Finding a Solar Job

With all the press coverage given to Climate Change, Power Shortages and advances in PV technology, the interest in solar jobs has been increasing dramatically. This would be an appropriate point to insert some statistics, but since the article is being read on the internet, a link will be much more effective. PVBuzz is one of the best sites for viewing solar market growth statistics: Spoiler: It's Blowing Up.

It's obvious that as long as the sun rises, we'll probably have a Solar industry in our future. So, where to start? The interesting thing about the solar job market is that because of its dramatic growth, it's a frontier of sorts. No matter what you're doing now, there's probably a solar equivalent. Sales? Check. Writing? Check. Construction? You bet. Therapist? Maybe not yet. The trick is to just get educated.

Here are five links - mostly relevant to the California market, but just a tiny sample of the vast resources of solar information and job opportunities to broaden one's knowledge:

The Solar Living Institute, Hopland, CA - Lot's of classes and hands on training - a not for profit spin-off of the Real Goods retail empire. These are the guys who put solar power on the Vatican and the White House (Carter put it on, Reagan took it off!). Their Solfest is an annual Solar orgy that should not be missed - you will meet ivy league educated solar business execs as well as the original Solar Hippies (who, it turns out were right all along...). They will stoke you with their message and organic IPA or Iced Mint Lime Green Tea. You will stride out of there with a job in the industry or a firmer commitment to get one - this is a documented fact.

Pacific Gas & Electric gives free classes on various types of solar power in various locations throughout California. It's free. Cheaper than watching TV. Oh, and sometimes they include lunch. Check your local utility if you're not in California - or just attend while vacationing here. There's no reason not to do this. If you haven't clicked the link yet, you need to have your electrolyte levels checked.

RenewableEnergyWorld.com - Renewable Energy World is just one of those well organized websites that's been around as long as the internet has and always has at least 35 solar jobs listed. Check it out. Search by keyword and / or location.

Sample RSS job feed from Craigslist - Go to Craigslist Jobs for your preferred location. Search the keyword "solar". Go to the bottom right corner and click the RSS link. Add this link to the bookmarks bar of Firefox, Safari or Chrome. Sit back and enjoy a constant stream of job postings while you write your scathing reviews about the dire dry cleaning situation in your town. You can set up different feeds for several of your favorite cities - or just the ones where you know there's a couch to crash on while interviewing.

NABCEP - North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners - This is useful if you're already an electrician and want to get on the fast track to PV certification. It's tough, expensive and worth it.

This is, of course, only scratching the surface of available resources. By getting started here, you're sure to find at least two or three useful leads. Good Luck!