About Renewable Energy Specialist

A Renewable Energy Specialist could have various roles in the industry. From policy advisors, to energy science officials, to research scientists and lawyers. All of them working in unison come to work towards a common goal - A Greener Earth.

Who is a Renewable Energy Specialist?

“There is no Planet B”. Or there might be, but who knows?

Green Energy is the need of the hour, and Renewable Energy Specialists fulfil that need!

A Renewable Energy Specialist could be policy advisors, energy science officials, research scientists or even lawyers. All of them working in unison to work towards a common goal - A Greener Earth.

In 2020, the Earth’s surface temperature was 0.98 degrees warmer than the average temperature of the 20th century.
Temperatures in the United Kingdom touched a highest of 40.2 degree celsius in 2022.

READ THAT AGAIN.

Renewable energy requires engineers to innovate and design the technology. But that’s not all. It also needs Policy advisers to be in the ears of governments attesting to the benefits. Finance and project management professionals managing the proper allocation of resources. Lawyers navigating energy legislation to ensure projects can exist within current frameworks.

Between 2020 and 2022, we have seen a wide range of climatic changes that have raised alarms about the future. Due to this, the requirement for jobs in the renewable energy sector has increased to a great extent.

In the United States of America alone, there is an estimated requirement of 2.5 million jobs in the specialisation of renewable energy. In India, 10 lakh jobs will be created in the next 8 years in the renewable energy sector.

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Career Prospects

With increasing government and private funding for renewable energy, the industry as a whole is exploding. Along with it, the number of potential jobs in the green-power sector are increasing as well.

Expansion in green-energy employment opportunities would be a sure shot in the future!

Think about it, the market’s huge encompassing solar power, wind power, geothermal energy, biofuels and hydropower, for a start.

Apart from that, research and development are ongoing, large-scale capability is increasing, and real-world implementation of renewable-energy technologies is growing by the day.

But who is making all of this happen? Let’s take a look at the prospects!

Engineer
How many of you remember Tony Stark as Iron Man and the self-sustaining Avengers Tower?
Just like Tony Stark, in the industry of renewable energy development, engineers contribute heavily towards research and development.

Leaning towards the applications of mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering, engineers play a pivotal role in Renewable Energy and its applications. Especially in the initial implementation of new technology (or an old technology for a new purpose), which is a major component of the green-power field.

As an Engineer in the Renewable Energy sector, you will be involved in designing hydroelectric dams, solar cells and wind turbines. Not only that, you are responsible for building the foundational designs of the systems that carry the electricity from the wind farm, dam or solar field to the power plant.

Can you imagine this? Coming up with unique ways to turn corn into ethanol, sun into hot water, landfill gas into green fuel.

For those who choose an engineering career, endless green-energy applications and specialties exist, making engineering a top job for a broad range of people with various talents and interests. It's a highly adaptable and customizable career path.

Farmers

Farming is the backbone of our economy.  

But how many farmers are utilising renewable energy for their practices to increase output and efficiency, and decrease future costs?

In the renewable-energy market, Bioenergy is a quickly expanding sector. If you are interested and qualified to indulge in green power, you can always opt for one of the oldest professions in the book to make a living - Farming.

Farmers who grow soybean, sugar cane, wheat, coconut, oil palm and grape-seed could find their produce in high demand in the production of ethanol and other biofuels such as biodiesel.

One of the big selling points of farming as a top career in renewable-energy is the broad range of potential biological inputs and outputs. Today, we are already witnessing farmers turning some types of farm refuse, including corn stalks and cow manure, into biofuel!

Wind-farm Developer

As a child, do you remember taking a road trip, and going crazy every time you saw windmills?

It never used to be just one windmill, right?

The number of Wind Farms being established are gradually increasing in number, sending megawatt and megawatt of relatively clean power to the grid. With the increasing success of offshore wind-farm development, the industry has been projected to grow immensely in the upcoming years.

Those who have the talent to put together these projects from the ground up can find tremendous success in today’s renewable-energy market. Securing the land, the power purchaser and the legal permissions, and facing a building trend toward anti-farm lawsuits and government regulation is not an easy task.

However, if you have the drive to get it done, wind-farm development can be a moneymaker. When huge utility companies express interest, which they’re doing at an increasing rate, dollar signs follow.

Wind-turbine Fabricator, Installer, Operator

Can you guess what field is growing at a tremendous rate?

The technical aspect of wind power - Fabrication, installation and maintenance.

Just like solar energy, hands-on wind energy jobs have a wide range of pay scales depending on experience and specialty. They tend to bring in the type of pay and salary that are associated with skilled construction jobs.

Backgrounds in engineering, construction, electrical and mechanical work, and heavy machinery are all pluses and will probably increase your hourly rate or annual salary. In short, there’s reliable work to be found in wind power.

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Jobs & Salary

Some of the top industries hiring Renewable Energy Specialists are -

  • Manufacturing
  • Project development
  • Construction
  • Financing
  • Engineering
  • System analysis
  • Operations and maintenance

In terms of pay, Renewable Energy Specialists draw an average salary of Rs.54 Lakh Per Annum in the United States of America. In India, the average salary per year ranges from Rs.10 - Rs.17 Lakh.
However, these packages are for those who have had a certain amount of experience in the industry. As a fresher, you may start with a lower salary per year, and this trend is across industries.

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Growing Industry
  • Abundant and Stable
  • Technology Driven
  • Lower Maintenance Costs
  • Promotes Green Energy
Cons
  • Higher Upfront Cost
  • Geographic Restrictions
  • Storage Requirements

Famous Personalities

Before we delve into the famous personalities in Renewable Energy, let’s talk about the countries who are aiming to become renewable energy friendly. 
Germany, as a country, is leading the charge for renewable energy aiming to source 65% of their electricity from renewable resources.

Bill Gates

The former CEO of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world believe that renewable energy is the future. Bill Gates' climate fund had mobilised $15 billion into clean tech. Breakthrough Energy Group that was founded by Gates in 2015, has raised over $1.5 billion from businesses and charitable organisations so far. The organisation aims to decarbonise the

Elon Musk

"If it's not renewable, it's going to run out at some point." - Elon Musk

This quote by the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk says it all when it comes to being an advocate for green energy. Tesla is a billion-dollar car manufacturer that builds electric cars and stations all over the world. Not only Tesla, SpaceX, another company owned by Elon Musk that is transforming carbon dioxide into rocket fuel for future missions across space.

Mike Hudema

Mike Hudema is an energy campaigner focused on addressing the climate crisis, and building green opportunities. He serves as communications director for Canopy, an international environmental organisation working with industries to tackle climate change and develop solutions that protect and preserve last frontier forests.

Timeline

1839 French Physicist, Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel discovers how electric currents are produced.

1882 North America’s first Hydroelectric Central Power Station begins operation.

1888 First large windmill deployed in Ohio.

1935 Hoover Dam begins providing power for the Southwest.

1954 The first practical solar cell demonstrated by Bell Labs.

1966 The first power plant that generates electricity using tides launched in France.

2012 The Three Gorges Dam opens as the World’s Largest Hydropower Plant. Generation Capacity - 22,500 MW.

2020 The Hornsea One goes online as the World’s Largest Offshore wind farm.

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