Ashworth College Goes "Green" with New Professional Residential Energy Program

Distance Education Leader's new program provides practical career training for leading-edge profession

NORCROSS, Ga., Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ashworth College announced today the addition of its new Professional Residential Energy Program (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu) to its roster of online career diploma programs. The new curriculum is nationally accredited and designed to provide skilled trade students with in-depth instruction in evaluating energy efficiency in existing residential or commercial buildings.

As the new home market remains stagnant, the time is right for many contractors to diversify their services, and one such way is through energy audits. These audits are visual inspections for the purpose of assessing the general energy performance of an existing home, including windows and doors, heating and cooling systems, appliances, identifying moisture issues as well as analyzing of utility use and billing history to better understand potential opportunities for savings.

"Determining where and how energy is being lost, what systems are operating inefficiently and what cost-effective improvements can be implemented to make structures more durable is a natural extension of skill sets for contractors and tradesmen," said John Riser, Program Director for Ashworth Career School. "It's a cutting-edge industry and a must for anyone interested in joining the "green" movement.

Professional energy auditors command $100-$500 per audit, depending on how comprehensive the audit is. According to SustainableBusiness.com auditors can expect to earn between $38,000-$45,000 depending on commission.

Ashworth's Professional Residential Energy program is comprised of twelve comprehensive lessons which include learning objectives, lecture notes, review questions, multiple-choice exams and written assignments. Lessons include:

Principles of Energy
Math Review
The Building Shell
Air Leakage
Insulation
Windows and Doors
Heating
Lighting and Appliances
Cooling
Water Heating
Health and Safety.
Building Assessment and Home Survey

Because Ashworth is a distance education institution, students can start the program at any time, study at their own pace, and take exams online. The program is extremely conducive to the working professional's schedule.

"Like all of our career programs, the Professional Residential Energy program is self paced," Riser commented. "Many of our students work full-time jobs and have families. We want this to be as flexible as possible so that they can incorporate their studies into their work and family schedules. It helps that they can complete their online courses at home and not travel to a classroom."

About Ashworth College

As a leading online school, Ashworth College has built a tradition of excellence spanning 25 years, offering students worldwide more than 115 online college degrees, online certificate programs and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth offers military education as well as specialized programs for corporate partners and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. James Madison High School is further accredited regionally by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). SACS CASI is an accreditation division of AdvancED. For more information, visit http://www.ashworthcollege.edu.

Available Topic Expert: For information on the listed expert, click appropriate link.
Dr. Leslie Gargiulo, Ph.D. -- http://www.profnetconnect.com/dr.-leslie-gargiulo-ph.d.

SOURCE Ashworth College