CAREERS
2022
withSTEM JOB KIT ™
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Renewable
Energy Engineer Power your future with insights, information and advice on careers in renewable energy
UNSW Engineering
School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering
CRICOS CODE 00098G
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FOREWORD
e r u t u f e h t r e w Empo
Alistair Sproul Head of School, Scho Photovoltaic and Reneol of wable Energy Engineering
with the sector growing at an incredible rate of 30% every year, demand for talent is huge”
igh Demand for talent is sky-h tinue to use their skills
s con Today, UNSW graduate y gress the renewable energ pro to s on and qualificati era l sev ing lud inc s, eer car cessfu l sector with diverse, suc es. lti-billion dollar business who have launched mu e wing at an incredible rat And with the sector gro ge, hu is r, demand for talent of almost 30% every yea e in. com u yo : which is where and outstripping supply an is rld wo power our Revolutionising how we , every industry and sector ts pac im d an enormous task lls ski th wi s ate du gra ate, driven and will require passion . ity bil able energ y and sustaina and knowledge in renew
Bachelor of Science (Honours I) – University of Sydney Majoring in Physics
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back in hen I finished high school able energ y the 1980s, specific renew n’t exist yet – but engineering degrees did tainly on my radar, renewable energ y was cer ck of the 1970s. sho the oil having grown up through n, the need the ce sin While times have changed coa l, oil e lik ls fue sil fos to transition away from h for bot r, eve n tha nt and gas is more importa rse cou of d an ce our energ y independen ge. to mitigate climate chan jumped at a ve ha So while I would to tackle what ree deg y renewable energ rtant fut ure I already saw as an impo d physics and challenge, instead I studie BP Solar – back landed my first job with silicon solar cell in the ver y early days of say that during my to technology. I’m happy watched renewable career since then I have , insignificant, to a major energ y grow from almost . tor sec y erg global en competitive player in the ked ustry experience, I embar ind of rs yea After a few – ey academia at UNSW Sydn on my current career in able ew ren ere photovoltaic and home to Australia’s premi say to ud ree and where I’m pro energ y engineering deg tor y nt milestones in the his rta some of the most impo ades. dec ent rec developed over of the sector have been
R&D Engineer, BP Solar Sydney Australia
PhD, UNSW Photovoltaic Research Centre, School of Electrical Engineering, UNS W
Fighting climate change and building a sustainable tomorrow means shifting to renewable energy – and you can be part of the revolution
Professor, School of Photovo ltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW
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R&D Engineer, Pacific Solar, Sydney Australia
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Fraunhofer Institute for Sol ar Systems, Freiburg, GermanyEnergy Head of School, School of Phot ovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineer ing, UNSW
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You cou ld design and ins tall solar, wind and energ y storage systems, work for a company that designs and builds energ y efficient bu ildings, launch a startup, advise government on policy or become a researcher an d drive innovation that we can’t even imagine yet! I’m op timistic and can’t wait to see wh at the next generation ach ieves. Alistair Sproul Head of School, School of Photovoltaic and Rene wable Energy Engineering
Check out CareerswithSTEM .com for mo inspiration and advice about re insights, information, STEM careers! 3
UNSW RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEER
DEEP DIVE
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ENGINEERING A BRIGHTER FUTURE
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k? W here will you wor sk ills that
gineers have Renewable energ y en yable across a ra nge of plo em r pe su em ma ke th amples: rs – here are some ex sectors and employe en) an ies (e.g. AGL, In fig ✔ Energ y uti lity comp an ies (e.g. AECOM) ✔ En gineerin g comp compan ies ✔ Renewable energ y Hydro) ic cif Pa , (e.g. Tesla ment lop ve de y ✔ Propert d) (LendLea se, Stock lan ✔ Govern ment adem ia/resea rch Ac ✔ ✔ Sta rtups
Renewable energy engineers are the STEM experts designing, building and maintaining the technology and systems that will power us into a more sustainable future
IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK; SUNNY STATS SOURCES: ARENA.GOV.AU; CSIRO; ABS 2018-19
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that has led to where very human advancement harnessing energy we are today has relied on power to burning wood in some way – from horse or turning a water mill. covered that the method Unfortunately, we’ve dis ible progress of the that brought us the incred ng the 20th Century – burni Industria l Revolution in tty pre a at and gas – has come fossil fuels like coa l, oil ing. hefty cost: global warm – safe, sustainable energy rgy ene Enter renewable use t, don’t produce greenho sources that won’t run ou cial cru be ll wi ich wh ting to gas emissions, and conver ge. impacts of climate chan for preventing the worst rgy ene e abl ew ren to ls Switching from fossil fue manity has to offer in hu t bes y ver the e uir will req ort and cooperation. innovation, ingenuity, eff ng it, and that means job The good news? We’re doi rt those who want to be pa opportunities galore for reau Bu an ali str Au ding to the of the revolution. Accor w ne 850 26, re we re ne the of Statistics, in 2018-19 alo 27% of se rea inc (an ated renewable energy jobs cre up 120% over 10 years. d an r) yea us vio on the pre ng no signs of slowing. wi And that trajector y is sho study and career path as Ready to kickstart your ? eer, and change the world a renewable energy engin Chilton Keep reading. – Gemma
What will you do? Here are some of the roles and tasks with which a renewable energy engineer might fill their average workday. tasks •D esign, install and operate renewable energy systems •D esign and construct energy efficient buildings • C onsult on energy efficiency and sustainability • Research new energy technologies
Roles • Project manager • Renewable energy engineer • Protection engineer • Energy consultant • Sustainability consultant • Sustainability analyst • Solar and battery design engineer
From NASA to Tesla, meet 5 real renewable energy engineers with diverse (and awesome) careers: bit.ly/renewable-jobs
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Looking for even m ore reasons to stud y renewable energy en gineering? Here are 6 more! bi t.ly/SPREE-reason s
Study paths There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a renewable energy engineer – here are just some of the options at UNSW Sydney for getting qualified and job-ready.
Undergraduate degrees
Power up your career as a renewable energy engineer with one of these fouryear undergrad degrees. •B achelor of Engineering (Honours) (Photovoltaics and Solar Energy) With this degree, you’ll immerse yourself in photovoltaics (PV, a.k.a. solar cells) – which convert the sunlight directly into electricity, and is the fastest-growing form of renewable energy!
Moneyh-detmaandlsekctor means you
Being in a hig ice for your skills! can demand a high pr
recent graduate ruiter, Freshwater Group, a rec tor sec rgy ene list cia spe According to a salary in the region of ineering degree should expect with a renewable energy eng 0K or more at senior level, by mid-career and up to $16 $60K-$80K; $100K-$140K you are managing a team. depending on whether or not market is starting to inflate e variation, and the current “Different cities will have som e increases as companies and this will likely lead to som ns atio ect exp ’s ple peo e som ector, David Young. shwater Group Managing Dir Fre out nts poi nt,” tale for e compet
•B achelor of Engineering (Honours) (Renewable Energy) Whilst there’s plenty of overlap between this and UNSW’s photovoltaics degree, the Renewable Energy (RE) course explores renewable energy technologies more broadly – such as wind, biomass, hydropower and solar thermal. Both degrees also explore related topics such as sustainable architecture and building efficiency.
Double up
Sunny stats Electricity generated from the Sun, called solar photovoltaics, is one of the most promising and competitive renewable energy sources available – just check out the numbers!
• More than 30% of Austr alian homes have rooftop solar panels insta lled • That’s 2.7 million roofto p solar panel installations (as of Decemb er 2020) • 1 0% of Australia’s electric generated by the sun in 20ity was and it’s the fastest growing20-21 – energy source in Australia • 5 0% of all full-time jobs sector (in 2018-19) wereininthe renewable solar
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Combine your Bachelor of Engineering majoring in RE or PV undergrad with any of the below and supercharge your employability! • Bachelor of Commerce • Bachelor of Science • Bachelor of Arts • Bachelor of Computer Science
Postgraduate degrees
Take your engineering career to the next level with a postgraduate qualification. •M aster of Engineering (Renewable Energy) •M aster of Engineering Science (Photovoltaics and Solar Energy) •M aster of Engineering Science (Renewable Energy) • PhD in Photovoltaic Engineering • Master of Philosophy in Engineering
UNSW RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEER
REAL PEOPLE
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combines his passion Dr Ivan Perez-Wurfl aching to make a for research and te e world difference in th
Postdoctoral fellow, Lecturer EE and Senior Lecturer, UNSW SPR
Lighting the way
– solar energy. There was no better place in the world than UNSW to do this!”
Teaching and research goes hand-in-hand for Ivan. Along with teaching courses such as High Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells and Engineering Design, he also provides guidance to the university’s Sunswift Racing Team, a student-led solar electric vehicle project. “Working with students on projects like Sunswift has been the best opportunity, we work together from ideas to implementation. My role is mostly as an adviser, but I also love to help in the workshop.” Ivan says he’s seen lots of positive change in his field. “When I started, solar panels were still too expensive to be competitive. Now they’re not, so it really has become a key element to combat climate change.” Ivan’s advice to future students is to get involved in something you feel passionate about. He is a shining example of his own advice! – Danielle Lucas
Being able to invent as part of my job an d come up with new ways of th about renewable ener inking my students is so rewgy with arding”
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Test Engineer, Volkswagen
Positive change
sics (Hons), Bachelor of Engineering Phy dios Instituto Tecnologico y de Estu ico Superiores de Monterrey, Mex
IMAGES: UNSW SYDNEY/RICHARD FREEMAN; SHUTTERSTOCK
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School of Photovoltaic and s a senior lecturer at UNSW’s ring (SPREE), Ivan not only Renewable Energy Enginee ts, he also ponder s and teaches engineering studen field of solar energy. investigates new ideas in the t of my job and come up with “Being able to invent as par students renewable energy with my new ways of thinking about is so rewarding,” he says. his life started early. Following Ivan’s pas sion for academic t tes ico, he worked briefly as a undergraduate degree in Mex US the in ore undertaking his PhD engineer at Volkswagen bef right Program, the largest Fulb d through the distinguishe ship program in the world. educational exchange scholar I this was the last little push “I already liked academia, s. say he in research,” needed to get fully engaged followed, but Ivan was soon y pan com tup star His own side ning, this time on the other drawn back to his love for lear start work to ia dem aca to k bac e com of the world. “I was able to ld e a huge difference in the wor mak ld wou felt I ing eth som on
PhD (Electrical Engineering), University of Colorado Boulder
Founder, PowerSicle
dr ivan perez-wurfl electrical engineer + senior lecturer
A day in the life of a…
R E E N I G N E R A L SO
Martha Lenio got her PhD in photovoltaic engineering from UNSW, and is now helping remote communities in northern Canada transition to renewable energy pany a sustainable building com work experience stint at d rke spa da undergrad in Cana during her engineering . ign energ y and des Martha’s interest in clean in wn Under to get her PhD Do led vel d Since then, she has tra rke wo s ha d an ey, at UNSW Sydn photovoltaic engineering audits, solar cell research, to energ y ar sol m on everyt hing fro manded d design. She’s even com installation and microgri mission! a simulated NA SA Mars led High ployed at a company cal Martha is currently em munities com g, which helps remote Latitude Energ y Consu ltin y. erg tion to renewable en in northern Canada transi ry of rthern Canadian territo no Martha is based in the me ho m fro ng rki job bet ween wo involve Nunavut, and splits her ght mi day ice off While a home ch and working in the field. lun in her and cross-countr y skiing l ica emails, Zoom meetings typ at wh to give us a low-down of break, we asked Martha might look like! day working in the field
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we want to m e sure there will be ak for the community”jobs 11am
ure tos of buildings or infrastruct Walk around town, take pho rgy ene ble ewa ren a ning that could be important for plan installation.
12pm
rmation about the renewable Go on local radio to share info the community. Community energy projects happening in ir questions and ideas. members can call in with the
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the HTA for a meeting. Grab lunch, then head over to ut renewable energy, Some of the big questions abo re to put the required especially wind energy, is whe e sure both solar and wind infrastructure. We want to mak , al use of the land for hunting projects won’t impact tradition or skidoo routes. berry picking, cabin access,
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ion of solar somewhere Hold a community demonstrat g by, like the supermarket goin be where lots of people will or council office.
7am Get up early and get down to the Iqaluit Airport. Nunavut has no roads connecting communities, so any time you need to do a community visit, you need to fly there.
5pm
Dinner!
PIC CREDIT / SHUTTERSTOCK
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hamlet council discussing how An evening meeting with the ity would work for the commun a renewable energy project is rgy ene ble ewa ren know to get the most benefits. We n diesel, but we also want to tha t men iron env the for better community members, for make sure there will be jobs and that we don’t build let, ham financial benefits for the s. new homes or other building anything on land needed for
Arrive in the community! Check into the hotel, then go find the senior administrative officer and make sure the logistics are all in place for our community meeting that night.
10am Head over to the Hunters and Trappers Association (HTA) and check in with the manager. Make sure all the logistics are in place for meeting with the HTA there as well.
PhD, Photovoltaic Engineering, UNSW Sydney
Bachelor of Applied Science (Mechanical Engineering), University of Waterloo, Canada Mission Commander, Hawaii Space Exploration Simulation, NASA
Renewable Energy Arctic specialist, WWF-Canada
Lead Solar Consultant, Mars Green Consulting
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Lecturer, Photovoltaic Engineering, UNSW Sydney Technical Manager, High Latitude Energy Consulting
UNSW RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEER
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Get the job!
x Electives checklist
Choose these subjects in 11 and 12 to power up years renewable energ y stu your dy path: ✔ Mathematics ✔ Ph ysics ✔ Computer studies ✔ En gineerin g
Keen to kickstart your own study and career path as a renewable energy engineer? Start with these simple steps…
Renewables refresh Give your social feeds a refresh with all things renewable energy by following these accounts Climate Council Follow this non-profit climate change communications organisation advocating for a low-carbon future. @climatecouncil @theclimatecouncil
Renew Economy Get your clean energy and climate change news from this dedicated independent organisation. @reneweconomy
Clean Energy Council This industry association is made up of more than 1000 member companies in the clean energy sector. @cleannrgcouncil @clean.energy.council
SHUTTERSTOCK
UNSW Engineering @unswengineering
movie night se inspiring Grab the popcorn and add the ylist and pla documentaries to your watch call it homework. (Amazon Prime) ardtter world for his daughter, aw Inspired by envisioning a be world Damon Gameau imagines the winning Aussie doco maker us to le ilab the best solutions ava by 2040, if we embraced all to e par d it, renewable energy. Pre now – including, you guesse ke change. feel moved and inspired to ma
2040
d Wind: Inside Our an n Su e Th ng si es rn Ha (YouTube, CNA Insider) re tu Fu gy er En e bl wa Rene reaking is all about groundb This 43-minute YouTube doco oss Asia. renewable energy projects acr Reset (Amazon Prime)
The Power
s a town This short 2021 doco follow nventing itself in eastern Bavaria that is rei lised renewable with a cutting-edge decentra d, solar, energy system, including win in doing biomass and hydrogen – and rest of the so, creating a blueprint for the world to follow.
Top 3 TED Talks:
meddes inability Leader: Annick Sch • Everybody Can Be A Susta : stainable Electricity To Africa • How To Bring Affordable, Su Rose M. Mutiso e You Can Do It: Gordian Raack • 100% Renewable Energy:
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