There are many reasons you may be interested in a green or sustainable career. Perhaps you're aware that there were over 3.4 million green jobs in the United States in 2011, a swiftly growing sector that averaged 7% growth year-over-year. Maybe you're concerned about the environment and believe that you have the drive and passion to make a difference. Or perhaps you are simply intrigued by the innovative technology being developed in the sustainable energy industries. Whatever the case, you have a lot of options.

Biofuel Engineering

Biofuels and advanced biofuels are both swiftly growing markets, as countries around the globe have concentrated their efforts on reducing their reliance on non-renewable resources. Natural, renewable biofuels include ethanol and biodiesel, while advanced biofuels include cellulosic ethanol and cellulosic butanol. Biofuel engineering involves finding new ways to synthesize and optimize advanced biofuels while also improving the efficiency of machines that can utilize them -- and fitting existing machines so that they can consume biofuels rather than more traditional fuel sources.

Environmental Engineering

If you're looking for a general position in sustainable energy, you may want to look into the fairly broad spectrum of environmental engineering positions. Environmental engineering includes chemists, biologists, and a variety of other scientific and engineering disciplines, all devoted to the study and improvement of our environment. An environmental engineer may find new ways to preserve coral reefs, but they may also help in capturing algae blooms for a potential new fuel source.

Solar Engineering

Solar energy has become incredibly popular on both a commercial and residential level. Solar engineers design and engineer solar panel projects. Some may work directly with the solar equipment, improving upon their efficiency and testing out new methods of energy capture. Others may work on specific solar engineering projects, managing large installations and planning out their construction.

Wind Engineering

Wind engineering experienced a 33% growth rate from 2009 to 2013, indicating a surge in interest. Wind is an exceptionally clean type of energy. Like solar energy, engineers may work directly with wind turbines, improving upon energy draw and engineering new forms of energy capture. They may also plan and oversee the installation of new wind projects, usually for the state or local government.  

Even if your engineering degree and experience isn't focused in any of the above categories, it's very likely that you can find a position suitable to you as an engineer. Computer engineers may find themselves developing complex data systems for solar panel programs, while civil engineers can map out exciting new plans for new government wind engineering initiatives. If you want to know more about developing a career in energy or engineering, contact us at OneTech today. We can help you find the position you've been looking for.