Whether you’re looking for a new career path or just want to stay up on the trends – jobs in alternate energy are growing as fast as the industry itself. Here, you can find unique construction jobs working in the wind and solar fields. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, two of the fasting growing (construction-related) jobs from today to 2026 include:
Wind Turbine Technicians (Windtechs)
- Expected job growth – 96 percent, ranked as “much faster than average”
- Where these jobs are found:
- Electrical contractors, 31 percent
- Repair and maintenance contractors, 23 percent
- Utility system contractors, 15 percent
- Professional services contractors, 5 percent
- Job description
Installing, maintaining and repairing wind turbines throughout the country.- Inspecting the exterior and physical integrity of wind turbine towers, blades and headpieces
- Climbing wind turbines to inspect and repair the equipment
- Performing maintenance on wind turbines
- Testing and troubleshooting electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems
- Replacing worn or malfunctioning components
- Servicing underground transmission systems, wind field substations and fiber optic control systems
- Normal exposures of the job
- Heights – tower work and rappelling
- Hand tools – drills, wrenches, saws, fabrication/installation tools and testing equipment
- Ladders – access to nacelle
- Environmental – heat, cold, outdoor and rural exposures
- Confined spaces – nacelle access and tower interiors
- Electrical – shock and electrocution
- Material handling – parts, tools, blades and nacelles
- Travel – vehicle, air and ATV
- Lifting – cranes and manual
- Crushing – caught in moving mechanical parts
Solar Photovoltaic Installers (PV Installers)
- Expected job growth – 105 percent, ranked as “much faster than average”
- Where are these jobs found:
- The largest employers of photovoltaic installers include:
- Plumbing, heating and ac contractors, 43 percent
- Electrical contractors, 20 percent
- Hardware, plumbing, heating wholesale, 2 percent
- Utilities contractors, 1 percent
- Job description
Installing, assembling and maintaining solar panel systems on rooftops, towers, and ground systems.- Measuring, cutting and assembling solar panel support structures
- Installing solar modules, panels and support structures per standards
- Connecting panels to electrical grids
- Activating and testing solar panel grids
- Performing maintenance on solar panel grids
- Normal exposures of the job
- Heights – rooftop and tower work
- Hand tools – drills, wrenches, saws and fabrication/installation tools
- Ladders – access to roofs and towers
- Environmental – heat, cold, outdoor and rural exposures
- Confined spaces – attics and crawl spaces
- Electrical – shock and electrocution
- Material handling – panels and mounting
- Travel – vehicle and air
