When considering a career path in the electric utilities central field, it is often good to consider alternative options, such as a career path in the construction or building industry. Although many jobs in this field require some type of technical expertise, there are a number of career paths within the construction trade that also require basic carpentry and electrical skills. In order to enter the construction trade, however, one would need to have at least a high school diploma. This is not always the case, and in some cases, an education degree may be all that is necessary.
If television has taught us anything, it’s that people who work in the energy and utilities industry are all like Homer Simpson, Lenny, Carl, and Mr. Burns. You might think that to work in this industry you will be required to work at a huge power station in the middle of nowhere, or on an oil rig in the North Sea. You also might think that to work in the energy and utilities industry you will be risking life and limb every day, either in a mine that may collapse or inside a huge dam that may burst at any point in one big watery explosion.
However, it may shock you to know that a career in this sector is not all about eating donuts and putting yourself in danger.
So before you make the decision to get into energy and utilities, you should firstly discover what it’s really all about.
What jobs fall under the energy and utilities sector?
It’s all about oil, gas, coal, petroleum, solar power, wind farms and everything else which provides the UK with energy. It’s also all about managing our water, sewage systems and waste disposal.
Without energy and utilities, the modern world would not be able to keep moving or stay switched on. All day, every day, we rely on the hard work of people in the energy and utilities sector – when we flush the toilet, when we put petrol in our cars, and when we open the fridge and that little light magically comes on.
Developments in the energy and utilities sector
With increasing environmental concerns across the world, the energy and utilities sector is becoming one of the most innovative and adaptable sectors. Understandably, there has been a rise in the development of renewable energy resources, such as solar panels, hydroelectric dams and biomass fuel. However, even the major oil and petroleum companies are beginning to develop fuels which are more environmentally friendly.
A huge range of different career paths are available within the energy and utilities sector, ranging from technical and engineering roles to managerial and sales positions. Every single role requires energetic people to help provide the UK with all the energy and water it needs.
What do engineers and scientists in the energy and utility sector do?
Understandably, engineers play a very important role in the energy and utilities sector. Power stations, refineries, rigs and water treatment plants require a lot of complex and large machinery, and these need to be designed, built and maintained. Safety engineers are also absolutely essential. Work sites in this sector have the potential to be highly dangerous places, especially for technical guys, so stringent safety policies and measures need to be put in place.
Similarly, this industry would be nowhere without the specialist scientists who operate within the research and development side of energy careers. These guys are especially important with the increasing necessity for more environmentally friendly energy solutions. After all, how can hybrid cars be created without expert scientists to research and develop the new fuel systems?
In the same vein, scientists who work in the exploration side of energy and utilities are essential for finding new energy sources. For example, geoscientists survey the earth’s surface using specialist equipment to search for oil reserves, gas reserves and other natural resources. These employees truly allow the industry to continue, as without their essential work, new extraction and production projects would never begin.
Is Energy Engineering a Good Career Choice?
Like most engineers, those working in the energy sector have a pretty diverse brief, and are tasked both with the reduction of existing energy consumption, and the improvement and development of technologies to produce energy more efficiently. As such, the optimal energy engineer is an optimiser and problem solver by nature. It’s a highly specialised area of work and typically requires a post graduate qualification, but that’s okay, you’re a smart bunch. And actually, there are exceptions to this rule as some institutions offer energy engineering programmes which allow you to circumvent that need.
Into the future
The global energy landscape is changing drastically, and if you’re an aspiring energy engineer, for the better – jobs are proliferating. With the effects of global warming becoming ever more pronounced, and deadly, countries are ratcheting up investment in solar, wind and geothermal power, brining down prices in the process, and increasing their scalability. The cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, for example, has fallen by 99 percent over the last four decades – a staggering drop. This shift in the energy landscape is creating huge opportunities for the budding energy engineer. And regardless of the technology used to generate and store energy, there is a growing need to create systems that make efficient use of energy, meaning energy engineer will always be in high demand. Good news, no?
Types of Energy Engineering Positions
Due to the broad definition of an energy engineer, it’s not feasible to list every subcategory. This list, however, provides a good starting point.
Green Building Engineer
The typical median salary in the United States is around $100,000 per year.
Infrastructure developers are constantly looking at building structures trying to ensure they make the most effective use of energy. This means that every single aspect of the construction and design needs to be analysed from an energy efficiency perspective. (Enter: green building engineer). This includes the procurement of energy efficient raw materials, all the way to the design of the structure. Some buildings even produce and store their own energy and are completely off the grid. Other responsibilities of a green building engineer include analysing the energy usage of existing buildings; recommending ways to improve energy efficiency; and designing buildings that make use of passive methods to cool and heat themselves.
Energy Systems Engineer (ESE)
The typical median salary in the United States is roughly $85,000 per year.
In terms of energy use, an energy system engineer’s focus is on the bigger picture. An ESE is tasked with improving energy storage systems, managing energy distribution, analysing the effect of energy practices on the local environment, and understating the effects of energy-related activities on the economy. An ESE needs to have a broad knowledge of basic engineering covering even the economics of energy systems. Other responsibilities include the analysis of existing energy plants and systems to determine their efficiency, recommending ways to improve their efficiency, and evaluating the economic and environmental impact of new energy installations.
Alternative / Renewable Energy Engineer
The typical median salary in the United States is about $70,000 per year.
Huge renewable energy projects are coming online all over the world. And the trend only looks set to increase. These include 2000-megawatt solar arrays, 6800-megawatt wind farms, wave power generators and geothermal power plants. Thankfully, coal and nuclear power stations are falling behind the constant innovation of the renewable energy sector. This is because of impressive technological advances which have decreased their overall cost. Advances are less apparent in the coal and nuclear fields as the barrier to entry is prohibitively expensive. For instance, the time that it takes to bring a solar farm or wind farm online is significantly shorter and cheaper than building a new conventional power plant – good news for all of us.
As a renewable energy engineer you can expect to be involved in designing renewable energy systems (such as solar and wind plants), optimising existing energy systems, and researching and designing new renewable technologies and methods. You also have the opportunity to be part of a revolution (in energy generation) that ultimately could save the world. What could be more exciting than that?
Who actually collects the raw materials to generate energy?
Non-renewable energy resources are understandably difficult to get hold of. Consequently, experts in mining, gathering, and extraction are needed. These guys provide the core practical function of the energy and utilities industry. Without them, the industry would collapse.
Moreover, the raw materials which are extracted and collected need to be processed and distributed before they are usable. Therefore, the experts who work in refining, processing and transportation are just as important as anyone else in the industry.
The ‘business’ side of energy and utilities
Careers in energy and utilities do not stop at technical and practical work. Much like every other industry in the world, these operations require processes, strategy, and budget management to keep everything running smoothly. Hence, an abundance of management, finance, administration, and IT careers are available within the energy and utilities companies.
Energy is big business. It is also a highly competitive industry. Many different companies sell the same services. Consequently, each organization needs to employ fantastic customer service and sales representatives to beat off the competition.
If the idea of a career in energy and utilities has lightened up your day then it might well be worth exploring the potential career paths and job listings in this sector in further detail!
The Final Verdict
Is Electric Utilities Central A Good Career Path In 2021? The answer to this question depends upon the individual and his dedication to work in this field. If someone has the capability to perform a particular job, then that would be a good career path for him/her.
Read More: https://mightynews.co.uk/is-consumer-non-durables-a-good-career-path/
