data analysis techniques to investigate and predict weather dependent performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules and PV farm systems.

The candidate will utilize a broad set of skills including simulation & modeling, engineering data analysis, and project management. The candidate must be flexible and enthusiastically tackle a variety of projects as the issues facing the group evolve. Responsibilities include:

• Research & analyze meteorological data to assess available solar resource (project development support)

• Perform simulations to assess anticipated project energy production (project development support)

• Provide detailed power plant performance estimates and supporting information to assist external evaluation of investment opportunity (project finance support)

• Develop understanding of strengths and weaknesses of various commercial simulation programs for communication with independent engineers (project finance support)

• Meteorological data analysis to assess the variability of solar resource and the range of environmental conditions the systems must perform in (project development and system design support)

• Analyze test site and installation data to assess accuracy of simulations (develop core competency)

• Analyze solar power plant data to identify potential warranty claims (asset management support)

The successful candidate will be adept at understanding technical concepts as well as assisting colleagues and clients in understanding complex technical issues in layman's terms.

Experience:

The following are essential requirements of the successful candidate:

• Superior written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills;

• Demonstrated skill in analytical modeling and engineering data analysis techniques;

• Demonstrated success in interfacing with external parties;

• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-faceted projects;

• Proficient in MS Office applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Highly desirable qualities of the successful candidate:

• Familiarity with transmission grid regulatory issues related to intermittent power generation;

• Familiarity with meteorological data resources and analytical methods;

• Familiarity with electrical engineering circuit design and analysis;

• Proficient with MatLab;

• Proficient with solar simulation software (PVSyst, PV Sol, PV Design Pro or similar).

Education:

BS Meteorology, Physics or Engineering: Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Material Science

To apply for this job, please e-mail your cover letter and resume in Word format to apligavko@optisolar.com or fax to (510)-401-5701. Please include job code and "Energyfolks" in the subject line.

The successful candidate will lead the commercial analysis of technical issues. The following is a list of representative responsibilities.

Evaluate the commercial impact of the technical requirements of contracts under negotiation as well as the codes & standards of new target markets
Develop financial and contractual solutions to such issues
Interface directly with counterparties, consultants and internal teams (including: Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing)
Build and use rigorous financial models to support decision making
Develop technical and financial models to evaluate strategies to mitigate the impact of intermittent production on the transmission grid
Develop technical proficiency on solar panels, farm installations, and grid interconnection to understand the economic impacts of performance criteria and technical requirements
Keep abreast of the development of new regulations; represent OptiSolar in industry stakeholder meetings
Successful candidate will individually manage projects thereby utilizing a broad set of skills, including issue and data analysis, problem solving and communication.

Experience:

Five+ years work experience in engineering and/or related technical sales
Familiarity with electricity related regulatory issues strongly preferred
Familiarity with power engineering and grid interconnection issues strongly preferred
Strong financial modeling and spreadsheet skills
Exemplary oral and written communication skills
Demonstrated interest in renewable energy technologies
Education:

BA / BS from top university
Engineering, physical science, economics or mathematics degree required

To apply for this job, please e-mail your cover letter and resume in Word format to apligavko@optisolar.com or fax to (510)-401-5701. Please include job code and "Energyfolks" in the subject line.

The successful candidate will be accountable for the group's technical performance and responsible for completing projects such as:

· Assess anticipated site specific solar resource & energy production

· Drive the development of methodologies to reduce uncertainty in energy production estimates

· Provide detailed power plant performance estimates and supporting information to support investor evaluation of solar farm investment opportunity.

· Monitor performance of power plant output for asset management purposes

· Determine impact of various installation configurations on energy production to support Business Analysis team's economic analyses.

· Coordinate the deployment of meteorological stations and collection of data from development site locations for support of contract and financing requirements.

· Identify power plant energy output ramping characteristics and identify mitigation strategies to support the interconnection of the power plant.

· Review contract requirements associated with solar resource and power plant output; recommend language and changes to protect OptiSolar interests

· Represent OptiSolar in associated regulatory stakeholder processes as necessary

The position requires an individual able to manage multiple projects as well as obtain commitments for support from internal and external parties. The successful candidate will be adept at explaining technical concepts in layman's terms as well as identifying commercial implications of technical issues.

Experience:

The following are essential requirements of the successful candidate:

• Superior written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills;

• Demonstrated ability to handle project management functions for multiple projects simultaneously;

• Demonstrated ability to develop a technical execution plan based on commercial requirements;

• Experience in controls or system design, consulting engineering, or operations in wind power, solar power or closely related field;

• Supervisory experience;

• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret technical papers and analyze data to develop and validate algorithms and assumptions;

• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Highly desirable qualities of the successful candidate:

• Familiarity with the physics of photovoltaic technology;

• Proficient with MatLab;

• Proficient with solar simulation software (PVSyst, PV Sol, PV Design Pro or similar);

• Experience with SCADA systems.

Education:

• BS Physics, Meteorology or Engineering: Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Material Science

• Masters or PhD preferred

• PE desirable

To apply for this job, please e-mail your cover letter and resume in Word format to apligavko@optisolar.com or fax to (510)-401-5701. Please include job code and "Energyfolks" in the subject line.

The successful candidate will develop, run, and maintain discrete-event simulation models to inform a variety of Optisolar's operational decisions. Models may be of the supply chain, production or deployment of the company's solar panels. The successful candidate may also be called upon to perform other quantitative analyses.

Candidate will work with employees at all levels of the organization. Successful candidate will individually manage models thereby utilizing a broad set of skills, including programming, problem solving and communication.

To apply for this job, please e-mail your cover letter and resume in Word format to apligavko@optisolar.com or fax to (510)-401-5701. Please include job code and "Energyfolks" in the subject line.

The research activities of this group are aimed at developing high-efficiency sensitized solid-state and liquid-junction nanostructured solar cells based on mesoporous photosystems. Sensitizers include quantum-scaled semiconductors and molecular dyes. The position involves research in designing, fabricating, and characterizing sensitized porous nanocrystalline semiconductor thin films and the associated solar cells and investigating possible factors limiting solar cell efficiency and stability. This research is part of integrated program involving both applied and basic research (e.g., J. Phys. Chem. B, 2006, 110, 12485; Nano Lett. 7, 69 (2007); Nano Lett. 7, 3739 (2007)). In addition to the applied work, the researcher is expected to contribute to parallel research aimed at establishing a basic understanding of charge transport and interfacial phenomena governing the cell performance.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado, is the nation's primary laboratory for research, development and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL’s Advanced Concepts task in the Buildings and Thermal Systems Center has an immediate opening for a full time (40 hours per week) Postdoctoral Researcher. The initial appointment is for one year, with possible renewal for up to three years. The Postdoctoral Researcher R&D will support development and testing of new optical materials for the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) program. Highly durable (in real-world outdoor service environment) solar reflector and absorber coatings are needed for solar thermal concentrator applications. Broadband reflectors with dense, hard, protective overcoats are desired. Selective absorbers for high temperature use are also needed. Emphasis is on low-cost, scalable (by the vacuum manufacturing industry) processes
Job Duties

The overall objective of the Advanced Concepts task is to develop, validate, and aid the commercialization of advanced reflector systems that can dramatically reduce the cost of concentrating solar power. The major objectives of this project include:
• To develop advanced reflector materials that are low in cost and maintain high specular reflectance for long lifetimes under severe outdoor environments.
• To develop new, more-efficient selective coatings with both high solar absorptance and low thermal emittance that is thermally stable above 450ºC, ideally in air, with improved durability and manufacturability, and reduced cost.

Shell is opening a new hydrogen pump in Los Angeles this week. I'm looking for experts who can talk about hydrogen as fuel, its viability, whether its truly safe ecologically, and whether there will be enough hydrogen cars on the roads to justify building more. Contact: Celeste Headlee, cheadlee@gmail.com

Environmental Capital Group has been at the forefront of the clean technology sector, catalyzing the first institutional investments in cleantech and providing pioneering measurement and accountability for environmental efficacy. We are seeking an individual with strong analytical skills, a background in clean technology, and high energy to join our team