Renewable Energy &
EcoDesign Certificate

A new generation of researchers, architects, engineers and builders is looking at the built environment in a whole new way. Excessive energy use and resource consumption are prompting these pioneers to reexamine how we design, renovate and build our homes and workplaces. If you are looking for opportunities in the emerging green economy, renewable energy and ecological design present exciting new playing fields. Green Mountain College’s new Renewable Energy and EcoDesign certification will help open doors.

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What is REED?
In the fall of 2009, Green Mountain College is introducing the Renewable Energy and EcoDesign (REED) certificate, an undergraduate program designed to help you explore the renewable energy and green building fields. It reflects the same characteristics as GMC’s award-winning Environmental Liberal Arts curriculum: the program is field-based and interdisciplinary.


As a GMC undergraduate, you can complete the REED program during your four years and still fulfill all the requirements for your major and minor programs. REED is open to students in any major. You don’t have to be on track to enter graduate school in design or engineering, although the REED certificate will help you get there. REED provides all students with a great foundation in understanding sustainability issues associated with energy and the built environment. Upon graduation, a REED certificate on your resume will show that your rich interdisciplinary education included background in sustainability, energy and design, assisting you in your job search or your pursuit for a graduate degree.

REED program benefits include:

• REED certification, a valuable credential for a career in the renewable energy and green building fields;
• A program that can be completed during your four year undergraduate career at GMC, and is available to students in any major;
• Mentoring by expert GMC faculty and leading practitioners in the EcoDesign and renewable energy fields;
• A hands-on practicum that allows you to practice classroom theory in real-world projects;
• Preparation for two national standards exams—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the North American Board of Certified Energy Professionals (NABCEP).

Our Partners
A big part of the REED certification program is an external three-credit practicum where you can get real-world technical training in building and alternative energy systems. GMC has partnered with two institutes that are cutting edge practitioners in the field of Renewable Energy and Design/Build. The Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vt., provides hands-on experience integrating design and craft, bridging the gap between architect and builder. Solar Energy International (SEI) is a Colorado-based school that shows how renewable energy resources like the sun, wind, and water can be used for sustainable energy systems that are practical, reliable, cost efficient, and environmentally sound.

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