Yesterday we explored the status of employment in the renewable energy sector in the United States. Today and tomorrow we will take a look at the status of some jobs in renewable energy generation.
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The U.S. renewable energy sector is dominated by growth in solar and wind generation. There are, however, other renewable energies that offer some promise for employment. We’ll take a look at some jobs in solar, wind, geothermal, biomass/fuels, and hydropower as outlined by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) O*Net Online database.
Training for Jobs in Green Industries
The Green Jobs Innovation Fund, which is administrated by DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) was authorized under the Workforce Investment Act to help workers receive job training in green industry sectors. These funds are meant to help organizations with existing career training programs leverage registered apprenticeships, preapprenticeship programs, and community-based partnerships to build sustainable green career pathways.
Solar
According to the latest International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report, jobs in the solar industry in the United States grew 12 times faster as overall job creation in 2015. Promising careers in the solar industry include solar energy systems engineers and solar sales representatives and assessors.
Solar energy systems engineers. These folks perform site-specific engineering analysis or evaluation of energy efficiency and solar projects involving residential, commercial, or industrial customers. They also design solar domestic hot water and space heating systems for new and existing structures. They need knowledge of structural energy requirements, local climates, solar technology, and thermodynamics. The median wages nationally for solar energy systems engineers in 2015 were $46.11 hourly, $95,900 annually.
Solar sales reps and assessors. This job entails contacting new or existing customers to determine their solar equipment needs, suggest systems or equipment, or estimate costs. They also prepare proposals, quotes, contracts, or presentations for potential solar customers and select solar energy products, systems, or services for customers based on electrical energy requirements, site conditions, price, or other factors. Among other tasks, folks in this job need to be able to provide technical information about solar power, solar power systems, equipment, and services to potential customers or dealers. The median wages nationally for solar sales reps and assessors in 2015 were $36.63 hourly, $76,190 annually.
Wind
According to the American Wind Energy Association, the fastest growing profession in the United States is wind turbine technician. We’ll take a look at wind turbine technicians and wind energy project managers.
Wind turbine technicians. Wind turbine technicians inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. They perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment, including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions. Tasks include diagnosing problems involving wind turbine generators or control systems and climbing wind turbine towers to inspect, maintain, or repair equipment. Median wages nationally for wind turbine technicians in 2015 were $24.55 hourly, $51,050 annually. The projected growth for this job through 2024 is 14%, which is much higher than average.
Wind energy project managers. People in this job are required to lead or manage the development and evaluation of potential wind energy business opportunities, including environmental studies, permitting, and proposals. They may also manage construction of the projects. They need to be able to create wind energy project plans, including project scope, goals, tasks, resources, schedules, costs, contingencies, or other project information. Median wages nationally for wind energy project managers in 2015 were $50.41 hourly, $104,850 annually.
In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll look at the status of some jobs in the United States in the geothermal, biomass/biofuels, and hydropower sectors.