Solar Power for Houses: Your Residential Solar Power System

Green engineering positions typically want an undergraduate degree in engineering or closely related discipline, although a high school diploma with four years of technical and engineering experience may also be considered acceptable. There may also be guild requirements. Many of the engineering jobs are electrical, electronics, or IT positions.

Positions labeled as technician often don’t require a full degree and may be more accessible to those trying to enter the field. They often expect an Associate degree or several years of experience in the field. Engineering and technical positions aren’t open to high school graduates without experience in the field. Mechanics are a different story altogether, and often require a lot less training than engineers.

General Electric is currently hiring a lot of people for these positions. However, when working for energy companies it’s a good idea to check whether the particular projects you’ll be working on are actually green. If you’re working with coal, it is not a green job, even if you found it on a green energy jobs board.

Like all companies, green energy companies require people to organize all the work that’s being done. Someone to do the payroll, someone to hire people, someone to make sure people do the things that need to be done.

Requirements for administration and management positions in green energy are not very different from requirements for similar jobs in other industries. However, some experience with construction or renewable energy is usually preferred, and is required for some positions.

Check the requirements of the individual job you are applying for carefully. Requirements vary greatly between jobs. If it doesn’t say a certain type of experience is required, it probably isn’t. Don’t avoid applying because you assume a certain type of experience is required.

If you have any experience in construction or renewable energy, let them know. It could be the selling point that gets you the job. Experience in administration, management or customer service as related to the duties of the position should be emphasized, especially if you lack experience with green energy. Display the skills you have, and emphasize your willingness to learn those you lack.

In addition to jobs labeled as administrator, manager, or customer service specialist, there are a great many jobs in the solar industry that require managerial skills in addition to technical skills. For example, senior engineers are often required to do administrative tasks, and individuals with administration experience are preferred for these positions.

A few solar energy companies that hire for administration and management positions:

Borrego Solar

Conergy

Juwi Solar

SolarCity

or check out Green Energy Job Search Sites

Alternative Energy.com

Green energy jobs online

Renewable Energy World

There are a lot of jobs in Green Energy that are not the ones we immediately think of. In addition to the people climbing on the roof installing solar panels, there are salespeople, administrators, managers, clerks, lab technicians, engineers, scientists, communications personnel, and entrepreneurs, among many others.

The requirements for these jobs are usually the same as for their equivalents in other industries, with the addition of interest in and enthusiasm for green energy. Experience in the green energy industry is a plus but is often not required, partly because the green energy industry is growing rapidly and there often aren’t enough trained and experienced people available.

There are diplomas and degrees available in green energy, green buildings and other related fields. Many are certificates or diplomas rather than full degrees. These programs are often relatively new, and as the green energy industry matures it is likely that more people working in the industry will have some sort of certification specifically in green energy.

Green Energy Job Sites:

Green energy jobs online

Alternative Energy.com

This job requires tolerance of heights, strength to lift heavy objects
and knowledge of how to install electrical objects safely.

The pay is usually about 15 to 23 dollars an hour. The whole solar sector is a high growth sector of the economy, and job prospects are bright. A high school education is usually expected, along with some construction experience and an apprenticeship or trade school education. However, the exact things employers look for vary somewhat. I culled the list below from actual job ads:

Things employers look for when hiring solar installers are:

• Ability to lift heavy objects (approx. 30-50lbs)
• Ability to work in a variety of positions
• Ability to work in hot sun and awkward spaces
• Not afraid of Heights
• Ability to interact with clients
• Attention to detail
• Ability to keep records and understand documentation
• Driver’s license and clean driver’s record
• Construction-related experience

Knowledge of Computer Software, OSHA safety regulations, and ability to understand blueprints is also often required.

Sources:

SolarInstallerjobs.com

A Day (or Three) in the Life of a Solar Installer

Places Hiring Solar Installers:

Standard Solar

SolarCity

Rec Solar