New York University will stimulate creation of clean-energy companies by launching a certificate program to train experienced business professionals in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The new program, called Clean Start, will provide a comprehensive foundation for 15 professionals interested in establishing companies in, or making a career change to, those growing fields.

The Clean Start program, which is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), was developed by the NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs (CGA) and the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Resilient Economy (NYC ACRE), which is the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering clean-energy incubator seeded by NYSERDA.

Candidate selection will begin November 3, 2014 for the program, which will start in January 2015. Clean Start comprises a 120-hour, evening and weekend curriculum, taught at NYC ACRE's home in the NYU Urban Future Lab in Downtown Brooklyn. Upon successful completion, participants will earn the CGA-NYC ACRE Certificate for Cleantech Professionals from the NYU School of Professional Studies.

Clean Start will offer both technical knowledge and insider networking opportunities for the selected participants. Business and clean-energy experts from New York City's burgeoning cleantech sector will present content and act as mentors. Participants will be linked with a New York City-based cleantech startup company and will gain practical knowledge and experience through a capstone project.

"Our experience at NYC ACRE has demonstrated how desirous the New York business community is for a fast-track, professional education and training program that prepares working professionals to transition into the field of clean energy-related technologies and to reap the economic opportunities afforded by this rapidly expanding sector," said Kurt H. Becker, NYU School of Engineering vice dean of academic affairs. "Clean Start also exemplifies our school's strategic priority of sharing the spirit of invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship that drives our students, faculty, and staff with the NYC community at large. Clean Start is designed to train professionals who upon completion of their certificate will start, join, advise, or invest in clean-tech companies in New York."

As part of Clean Start's mission to expand the pool of clean-tech professionals in the state, it will offer scholarships to qualified candidates demonstrating financial need. Organizers have also applied to enable military veterans to cover program costs under the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

NYSERDA supports Clean Start, along with a number of programs dedicated to growing cleantech business in the state. A companion program to Clean Start, NY EXCEL, launched at Skidmore College in August 2014.

"NYSERDA's partnership with NYU and Clean Start will help establish and grow clean-energy businesses in the state that can create innovative new clean energy solutions for New York," said John B. Rhodes, president and CEO of NYSERDA. "The efforts of Clean Start align with Governor Cuomo's goals of growing new business and jobs, as well as creating an energy delivery system that is more resilient, efficient, affordable, and clean."

"The development of environmentally and climate-friendly energy solutions is an imperative," said Carolyn Kissane, academic director and clinical associate professor at the NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs. "We are very excited to be partnering with NYC ACRE and NYSERDA on this program. At the CGA we believe strongly in offering programs in applied knowledge so that our students excel professionally. The Clean Start program embodies this—it is taught by experts in the cleantech field and will provide robust opportunities for participants to make connections within the industry and to be part of bringing green energy technology to the marketplace."

Job growth in the clean-energy sector has recently been spurred by national mandates and international accords that attempt to stem climate change. Growth is expected to continue—clean energy accounts for only 11 percent of all energy production in the United States. According to a recent report by Environmental Entrepreneurs, New York State ranked sixth in the number of new clean-energy jobs (595) that will be created by projects announced in the second quarter of 2014.

For more information on Clean Start, to apply, or to get involved, visit http://www.nycacre.com/cleanstart

About NYSERDA
NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. NYSERDA professionals work to protect the environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York State since 1975. To learn more about NYSERDA's programs and funding opportunities, visit nyserda.ny.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.

About the NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs
The NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs (CGA), facilitates change by educating and inspiring our community to become global citizens capable of identifying and implementing solutions to pressing global challenges. We believe that the development of solutions to global problems must be informed by an understanding that the world's challenges are not merely challenges for and among states, but also challenges for and among nonstate actors, urban and rural communities, regional organizations, and traditional diplomatic outlets. Through rigorous graduate and continuing education programs and public events, we prepare global citizens who are at home in all of these environments—and thus effective agents of change.

About the NYU School of Professional Studies
Celebrating its 80th anniversary, the NYU School of Professional Studies (sps.nyu.edu) is one of NYU's several degree-granting schools and colleges, each with a unique academic profile. The reputation of the School of Professional Studies arises from its place as the NYU home for study and applied research related to key knowledge-based industries where the New York region leads globally. This is manifest in the School's diverse graduate, undergraduate, and noncredit programs in fields such as Accounting, Finance, and Law; Applied Politics; Creative Cities and Economic Development; English-Language Learning; Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpreting; Fundraising and Grantmaking; Global Affairs; Graphic Communications Management and Technology; Health Information Management; Hospitality and Tourism; Human Resource Management and Development; Liberal and Allied Arts; Management and Systems; Marketing; Professional Writing; Project Management; Public Relations and Corporate Communication; Publishing; Real Estate, Real Estate Development, and Construction Management; Social Entrepreneurship; and Sports Management, Media, and Business.

More than 100 distinguished full-time faculty members collaborate with an exceptional cadre of practitioner/adjunct faculty and lecturers to create vibrant professional and academic networks that annually attract nearly 5,000 degree-seeking students from around the globe. In addition, the School fulfills the recurrent continuing higher education needs of local and professional communities, as evidenced by close to 48,000 annual noncredit enrollments in individual courses, specialized certificate programs, workshops, and seminars. The School's community is enriched by more than 28,000 degree-holding alumni worldwide, many of whom serve as mentors, guest speakers, and advisory board members. For more information about the NYU School of Professional Studies, visit sps.nyu.edu.

About NYC ACRE
The New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Resilient Economy (NYC ACRE) is the city's largest incubator for clean technology and renewable energy companies. One of three incubators of the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, it advances the city as a role model for a low-carbon future. NYC ACRE also grows the ecosystem of clean-technology entrepreneurs throughout the city while providing collaboration with faculty, students, and alumni. Founded in 2009 with a seed grant from the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), today it is housed within the school's Urban Future Lab in Downtown Brooklyn. For more information, visit www.nycacre.com.

About the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering
The NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering dates to 1854, when the NYU School of Civil Engineering and Architecture as well as the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly) were founded. Their successor institutions merged in January 2014 to create a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition to programs at its main campus in downtown Brooklyn, it is closely connected to engineering programs in NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai, and it operates business incubators in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.