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9 Popular Solar Energy Jobs

Friday, April 16, 2010

If you are thinking about a career change this year, the future of the solar can be your shining star. Those having knowledge and experience in any area of solar energy can easily reconstruct their resume and expand their options for employment in this growing field.

We are at the forefront of a booming industry and with the solar energy transition projected to create around 350,000 new jobs by the end of this year, the biggest problem has been finding workers to meet the increasing demand.

Those who do gather the information and experience they need to take advantage of this burgeoning industry will be well-paid and highly regarded. This solar energy revolution could be America's best hope for the future of our labor force. Let's take a look at some of the top jobs in the solar energy industry.

1. Urban Planner.

Careers in this field are in huge demand. The skill set of urban planners who conduct contingency planning are badly needed in our pursuit to reduce our carbon footprint. Positions in Urban Planning are expected to rise by over 15% over the next 5+ years.

2. Solar Operations Engineer.

Engineers in this position are faced with the task of designing new solar systems, then supervising and inspecting the structures during construction, which makes them the architects of the entire facility operation. They are also involved in monitoring and testing the correlation between old and new solar energy facilities.

3. Environmental Engineer.

This position has some pretty big shoes to fill. The objective of these engineers is to prevent further deterioration of our planet by limiting soil erosion, global warming, acid rain and ozone depletion. The next 7 or so years should show employment opportunities in this field rise by as much as 25%.

4. Solar Lab Technician.

Companies are seeking technicians with design, production, installation and testing skills involved with solar-energy technologies. With the increase of homes and commercial buildings investing in solar energy, so increases the need to find skilled professionals with the knowledge to get the job done.

5. Solar Power Installer.

This is a relatively high-paying position within the solar energy spectrum of jobs and the opportunities abound. If you have a background in construction, you may want to look into some of these positions to install solar-thermal water heaters and solar panels on rooftops.

6. Wind Turbine Fabricator.

Because wind is the leading source of alternate energy, these wind turbines are in higher demand than ever. And because they are garnering considerable financial support and tax rebates, wind farms are appearing everywhere. These jobs offer a great opportunity.

7. Energy Efficiency Builder.

Our existing buildings are one of the greatest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, making them energy "guzzlers." If you're a skilled engineer, architect or retrofitter, your skills are in high demand to not only convert existing structures but also new buildings that are energy efficient.

8. Sustainability Systems Developer.

In order to design, build and maintain the network required to support solar energy sources such as smart energy grids and wind farms, software developers and engineers are in high demand. This is a particularly golden opportunity for those with experience in web 2.0 applications and open source programming.

9. Solar Hot Water Installer.

With a surge in the number of homeowners and business owners purchasing solar heating systems, the demand for professionals in this area is escalating with it, in both residential and commercial buildings. As the technological advances in this area escalate, so does the number of people required to fill these positions.

Source: coolerplanet.com

Top 10 Cities With the Most ENERGY STAR Labeled Buildings in 2009

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

1. Los Angeles - 293 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

2. Washington, DC - 204 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

3. San Francisco, CA - 173 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

4. Denver, CO - 136 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

5. Chicago, Il - 134 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

6. Houston, TX - 133 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

7. Lakeland, FL - 120 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

8. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX - 113 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

9. Atlanta, GA - 102 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

10. New York, NY - 90 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings

Source: www.energystar.com

Benedictine Nuns Go Green with Solar Energy Powered Monastery

Monday, March 29, 2010

In Middleton, Wisconsin, Catholic nuns are going green. The Benedictine Women of Madison's Holy Wisdom Monastery have built a solar-powered monastery that received a top/platinum rating with the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program. The monastery, which is expected to reduce energy costs by 60%, earned 63 out of 69 possible points.

According to a USA Today article, the monastery's green features include:

- Photovoltaic light fixtures for the parking lot, which drains to areas of pervious concrete.

- 370 Andersen windows and doors with special glazing on the South, East and West sides of the building to limit visible light transmission.

- A geothermal heating and cooling system with 39 closed-loop wells, each 300 feet deep.

- Two vegetated roofs over the maintenance building and garage.

- Solatubes and a dramatic skylight that provide natural light.

- Four rain barrels that collect and store water for plant care and two rain gardens to minimize storm water runoff.

- Bamboo flooring in the Assembly, gathering and dining rooms and for the ceiling of the Oratory and Meditation Chapel.

What is the Weatherization Assistance Program?

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Weatherization Assistance Program is a U.S. Department of Energy program designed to help low-income families reduce their energy bills through proper weatherization. By weatherizing their home, the home becomes more energy efficient, benefiting both the residents and the environment.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

The Weatherization Assistance Program is one of several green-oriented aspects of President Obama's 2008 Recovery Act. The Department of Energy received over $5 billion to assist low-income Americans weatherize their homes. According to U.S. Department of Energy Senior Advisor Matt Rogers, the program has four main benefits:
- The Weatherization Assistance Program creates jobs by creating new markets for weatherizing professionals
- The program puts money back in the pockets of working Americans by reducing their energy bills
- By weatherizing hundreds of thousands of homes, the Department of Energy hopes to reduce America's environmental footprint and make the United States a world leader in weatherization and energy efficiency
- The program will make the homes of Americans more livable

In a recent video address, Matt Rogers summed up the Weatherization Assistance Program by stating that the program will make America "stronger, cleaner, healthier, and wealthier by investing in energy efficiency."

Applying for Help from the Weatherization Assistance Program

According to the Department of Energy, as many as 30 million American families are eligible to receive help from the weatherization program. While eligibility varies from state to state, a few groups of individuals are automatically eligible to receive assistance, including anyone over 60, families with one or members suffering from a disability, and, in most states, families with children. For others, eligibility begins at 200% above poverty level - but again, this varies from state to state.

Creating Jobs for Weatherization Professionals

Throughout the summer of 2009, the Department of Energy announced large grants to both cities and states to help get weatherization underway. The states hope that the grants will spur job growth in weatherization by creating a weatherization market where none existed before. More recently, during a speech at the Brookings Institution, President Obama stressed green job growth again, especially stressing weatherization of businesses and homes.

For existing home renovators and general contractors, now is the ideal time to take advantage of these new markets, and become a certified weatherization worker. Because it is a relatively new field, some states are still working out certification requirements, but nearly all states have a list of the weatherizing professionals they will approve for projects funded by the Weatherization Assistance Program. Sign up for an online course or find a course through a local vocational or technical college. Showing you have weatherization training will help you get on the short list of approved weatherization professionals in your area.

Sources: Jaffe, Matthew and Travers, Karen. "Obama's Number One Job? Jobs." ABC News: December 8, 2009. ABCNews.Go.com US Department of Energy (Energy.gov).

Read More >>What is the Weatherization Assistance Program?

Olympic Athletes' Villages Meet Green Building Standards

Friday, March 5, 2010

Since 1994, there have been three official pillars of the Olympics: Sport, culture and sustainability. And at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Vancover was committed to producing a greener Olympics than any seen before.

The athletes' villages and eight of the nine new venues were built to qualify for the United States' Green Building Council's "silver" level of energy-efficient design, with some going for gold.

One example is the Richmond Oval, a speed-skating rink, which boasts a 26,000 square-meter roof built from trees that had already been killed by pine-beetle infestation, rainwater tanks for the flushing of its toilets, and a system that puts the waste heat from its refrigeration system to good use, among other smart, green design features.

No that the winter games are over, there are plans to convert the Richmond rink into a community center, as well as refit many of the other buildings.

Source: www.economist.com

Michigan & California Commended for Creating New Green-Related Jobs

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

An op-ed in U.S. News and World Report, written by former Apollo Alliance president Jerome Ringo, commended Michigan and California as a success in creating new, green jobs based on policies that promote a clean environment and renewable and sustainable energy sources.

Green job growth is not segregrated to just two states. Opportunity in the green sector is happening nationwide - especially for indivudals who seek green career training. Read Ringo's report for more details:

The statistics don't lie: Even without a comprehensive national policy, clean energy jobs in the United States have grown at more than twice the rate of overall jobs over the past decade, according to a 2009 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Passage of a federal clean energy and climate bill will increase these job numbers exponentially by unleashing a torrent of economic innovation that has the potential not only to save our environment and climate but also to revive the U.S. economy.

Several states are already demonstrating the kind of positive economic transformation that can result from progressive clean energy and climate measures. In four years, Michigan has created more than 11,000 renewable energy jobs-at family-sustaining wages-and the state recently adopted a standard requiring that at least 10 percent of its power come from renewable sources by 2015.

Another sterling example is California. The state's decades-long commitment to forward-thinking climate policies has caused green job growth to outpace overall job creation in the state by a rate of almost 3 to 1 since 1995. A study released in December by Collaborative Economics and Next 10 showed that even during the economic crisis, green jobs in California grew 5 percent between 2007 and 2008 while total jobs dropped 1 percent.

Source: The Michigan Messenger

Eligible for State or Federal Energy Efficiency Incentives?

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Today's consumer is more environmentally conscious than ever before. Even so, most of them are unaware that their good deeds could be rewarded with state and government incentives and/or rebates.

So, whether you are Photovoltaic Systems Installation professional or a Weatherization and Energy Efficiency professional, one thing is for sure - if you are employed in the renewable energy or energy efficiency sectors, part of your job will be consumer education.

Luckily, there is a comprehensive Web site that lists these incentives - The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE). This Web site will allow you to search two different databases (renewable energy and energy efficiency) by state.

Once you select your state, you can narrow your search even further - by federal, residential and more. Additional search options include summary maps, summary tables, a library, glossary and more.

As a green professional in the renewable and energy efficiency sectors, being up-to-date and understanding which incentives pertain to the areas you serve can be beneficial to your career. For example, why not educate potential clients with direct mail campaigns or host a community, family-focused event?

The goal is to enlighten potential clients and show them how even the simplest energy saving efforts may result in not only recurring yearly savings, but attractive incentives. And it's your expertise they will need to make it happen.

Help others benefit from these valuable incentives and you just might become the go-to energy expert in your community.

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