If you'd like to save energy, go green and start a new career, Lakes Region Community College can show you the way.

The college in Laconia is offering a certified energy auditor course starting Nov. 9 at the Conservation Center, 54 Portsmouth St., Concord.

Cindy Gunn, a consultant hired to implement the program at Lakes Region Community College, told us more.

What's the bottom line on this course? This training is an opportunity to understand how buildings perform.

What is the Building Performance Institute? BPI is a national certification in building analysis.

What about federal funding for the project? This is a collaborative statewide effort to support the governor's green jobs initiative.

How important is it to be certified? Many states are setting the bar at BPI certification for energy auditors. If a homeowner calls a utility company and wants a home energy audit, the utility contacts a home energy auditor and sends the auditor out to the house. . . . That person who did the home audit has to be BPI certified.

How much is the course? $600 plus $125 for national certification exams. People who are currently unemployed are able to apply for funding at 50 percent reduction to no costs at all.

For details on the program, call 1-800-357-2992.