Top 5 Green Jobs Serving the Energy Industry

by Alex A. Kecskes

Certain key green energy jobs promise to take off in the next few years. Here are the top five:

Solar Power Installer. Setting up solar power systems already employs nearly 800,000 worldwide. Installing solar-thermal water heaters and rooftop photovoltaic cells can bring in up to $35 an hour. These jobs will only increase in sunshine states. There are already over 3,400 companies in the solar energy sector. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the U.S. will have over 110,000 solar-related jobs by 2016.

Energy Efficiency Specialist. Bringing the millions of buildings across the U.S. into LEED compliance will account for thousands of new jobs. LEED, the major green building certification, already has over 43,000 accredited professionals. If the U.S adopts the Passivhaus and MINERGIE-P standards found in Germany and Switzerland--which use between 75% and 95% less heat energy than a similar building constructed to the latest U.S. codes--there will be a huge demand for skilled retrofitters who can use spray foam insulation and storm windows to vastly improve the R-value (thermal resistance) of many U.S. buildings.

Wind Turbine Fabricator. The fastest-growing source of alternative energy, wind power employs over 300,000 worldwide. Wind turbines being almost entirely constructed of metal will offer out-of-work autoworkers jobs and allow manufacturers to retool and prosper. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the industry employed over 50,000 workers in the U.S. and added 10,000 new jobs in 2007. Check out their Job Board for energy related opportunities.

Ancillary Green Energy Services. These include business services like legal, marketing, research and consulting, which currently account for over 400,000 green jobs.

Sustainability Systems Developer. These specialized software developers and engineers design, build, and maintain the networks of sensors and random modeling systems that serve wind farms, smart energy grids and other systems.

Recyclers. Recycling jobs across the U.S already exceed one million. Recycling is a viable economical alternative to ever-escalating disposal fees. New laws and regulations will increase the demand for specialized companies that recycle and repurpose plastic bags, e-waste, construction waste, and other materials.

For a more detailed look at green energy jobs, check out, Gregory McNamee's paperback, "Careers in Renewable Energy: Get a Green Energy Job"

For more information on Utilities jobs, check out http://www.utilitiesjobs.com/