EnergyCareerPath.com

First off, I want to give a big thanks for your support in 2019.   It had been a very busy year in 2019 and life as it is, caused many shifts in priorities, both personally and professionally. SAFETY As an OSHA instructor, I am well aware of how much more safety there is out there that needs to be taught.  My goal is to ensure that the organization continues its growth in the world of safety.  With that said, Energy Career Path will be expanding its offerings to include Hazwoper and Confined Spaces.   This means that ECP will take a deep dive into understanding the elements of the associated training and will provide content to support it here. OFF-GRID Several years ago, I had a conversation with one of my mentors, Brian Hurd (of Hands On Solar) about off-grid solutions.  At one point, we discussed creating an emergency solution, but unfortunately, we never got around to making that happen.  However, I've recently connected "calli...

Sacramento Work and American River College are offering an orientation for those interested in learning more about Solar Technology. American River College’s Solar Energy Technology Training Attend the next Orientation At Hillsdale Career Center Date: 08/29/2012 & 8/31/2012 Time: 9am —11am Location: 5655 Hillsdale Blvd, Sacramento CA, 95842 Solar Flyer 8.20.2012 B

Career Planning Green Jobs Network IREC Solar Career Map  - A great tool to help you map out your career path. Solar Energy Careers Don't discount the opportunities that Craigslist and other local community sites offer.  Oftentimes, young start-ups will rely on those sites because they're free.  Think of it this way, money saved on advertisement is money that can go to new solar employees.  Go to the jobs section and filter for "solar". Training Solar Training Network Industry News Plain and simple... If you want to be a part of the industry, you have to keep up with the industry. Get informed, but be careful with information overload...unless you're an info junkie like me :) Clean Technica Energy.gov Greentech Media - Solar  (lots of other renewables on this site) IREC PV Magazine Renewable Energy World Solar Industry Magazine Solar Energy Industries Association: SEIA and the GUNTHER Portfolio has a whole slew of links, especially for those...

The following chart was pulled from Indeed.com using a generic search for "solar" (there are other possible entries such as PV, photovoltaics, etc).  The chart is a good representation of the shift from an incentive driven industry to one that is self-sustaining.  Peaks in this chart meet the goals of companies pushing to capture the incentives prior to expiration.  What we would like to see is leveling out, possibly represented in 2013. (01/12/18 - Indeed's graphs have been updated since.  Below is the latest.  Despite what looks like a drop off, this is a healthy representation of an industry right-sizing)

Recent articles describing some of the challenges of solar companies (i.e. bankruptcy and facility closures) made me think about the natural progression of any industry.  You may recall an earlier post about how the telecommunications industry went through its own house-cleaning and the advice to stay informed with your chosen field.  It's just a matter of time before the renewables go through the same thing, if it hasn't started already.  However, do not despair and abandon your efforts to gain a foothold in the industry.  One of your responsibilities is to stay in tune with the industry of your choice and understand the dynamics.  Why is one company going bankrupt?  Is it a true depiction of industry strength or weakness? What is influencing change? Or is just the result of the cycle that all industries go through?  I would lean toward the latter with the belief that this is a good thing. But let's step this aside from the obvious and start ap...