Amma Calhoun
Building Energy Analyst
BlocPower
New York, NY USA
“In sixth grade, I learned about reduce, reuse, recycle, and I was like, ‘Okay, I definitely want to save the planet one day.'”
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By Roadtrip NationAmma Calhoun
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
After learning about reduce, reuse, recycle in the sixth grade, I realized that I wanted to work to save the planet.
In high school, I set my sights on architectural engineering as my future major because it combined creative design with the more practical engineering aspect.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering followed by a master’s degree in environmental technology and sustainability.
After completing my master’s degree, I became a NYSERDA clean energy intern.
I was hired by BlocPower as a building energy analyst, where I work to help upgrade buildings to be greener and healthier.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Graduate
Environmental Technology and Sustainability
New York Institute of Technology
Environmental Technology and Sustainability
New York Institute of Technology
Career
Building Energy Analyst
I perform energy analysis to help buildings become greener and healthier.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Technology
Environment & Nature
Accomplishing Goals
Day to Day
I have two different types of days. One day I'll be in the office helping clients go green. I do lease offers, which includes doing a building energy analysis and utilizing my knowledge from the field to help a client save by switching from oil or natural gas to electricity. I also do incentive applications. Other days, I'll go to sites to collect all of the information from a client's existing building—oil tanks, windows, and building materials—in order to make a heat load calculation.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Look into certifications to help get your foot in the door. There are so many different certifications in sustainability. Because of all the options out there, be open to learning something new but also try to pinpoint the path that works best for you. For example, before getting into this field, I didn't realize there was a difference between renewable energy and energy efficiency—and how you go about them both. Do your research and figure out what you specifically want to do in this industry.
