Wind Energy Jobs

Well, you’ve chosen a great time to get into this field and this industry!

Wind energy is a very clean, environmentally safe, and inexhaustible form of energy.

So far, 2005 was the best year for the wind industry! According to an analysis by research director Godfrey Chua of Emerging Energy Research, over 1650 wind turbines were installed in over 22 states in the United States. And that’s just in the United States.

This continued investment in wind energy is also likely to grow substantially in coming years not just in the U.S., but worldwide.

Types of Jobs

1.) Degreed Positions

The biggest, fastest growing sector for wind energy jobs (and the one that will most likely produce the most new jobs) is in the installation, manufacturing, and day-to-day operations of existing equipment.

These positions tend to be filled more by qualified engineers: plant/location managers, manufacturing engineers, supervisors and quality assurance personnel.

You will find opportunities in tower, blade, generator, and gearbox production and installation – just to name a few examples.

But, don’t think that it’s just about the existing equipment. Analysis of wind speeds and locations, design specialists, testing, and management will also be needed for new and better technologies and locations.

If you’ve got a degree in atmospheric science, mathematics, computer science, aerodynamics, or even business, you should have no problem finding ample opportunities with many of these companies.

**Be ready to travel quite a bit, though. Since the wind industry is international, many of these positions may require extensive travel.

And last but not least is meteorology. Weather patterns and typical wind speeds have to be mapped and understood to better be able to predict power generation and power output to the overall grid from wind power on any given day.

2.) Service Positions

The service sector also offers a lot of opportunities for wind energy jobs: Field technicians, operational maintenance experts, and technicians that work in installations – just to name a few. These positions are coming to be known as “windsmiths”.

There are varying ranges of education required for these types of positions (anywhere from 2-year degrees to bachelor’s degrees in the area of sciences).

A good example we found for this are those that study the environment and assess where new turbines and facilities will be built and if they will affect the local plants, animals, or drinking water. For this, you may need a bachelor’s degree in environmental science or biology and geology.

Major Areas of Research

1.) Turbine and Aerodynamics Research - Research is needed to understand how turbines and blades work most efficiently with wind and how to best utilize this wind energy in certain areas. Wind data also has to be analyzed and mapped to understand how weather patterns and wind conditions typically work in specific areas.

2.) Forecasting - Wind speeds and patterns of wind must be studied and documented at various altitudes. Wind behavior needs to be documented for specific locations at certain times of the year, too.

3.) Grid Output - Since wind energy is variable and not always constant, operators have to monitor how this variable electricity output is added to the overall power grid.

4.) Energy Storage - How wind energy is stored once it is captured by windmills is another variable that must be monitored. Long-term storage of electric power is something that has to be constantly monitored, and predictions about power spikes or lulls have to be taken into account.

How Do I Get Started?

It’s true that many wind energy jobs require good educational backgrounds, but according to many experts a good portion of these positions will not require that much educational experience/background. People with some science training and a lot of determination can enter any engineering field and excel in it. The only question is: Can you convince hiring managers to take a chance on you?

There are several degree-granting programs available in the U.S. for wind-specific training. You may want to check out our renewable energy education page for more information.

Internships

One other way you can join this field without degree-specific training is to join a university lab that focuses on wind research. A student that receives specialized training can usually get straight into the field after graduation (without any previous work experience).

By far, the best way to enter the wind energy field is by doing an internship with a wind company. This gives you a better chance of showing that you can be a valuable asset to a company in this field.

To get a list of companies that may be currently offering internships to eager prospects, check out the Wind Energy Career Center at the AWEA website – www.awea.org

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