The renewable energy engineering sector has benefited from considerable growth, both from technological advances that make it possible to take advantage of new energy sources and from global pressure to switch to clean energy. In the US alone, renewable energy accounted for 17% of electricity generation in 2017, and if you look at the sector globally, 24% of electricity generation came from renewable in 2016. Some Key factors have led to increased adoption:
• New multinational, national and regional legislation that orders transitions to clean energy sources.
Example: California passed a bill in 2018 that requires utilities to generate 50% of their electricity using clean energy by 2026 and 100% by 2045.
• A growing number of studies have been published supporting the economic benefits of renewable energy, which in turn help support local, state and national policies that are conducive to renewable energy development.
In some areas, it has become more economically viable to build renewable energy infrastructure rather than new gas or coal power generation facilities. In the case of Tucson Electric, the company plans to get 70% of its energy from wind and solar power by 2035.
Career in Renewable Energy Engineering
Data from Burning Glass shows that about 4% of all US job postings for mechanical engineers in 2019 specifically mention renewable energy, clean energy, sustainable energy, or green energy.
The majority of states in the US have adopted the Renewable Portfolio Standard, which is a specific plan for transitioning a percentage of total energy sold to renewables. However, percentages and target dates vary widely by state. Demand for mechanical engineers with a focus on renewable energy is highest in California, according to Burning Glass. The overall trend for this career is positive with the number of job openings for this position increasing by 7.15% between 2018 and 2019, continuing the upward trend that started in 2011.
Best Engineering College in Greater Noida
There are also types of renewable energy engineering careers that mechanical engineers can pursue, even for roles that do not mention mechanical engineering specifically. Depending on the focus of the role, for example, energy engineers may be responsible for evaluating mechanical systems and optimizing infrastructure for efficiency, determining site feasibility for new energy infrastructure, or modeling the impact of proposed changes on energy systems.
