A new trade school dedicated to training the next generation of green-technology workers opened a solar panel-clad campus in Aurora, Colo., last week.

The 62,000-square-foot facility is a state-of-the art building fitted with wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels and solar trees in the parking lot.

The solar and wind features on the building will provide about 10 percent of its energy needs, said Glenn Wilson, Ecotech Institute academic dean.

The solar trees in the parking lot are one of the school’s most prominent and visible green feature, which advertises the greater purpose of the school.

“People will be able to charge electric cars into those solar trees,” Wilson said. “They’ll be able to charge them there.”

The Ecotech Institute was founded by the Education Corporation of America, which owns and operates trade and community colleges around the country.

“They saw a need for an educational institution that would prepare students for green technology careers,” Wilson said.

He said the Education Corporation decided to locate its new school in Aurora because Colorado is rich with universities and research institutions like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, doing good work and research in green technology. There are also a lot of companies entering into commercial enterprises involving green technology, Wilson said.

“Colorado is also a great environment for renewables research—lots of sun and wind,” Wilson said.

The school opened two years ago and has been functioning in a temporary location until the start of this semester last week, Wilson said.

When the new building opened last week, about 200 new and returning students filtered through the doors. The building is large, and there will be a lot of room for expansion over the next few years as the school grows and becomes more well-known throughout the country.

It is the first school of its kind, devoted completely to green technology education, Wilson said.

The building will prove to be a tool for students in their classes, Wilson said.

“They’ll be able see a solar installation and monitor its energy production so they can better understand how the technology works,” Wilson said.

Image courtesy of 3-0-3.com.