This program is not accepting new students for the 2024-25 academic year. Please contact academic advising for alternative options.
Scholarships
Need help with funding? American Public Power Association Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED) offers several opportunities, including scholarships for education, internships, and conference travel. A DEED member utility must sponsor your scholarship. Learn more the DEED scholarship.
You can also apply for Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) scholarship or the Energy Trust of Oregon scholarship.
Hands-On Learning
Your courses will include fieldwork mentorships, where you’ll use the knowledge you’ve gained in the classroom in hands-on training opportunities. We partner with energy service departments throughout the Western United States, including Ashland Electric, Central Oregon Co-op, Clallam County Public Utility District, Emerald People's Utility District, Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), Springfield Utility Board (SUB), Lane Electric, Sacramento Utility District, Salem Electric, and Silicon Valley Power.
What you’ll earn
Our online, two-year Energy Management with Building Controls program will prepare you for a rewarding career managing the highly technical operations of modern buildings in a comfortable and efficient manner. Commercial buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of our national energy consumption, and the jobs created in managing and optimizing buildings will help shape our environmental future.
Associate Degree
ONLINEThrough this program, you'll learn how commercial building systems consume energy by understanding how systems work and the interaction between systems. You'll be able to evaluate and measure consumption and make an informed recommendation on building system energy efficiency improvements. You'll also learn the basics of Building Controls systems and how they are fundamental to achieving higher levels of energy efficiency through building operation. Employment is found with Utilities, Engineering Firms, Government, School Districts, Controls System Suppliers, and Controls Installation Contractors.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- Analyze commercial HVAC and lighting systems
- Use control system management software to evaluate energy use patterns
- Diagnose and troubleshoot existing control systems
- Learn modules and electronics for building automation
- Develop and evaluate data
- Recommend energy efficiency and alternative control solutions
AFTER LANE
Our graduates work in a wide variety of disciplines and may apply to work for a variety of different employers such as engineering firms, lighting companies, public and private utilities, energy equipment companies, and departments of energy. Our alumni are well prepared for careers in positions like building operators, control system specialists/technicians, weatherization installers, energy auditors, and energy resource analysts, and more!
If you’re interested in a bachelor’s degree in energy management, Lane has articulation agreements with Bismarck State College (fully online), South Seattle College (fully online), and Cascadia College.
Curious about Building Automations Ecosystems Jobs in the area? Check out this report on current job openings in Portland.
Apprenticeship
Once you're enrolled in the Energy Management with Building Controls program, you can join the Building Energy & Controls Apprenticeship (BECA)! You'll receive 2,000 hours of paid on the job training, beginning the summer after the first year of classroom instruction. Your training agent (employer) will pay you regionally average hourly wages of an energy practitioner, which will incrementally scale upwards based on program completion, going from 60% to 100% of journey-level wages. Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll work in the fast-growing field of high performance buildings and use your skills to improve the health of building occupants and the environment and offset climate change.
Contact us
If you're enrolled in the Energy Management with Building Controls Program, and are ready to apply to the apprenticeship program, please contact Roger Ebbage at ebbager@lanecc.edu or 541-463-3670
Not sure which is for you? Learn more about the types of degrees & certificates Lane has to offer
Is the Energy Management - Building Controls program for you?
Modern buildings are run by highly automated controls systems and maintained by building operators and systems engineers. Building Controls must be constantly monitored and adjusted for continuing energy efficiency and occupant comfort. The new generation of Energy Management and Building Controls technicians must understand energy procurement and consumption, building interaction with both external (weather) and internal (end user) events, alternative energy sources and their integration into existing systems, as well as providing interactive controls that deliver value to customers. As a Energy Management with Building Controls technician, you’ll evaluate energy use while providing controls solutions to identified operational problems. In large commercial facilities, that means looking at the energy consumed by motors, HVAC systems, lighting, and how building occupants engage with their environment. A talented Energy Manager will balance the efficient operation of the building with the needs of the occupant for maximum benefit.
If you’re a problem solver who enjoys digging through details , investigating how mechanical systems work, and measuring energy and water use, you’ll enjoy this career! You’ll help decide what runs when, and for how long, and will be able to point to data that shows increased occupant comfort and decreased energy usage. This is an ongoing task of fine tuning and measurement. Our Energy Management with Building Controls program gives you the skills needed to maintain energy efficiency and occupant comfort and to oversee the complex operation of all building control systems.
Hear from Former Students
Energy Management with Building Controls - Mia
Energy Management with Building Controls - Esteban
Not quite what you’re looking for?
Ready to learn more?
Talk one-on-one with a recruiter to learn more about what Lane has to offer you.
Lane Community College
4000 E. 30th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97405
Th, 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.
F, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.