EnergyCareerPath.com

Knowledge Toolbelt - Energy Storage For the many students that have gone through any of my training, you may recall my emphasis on keeping battery/storage in your "knowledge toolbelt".  No matter what form of energy is used as a source, the person or company that solves the limitations with storage will be king. An article posted last week talks about Tesla and their efforts: Tesla Plans to Triple Battery Deployments in 2018 Tesla could be a bellwether to watch for the storage industry.  If that's the case, their big push for battery deployment is an indicator of where to steer your studies.  In this instance, battery storage technology. While much of the battery success for Tesla is in other countries, we can't ignore the value of seeing how other markets embrace the company's solutions like the Powerwall.  Similar to how other markets such as Europe are in a mature part of the photovoltaic product cycle, there are many opportunities to fig...

I was recently asked to comment on some of the skepticism toward the availability of job opportunities within the renewable and sustainable industries.  Both classifications are included as there is a difference, but for the sake of simplifying the message, we'll refer to the "Green" industry.  As an organization focused on accelerating opportunities within this industry, I was more than happy to help with the common goal. The Perspective Challenge The challenge is to decipher between the health of the job market relative to the overall economy and recognizing the true level of opportunities within the Green sector.  As broad as this subject is, you can choose to further dissect the viability of each industry within it (solar, wind, bio, [insert passion here]).  Given that elements such as political influence, local economies (consider the predominant industry as in the oil states, great example here ), regulations and incentives, acceptance of technology, effect...

GreenBiz Salary produced a report in Oct 2010 on the salaries of sustainability managers. The numbers further support the importance of sustainability and the emphasis (through salary) that companies are placing on the practice. Update (1/11/17 - The Report link has since been retired) Here is a link to Clean Tech Job Trends for 2010

In a recent post from The Green Economy Post, an article titled, " Green Energy’s Big Challenge: The Daunting Task of Scaling Up " places the penetration progress of our various resources into proper perspective.  With impressive increases in acceptance of renewable energy, (see " $6-billion solar industry logs another record year ") society is nowhere near snapping the umbilical connection to fossil fuels.  One of the more prominent notions is that the United States is trailing Europe in renewable project implementation.  Make no mistake, this form of international "in-your-face" is necessary for innovation here in the states.  However, the article goes on further to stifle the belief that countries like Germany are faring better.   "Despite more than 21,000 wind turbines and 13 million square meters of solar installations, Germany still gets more than 50 percent of its electricity from burning fossil fuels, including lignite, the most polluting form...

Despite the capital invested in your education or transitional training, be prepared to enter the industry at the bottom of the pecking order.  No matter how strong of a game-changing attitude you may think you'll bring, understand that the hierarchical system of social organization in that company is going to ensure that your aspirations of coming in as top chicken will be de-feathered.  At least initially or until you’ve made enough coffee runs.  Corporate culture alone takes a period of saturation to understand.  Add in passion for environmental responsibility to that culture and you have one of the toughest organizational environments to penetrate if you don't support the vision.  In addition, the game has become ...still remains challenging as many career individuals with the very experience you desire to obtain have been displaced and are now fighting for the same position you're willing to do for free.  This only adds to the necessity ...

In an article from OregonLive.com, " SolarWorld, others in Oregon hope to benefit from new "Buy America" law ", there are indications that the DOD Appropriations Act has a provision that will give SolarWorld and other companies with U.S. factories some protection from Chinese solar companies. First, take a few steps back and recall on December 19, 2010, President Barack Obama signed in to law the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act .    At the time of the signing, most of the media was hailing that Act as a successful move to support the efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Due diligence will have you reading between the lines and understanding that the Act was much more. You can find the provision in H.R. 3326: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 , Section 8038 which "Prohibits the use of funds: (1) by a DOD entity without compliance with the Buy American Act." Let's look at a few more details and attempt to take away key elem...

As your strategies for landing an internship develop while in your green training, I want you to try to avoid limiting yourself with the possibilities of where you will find your opportunities.  Try to get away from relying on traditional methods such as general job boards and unlock doors through your research and volunteering.   I'll start with the latter. The key to volunteering is ensuring that  the position creates a foundation for your career.  This means that the duties of the volunteer position must provide the basic skills required for your goal.  If you don't have a goal yet, skip right down to the "research" section.  Now, although it's important, let's just put aside the rewards you reap spiritually when volunteering to help others and realize that as a job seeker, you have a mission to develop and sell yourself to your future employer.  Therefore treat your volunteer efforts as the defining point of your career.  If you treat the vo...

California solar companies have been frequently making headlines across the nation as Golden State companies kick off the New Year with announcements to expand into other states.  Mississippi has the pleasure of welcoming San Jose thin-film solar manufacturer Stion .  In an article from CNET News , Stion's gift of the state's first thin-film solar panel factory will bring 1,000 jobs to Mississippi.  In other news , W Solar Group Inc will be moving the whole house over to Dane County in Wisconsin.  Also a thin-film solar company, W Solar will be bringing approximately 620 jobs to Wisconsin.  Digging deeper in to some of the moves, it's obvious that incentives are a key element in the decision process.  Mississippi is giving Stion a $75mil loan in addition to incentives, while Wisconsin is offering W Solar an incentive that gives the company a $28mil Enterprise Zone Tax credit. First side of the coin: Of course, Californians are left to wonder why their s...