It’s an exciting time for the renewable energy industry, particularly with the rapid advancement of renewable energy technologies. According to a report by the National Resources Defense Council, the United States has far surpassed its ten-year forecasts for the adoption of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and geothermal technologies. The industry continues to surge as concerns about climate change grow and companies seek cost-effective strategies to manage their energy costs and reduce energy consumption.
How do you become a renewable energy consultant? There is no set path, but we’ll break down everything you need to know — what a renewable energy consultant does, the education required, and tips on building a successful career in this dynamic field, which offers a wide range of opportunities to make a positive impact on the environment.
Learn more about how Everglades University prepares students for careers in renewable energy consulting.
What Does a Renewable Energy Consultant Do?
Renewable energy consultants work with clients to investigate, understand, and oversee the installation of renewable energy systems and solutions. Their goal is to increase efficiency and reduce costs while mitigating environmental impact. For example, a consultant might study the energy sources used across a client’s facilities and evaluate whether alternative energy solutions, such as wind or solar power, would be better.
- Performing on-site building assessments to determine energy consumption and identify areas for improvement
- Analyzing data to compare current and historical usage rates, as well as environmental impacts
- Generating energy usage audit reports that are understandable to the client for informed decision-making
- Reviewing forecasting reports and information on trends related to energy consumption and environmental sustainability
- Researching renewable energy solutions appropriate for the client’s needs while considering environmental impacts
- Assessing alternative energy companies to determine their effectiveness and sustainability
- Developing recommendations that describe both cost and implementation strategies to optimize energy consumption
- Presenting recommendations to the client and addressing their concerns regarding energy efficiency and environmental effects
- Requesting proposals from renewable energy vendors, contractors, and equipment providers
- Overseeing the installation or upgrade of the client’s energy systems, ensuring minimal environmental disruption
- Tracking energy, budgets, and consumption to ensure performance indicators are met and environmental goals are achieved
- Updating the client’s policies and procedures related to energy systems to reflect best practices in energy consumption and sustainability
- Maintaining up-to-date knowledge about emerging technologies, government regulations, and federal grants to advise clients effectively on energy consumption and environmental impacts
What Skills Does a Renewable Energy Consultant Need?
The top three practical skills you need to develop are:
Communication Skills
As you can see from the job description, renewable energy consultants need a broad set of communication skills. You’ll write reports summarizing results, presenting your findings to clients, and developing proposals for vendors, including those for energy analyst roles. Everglades University ensures that you get the foundation you need, with requirements in English, Speech, and Communications.
A successful renewable energy consultant can understand complex data and present it to their client in an understandable format for decision-making.
Data Analysis
Renewable Energy Consultants must know how to analyze and evaluate alternative energy technologies from various data sources to extract patterns and trends for decision-making that support sustainable development. You’ll likely work with large data sets using database software (such as Excel or SQL) to produce reports and present findings to various stakeholders. Ensure you have strong analytical skills and a good understanding of statistics and accounting principles.
Renewable Energy Knowledge
Naturally, a good consultant must have a broad-based understanding of the field. You’ll need a solid education on all renewable energy sources, their practical applications, unique challenges and advantages, and a deep understanding of renewable technologies. Not only that, but you need to comprehend how federal, state, and local laws, including environmental regulations, can impact a company’s chosen energy solution and whether there are monetary advantages (grants) to encourage the adoption of a particular technology. Clients are looking to you as the expert, so your pursuit of knowledge must be ongoing.
What Education Does a Renewable Energy Consultant Need?
If you ask someone in the field how to become a renewable energy consultant, you’ll probably get many different answers. It’s a rapidly growing industry with numerous entry points in the energy industry, particularly in areas such as solar power. Professionals can find opportunities in both the private sector and government programs, where understanding energy costs is crucial. We’ve summarized the higher education options with some guidance on the variables that may affect your decision on what to pursue.
Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree in Renewable Energy Management is the ideal starting point for an aspiring renewable energy consultant. This program builds upon a necessary foundation of communication, critical analysis, math, and science and particularly emphasizes renewable resource technologies. Specific classes in the various types of alternative energies provide technical instruction.
For example, at Everglades University, students receive a comprehensive overview of all renewable energy sources, such as solar energy and photovoltaics, nuclear energy, wind energy, propane and natural gas, hydroelectric energy, geothermal energy, and biomass. This educational background equips graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complexities of the renewable energy sector effectively.
A bachelor’s degree is an ideal starting point for building a career and advancing as a renewable energy consultant.
Online Degree Programs
The advancement of new technologies makes online degree programs much more feasible. With a hybrid on-campus and online program, Everglades University is one of the top accredited schools to offer a renewable energy management degree online, providing students with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in various energy sectors.
Third-Party Renewable Energy Certification Programs
There are many third-party certification programs for energy professionals. These two are specifically focused on renewable energy and can be very well received by prospective employers or clients, including government agencies, as they show an additional stamp of approval on your skills. Certifications in energy audits, analysis, and surveys can further enhance your qualifications and demonstrate your expertise in assessing and optimizing energy use.
Everglades University has partnered with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate program to support sustainable construction and green building education. This partnership allows students to gain LEED credentials, recognized globally as the standard for sustainable design and environmentally responsible building practices. With this collaboration, Everglades University empowers students to drive positive change in the industry and prepare for future-focused careers in sustainable construction and green energy initiatives.
If you plan to specialize in a particular energy type or a component of the consulting process, consider exploring certifications in those areas. For example, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has developed a Building Energy Assessment Professional Certification.
This third-party certification focuses on skills related to energy audits, energy analysis, and conducting energy surveys, which are essential for assessing and optimizing energy efficiency in various settings.
This program aims to certify your ability to audit and analyze residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, including aspects related to energy storage and compliance with regulations set by government agencies.
Renewable energy consultants will continue to be in high demand as our country and the world move toward these sustainable energy sources. Understanding government incentives that promote renewable technologies will be crucial in this field. Continuous learning is essential to stay updated on the latest advancements and sustainable solutions.
Want To Learn How To Become A Renewable Energy Consultant?
Contact Everglades University to learn more about our Bachelor of Science Degree in Alternative and Renewable Energy Management.