Willdan Clean Energy Academy

Energy Benchmarking and Billing Analysis

Instructor

Nick Rugulo is a civil engineer with years of experience in energy efficiency planning and construction. He was the first Engineer hired by a small, regional, lighting-only Energy Services Company based in Southern California, and played an integral role in creating and running an Auditing Department as well as an Engineering Department to perform comprehensive energy audits of customer sites to evaluate lighting and non-lighting measures to submit for utility financing. He carries a CEM certification.

Schedule

Monday - Wednesday

January Cohort | 1/27 - 2/26

12PM - 1PM EST

9AM - 10AM PST

September Cohort | 9/3-10/6

10h Course

Course Description

This course provides participants with the knowledge and skills required to perform energy utility billing and analysis. This course also includes an in-depth exploration of energy benchmarking, focusing on advanced techniques and methodologies. Participants will learn how to effectively work with energy utility data, manipulate it in Excel, and analyze it to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies. The course will cover various techniques and tools for data cleaning, visualization, and reporting, enabling participants to gain valuable insights for energy management and cost optimization. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and hands-on exercises, participants will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively analyze energy utility bills and identify opportunities for improvement.

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Project Management

Instructor

Cristina Pastrana was the Chief Operating Officer of Energy EDC, the Career Development arm of the Willdan Clean Energy Academy from 2021, and now manages the vendor payment system for the City of New York. She has a master’s degree from The New School in Urban Policy Analysis and is certified as a roject Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Cristina has over 10 years’ experience working in all aspects of Project Management.

Schedule

Tuesday - Thursday

January Cohort | 1/28 - 2/25

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM EST

May Cohort | 6/10-7/10

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM PST

August Cohort | 8/7-9/4

9h Course

November Cohort | Dates TBD

Course Description

The project management course is intended to improve staff knowledge and application of project management principles, increase staff efficiency, and cultivate greater staff retention by offering more opportunities for upward mobility. This course will cover initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to successfully achieve project goals. The course promotes uniformity of all staff working under the same metrics for project management. This training shows ways to balance competing demands (scope, time, cost, quality, requirements, expectation of various stakeholders, etc.) throughout the project lifecycle.

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CEM Training

Instructor

Nick Rugulo is a civil engineer with years of experience in energy efficiency planning and construction. He was the first Engineer hired by a small, regional, lighting-only Energy Services Company based in Southern California, and played an integral role in creating and running an Auditing Department as well as an Engineering Department to perform comprehensive energy audits of customer sites to evaluate lighting and non-lighting measures to submit for utility financing. He carries a CEM certification.

Schedule

Thursday

February Cohort | 2/8 - 4/4

12PM - 2PM EST

September Cohort | Dates TBD

9AM - 11AM PST

20h Office Hours

Course Description

This CEM training will be virtual as an on-demand course via Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). There will be a weekly study group session to cover one module each with Nick Rugulo, who is a civil engineer with CEM credentials. The exam can be taken afterward. The study groups will be limited to 25 people per cohort. Participants must enroll in the AEE course to join this group.

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Building Electrification and Decarbonization Measures Beyond Lighting

Instructor

Antuan Cannon has a degree in Economics and Asian Studies from Yale University. He joined Willdan in 2016, became the Utility Program Development Manager in 2020, and was promoted to Director of Talent Development and Innovation in 2022.

Schedule

Tuesday - Thursday

March Cohort | 3/11 - 4/10

12PM - 1PM EST

December Cohort | Dates TBD

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

Refrigeration Systems: Keeping Food Fresh and Costs Down. Refrigeration system types, maintenance strategies, refrigerant management, and energy-efficient refrigeration solutions.
HVAC Systems: Understanding Mechanical Systems for Optimal Performance. HVAC basics, system design considerations, maintenance best practices, and energy-saving technologies.
Heat and Hot Water Systems Optimization: Water heating technologies, system efficiency improvements, renewable energy integration, and smart controls.
Building Envelope: Weatherization Techniques for Small Commercial Facilities Building envelope improvements, insulation, air sealing, and energy-efficient window solutions.
Clean Heat Technologies and Applications: Introduction to clean heat, technologies, benefits, installation considerations, and case studies.
Understanding the TRM: Understanding utility bills, energy consumption analysis, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and energy benchmarking.

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Carbon Accounting

Instructor

Nick Rugulo is a civil engineer with years of experience in energy efficiency planning and construction. He was the first Engineer hired by a small, regional, lighting-only Energy Services Company based in Southern California, and played an integral role in creating and running an Auditing Department as well as an Engineering Department to perform comprehensive energy audits of customer sites to evaluate lighting and non-lighting measures to submit for utility financing. He carries a CEM certification.

Schedule

Monday - Wednesday

September Cohort | Dates TBD

12PM - 1PM EST

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

Carbon accounting has become a crucial tool in understanding and managing the environmental impact of organizations, industries, and even nations. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles and methodologies of carbon accounting, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions. Through a blend of theoretical learning and practical exercises, participants will explore the intricacies of carbon footprint calculation, emission reduction strategies, and the role of carbon offsets.

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Distributed Energy Resources

Instructor

Antuan Cannon has a degree in Economics and Asian Studies from Yale University. He joined Willdan in 2016, became the Utility Program Development Manager in 2020, and was promoted to Director of Talent Development and Innovation in 2022.

Schedule

Tuesday - Thursday

October Cohort | Dates TBD

12PM - 1PM EST

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are small-scale, modular technologies that can generate or store energy and provide it where it’s needed. They can be connected to the electric grid or used in stand-alone applications. DERs can include hardware devices like electric vehicles, smart thermostats, and solar inverters, as well as electricity generation facilities like wind turbines and solar panels. DER refers to often smaller generation units that are located on the consumer’s side of the meter.

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Lighting System Asynchronous

Instructor

Clay Gregory is the CEO of GreenTech LEADers (GTL) and has been an Instructor for the WCEA courses since 2020. The GTL is a clean energy training and curriculum development company that provides technical job training and certification in energy efficiency auditing and retro-commissioning, building science and weatherization, green building O&M, solar PV design and installation, lighting retrofits, and HVAC-R and heat pump technologies. He is a former Willdan employee who became a Program Manager, working up from his original position of Lighting Installer in 2015.

Schedule

Registrations Open

Q1 Cohort | 1/1 - 3/31

18h to 24h to Complete

Q2 Cohort | 4/1 - 6/30

Q3 Cohort | 7/1 - 9/30

Q4 Cohort | 10/1 - 12/31

Course Description

The Lighting Systems (CALT) course is designed to provide high quality and standardized technical lighting auditing training to staff working in lighting programs and meets the dual objective of preparing participants to successfully pass the NALMCO Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician (CALT) certification exam, and to equip them to be more knowledgeable and effective auditors, inspectors, engineers, incentive administrators, and project coordinators working in the field of clean energy. The technical Lighting Principles, Systems and Energy Conservation portions of the course are based on various nationally recognized certifications, the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), this allows individuals completing the course to have a better fundamental understanding of lighting.

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HVAC Load Calculations & Heat Pumps

Instructor

Anthony Jackson is a seasoned expert in Plumbing and Heating with nearly two decades of industry experience. He has worked with top Master Plumbers in NYC and played a key role in ConEdison’s SMB gas savings program, surpassing energy efficiency targets and leading major retrofit projects citywide. Now, he brings his real-world expertise into the classroom, equipping students with the technical skills and industry insights needed to succeed in energy efficiency and heating system optimization.

Schedule

Tuesday - Thursday

April Cohort | 4/22 - 5/22

12PM - 1PM EST

October Cohort | Dates TBD

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

To properly size a heat pump unit, you need to calculate the heating and cooling loads for the space you want to heat or cool. An accurate calculation can help you avoid choosing the wrong size heat pump, which can impact efficiency, performance, and customer satisfaction. For example, an oversized heat pump can lead to low efficiency and shortened equipment life, while an undersized heat pump can increase energy costs.

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Gas Efficiency & Weatherization

Instructor

Antuan Cannon has a degree in Economics and Asian Studies from Yale University. He joined Willdan in 2016, became the Utility Program Development Manager in 2020, and was promoted to Director of Talent Development and Innovation in 2022.

Schedule

Monday - Wednesday

May Cohort | 5/19 - 6/18

12PM - 1PM EST

September Cohort | Dates TBD

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

Heating Principles: Understanding thermal dynamics, heat transfer, and energy sources.
Construction Process: Exploring building materials and design techniques that influence energy efficiency.
Heating Systems: An overview of heating system types, components, and operations.
Heating Systems ECMs (Energy Conservation Measures): Strategies and technologies for improving efficiency and reducing energy waste.

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HVAC Systems

Instructor

Nick Rugulo is a civil engineer with years of experience in energy efficiency planning and construction. He was the first Engineer hired by a small, regional, lighting-only Energy Services Company based in Southern California, and played an integral role in creating and running an Auditing Department as well as an Engineering Department to perform comprehensive energy audits of customer sites to evaluate lighting and non-lighting measures to submit for utility financing. He carries a CEM certification.

Schedule

Tuesday - Thursday

March Cohort | Dates 3/10 - 4/9

12PM - 1PM EST

October Cohort | Dates TBD

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

This class is for anyone working on Heating, Ventilation and AirConditioning (HVAC) systems, particularly those working in the field. This course will provide an overview of HVAC principles, systems, components, controls, auditing process, and energy conservation measures. This is blends technical training on energy efficiency and building performance for small commercial facilities with broader green business training related to energy efficiency contracting, economic incentives, market drivers, certifications, institutions, policies, and regulations.

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Transportation Electrification

Instructor

Will “WD” Scherle has 13 years of clean energy experience. He began his career in 2009 as one of Willdan’s first New York City lighting auditors for the Con Edison Program. Will’s recent experience includes roles as a Project Manager for Lockheed Martin Energy Storage systems and Program Manager for Transportation Electrification at TRC.

Schedule

Monday - Wednesday

October Cohort | Dates TBD

12PM - 1PM EST

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

Billions of dollars in funding from state and federal sources are being allocated to develop the infrastructure required for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment. This course is held as 3 modules which can be taken separately or consecutively:

Transportation Electrification Basics provides a review of wheel-to-well efficiency and emissions, lithium-ion battery technologies, and different electric vehicle classes.
Charging Equipment Site Feasibility covers real-world applications of EV infrastructure and teaches how to assess project feasibility and success.
Installation and Managed Charging reviews all the different aspects involved with an Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment (EVCE ) installation, including siting, hardware, software, construction, and technical information on different types of lithium-ion battery chemistry. Students will review different variables to keep in mind when considering sites for charging station installation.

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Coding for Clean Energy (Python)

Instructor

Cagdas Yetkin is a senior data scientist and data engineer who specializes in Python, R, SQL, Apache Spark, and TypeScript/JavaScript. He is passionate about data science and data analytics and regularly shares insights through projects and articles with CodingNomads. He has authored educational pieces on intelligent systems, IoT, and data visualization, including tutorials on Raspberry Pi sensor setups and UFO‑sightings analysis using Python.

Schedule

Tuesday - Thursday

August Cohort | 8/12 - 9/11

12PM - 1PM EST

9AM - 10AM PST

10h Course

Course Description

This 10-hour workshop introduces energy professionals to Python programming through hands-on, domain-driven exercises. Over ten 1-hour seminars, participants will learn core Python fundamentals, variables, data structures, control flow, and functions, and immediately apply them to real-world energy datasets (PV generation, wind turbine data, total national electricity generation, etc) using Python Pandas and Matplotlib. Each session combines lectures, live coding demonstrations, interactive Q&As, quizzes, and practical challenges, culminating in a final project where learners build a complete data workflow: loading, cleaning, analyzing, and visualizing renewable energy metrics.

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Willdan Staff Courses 2025 Schedule

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