The shift from traditional to renewable sources of energy is a momentous one. It has far reaching consequences which will impact humanity as a whole Apart from the benefits to the atmosphere, fauna and environment in general, this shift will impact another part of our lives which is often overlooked by the majority: Jobs and Employment. 

While a number of individuals recognise the fact that replacing traditional sources of energy with renewable ones will have far reaching consequences, they do not actually consider how it could affect our jobs, even though it is arguably one of the most significant aspects of life. Recognising this flaw, this article delves deep into the subject at hand -  How jobs and careers change as they  are affected by the shift to renewable energy.

Before we analyse some individual examples of renewable energy jobs, we should also realise the situation of the overall job market in the energy sector lately. The oil and gas industries seemed to have reached their peak in 2012, and jobs related to fossil fuels extraction and support activities have been declining ever since. This means people are looking for new job opportunities, and are naturally shifting towards the renewable energy market. The main reason for this attraction towards renewable energy is that businesses want to ensure their longevity. In other words, they want to thrive and survive. They are thus evolving by focusing on sustainability, a key to long term success. Guess what fits right in with sustainability in the energy sector ? You guessed it: Renewable sources like wind, solar and hydropower.

But what new jobs have actually been created as a result of renewable energy ? One of the main jobs is being a wind turbine fabricator. This is mainly because wind power is quite complex to harness, and therefore requires skilled labour in its implementation. As a result, The technical aspect of wind power, including fabrication, installation and maintenance, is a tremendously growing field. The more massive wind farms in the works, the more openings in every stage of development: building turbines, installing turbines, setting up the power distribution, fixing the structures when they break down.

Another interesting job created by the adoption of green energy is one that is not related to the harnessing of power, but its utilisation with pre existing systems and requirements. The job in question is that of a Grid Integration Engineer. The primary task of a Grid Integration Engineer is to manage and operate an energy storage system, including battery and smart grid integration. Basically, their job is to figure out how to optimise the transfer of surplus green energy from the sources to the grid (the main power lines) so that their client can get the maximum output, efficiency and profit possible.

Apart from the technical aspects of green energy, other requirements need to be taken care of in order to make it a success. One of these requirements is fulfilled by  an environmental consultant. Being an environmental consultant applies to more than just renewable energy – it affects all aspects of a company’s efforts to become environmentally friendly. Organisations trying to reduce their environmental impact will hire consultants to measure what they’re doing and find ways to reduce damage they may be doing. An environmental consultant has the scientific knowledge and technical expertise to conduct field and desk-based research, carry out environmental assessments, and advise companies on a variety of matters. For example, if a company considers buying a piece of land for development, the consultant can assess the land before the purchase and collect relevant data to research that particular site further satisfies all requirements.

The above 3 examples showcase just how diverse jobs in renewable energy can be. However, if I were to choose one out of the hundreds that are available, it would have to be a nuclear power technician. (I know the boundaries are a bit undefined when it comes to considering nuclear power as renewable. But, nuclear energy is actually considered renewable, while nuclear fuel isn’t. Apart from the radioactive fuel used, no other toxic substances are released by nuclear plants. They do emit  huge amounts of steam, but of course that's not harmful)

 If future energy advancements produce fruitful advancements in the practises of nuclear fusion (which is theorised to work with hydrogen isotopes and other fuels which are non radioactive and non toxic in nature)), it would be amazing to work with something that pushes the boundaries of human knowledge and if done right, could be extremely beneficial to humanity.

Sources

https://greencitizen.com/renewable-energy-jobs/

https://money.howstuffworks.com/5-renewable-energy-careers.htm#pt5

https://www.greenesa.com/blog/renewable-energy-jobs-2021

https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/clean-energy-101/is-nuclear-energy-renewable