Solar Consulting Opportunities In West Windsor, NJ

By Enid Hinton


The recession of a few years ago resulted in a drastic drop in job opportunities. Many lost their jobs as companies downsized or shut down. One sector remained radiant though and this was solar energy. Solar consulting job prospects and those of related jobs in the field such as installation remained high and they remain hot. A 2011 National Solar Census report that was filed by The Solar Foundation and Cornell University and GreenLMI indicated that the US economy grew by only 0.7% in this year. The solar energy sector went against the grain with a 6.8% growth rate between August 2010 and August 2011. This rate of growth was almost 10 times the growth rate of the entire US economy.

According to the report, there were no less than 100, 237 jobs in the this sector in August 2011. This was after 6,735 new jobs were created within a year. The trend is expected to continue with employers expected to expand their workforce by at least 24 percent in the coming year. This translates to 24,000 new jobs for installers, consultants and others working in the sector.

Demand is especially high for consultants and installers. People and businesses are seeking expert advice on available options and what is most suitable for them. With this information, they can then seek out installers.

Since people started to realize the benefits of this source of green energy and the government and manufacturers started offering incentives for people to use it, a number of new water heating systems have been introduced. A lot of upgrades have also been made on existing products. As the choices have broadened, demand and job opportunities have increased as well.

One area where opportunities abound is with consultation on hot water systems and installation of the same. Another is the subsector of photovoltaic installation which involves installation of PV panels on roofs for both residential and commercial buildings. Demand has grown significantly in these two subsectors which has kept job opportunities growing steadily.

The area of radiant heating consultation and installation is also on a high growth curve. Consultants and installers in this area deal with appliances that use radiant heating technology. These appliances are believed to be the best for making maximum use of energy from the sum. Some systems are used for heating water only and others for lighting as well.

To be accredited as a consultant or installer of solar thermal energy, one has to take a course and get a certificate on successful completion. There is the option of taking other courses leading to higher qualifications including a bachelors degree. Those who get certified in consulting and installing heating systems for swimming pools have an advantage.

Apart from consulting on and installing thermal systems in homes, there are also very good prospects in installing them for large scale agricultural and commercial projects. Such large scale projects like these usually need hundreds of people at a time. In fact, companies usually have a backlog of clients waiting for installation to be done.

This sector continues to be the bright light for an economy that is still on a delicate recovery path. Solar installer and consultant careers and those of others working in the solar energy sector remain bright. Energy is needed to power every home, office, factory and any other operational building. Therefore, prospects can only keep getting better for sun energy workers.




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