• What renewable energy jobs are opening the fastest?

• What can you do to position yourself at the front of the line?

Rarely if ever has a business genre received the level of exposure that renewable energy jobs have in recent years. Then again, there just has never been an industry that is poised to have the overall effect on entire societies, and economies in the way that renewable energy is today.

Current estimates have the renewable energy business sector on track to add tens of thousands of new alternative energy jobs in the UK, U.S., and Canada in the coming years. Even new job titles that in many cases most people have never even heard of before. Well paying renewable energy jobs that will be here to stay.

So no matter if you are a recent graduate on the lookout for a lucrative career opportunity, or someone who is motivated by a noble desire to join in and take a place in the greater ecological movement, there is work for you.

Right now wind energy is experiencing the fastest growth of any renewable energy jobs sector on the planet. In fact the U.S. has seen development of this energy source increase some 21% since 2007. So what about future growth in this exciting new arena?

Would you believe that it’s projected that by 2030 wind energy will account for a full 20% of all the energy produced in the United States? For the UK the prospects appear even brighter, due to more proactive government support measures for wind power.

The nice thing about this business genre, is that it requires renewable energy jobs to build the wind farms, and than there are alternative energy jobs that relate to the ongoing maintenance of the machinery, and infrastructure. So the bottom line is that wind energy jobs are here to stay, once the farms are established.

Now if your local utility company owns a wind farm in your area, chances are that the job of maintaining it is contracted out to a firm that isn’t in your area. In fact the truth is that most wind energy jobs that relate to wind farm maintenance require that you travel.

The good news though is that a high percentage of these types of renewable energy jobs don’t require an advanced college degree. Rather, the vast majority of workers tend to be technicians who have undergone some form of specialized training, or have work experience in fields like electronics, fiberglass repair, or mechanics.

Then there are offshore wind farms, and don’t forget that offshore work always pays more money. In fact if offshore wind farm work is anything like offshore oil platform work, you end up getting paid 24 hours a day, and that even includes the time that you’re sleeping.

So then what are some of the steps that you can take to get yourself pointed in direction of one of these renewable energy jobs? Yes they are available now, but due to the lagging economy, and the fact that the industry as a whole has yet to take off, you can expect to encounter some level of competition.

In the mean time one of your best options for building your resume’ is in the offshore oil industry. Sound crazy? Well then keep on reading because by the time you’re through, you’ll understand why getting a job on an oil platform may be your best step towards renewable energy jobs.

First of all, you need to discover if you’re really cut out for a job that has you isolated for days on end, working up high in dangerous conditions. Now wouldn’t it be a shame to go through some type of extensive training, only to find out that wind energy jobs on isolated wind farms were intolerable?

In fact for many people these types of jobs are, and they end up quitting within their first year which brings us to the second reason. That is that entry level offshore jobs in the oil industry are easy to find, and land. In short, if you’re healthy, able bodied, and can pass a drug test, there’s someone looking for you right now.

Thirdly, you don’t need advanced training for offshore platform work. They’ll start you off on rudimentary tasks right out of high school if that’s your case then work you up, and even pay for advanced career training in areas like mechanics, electronics, and hydraulics.

Lastly, your odds of landing one of the wind farm related renewable energy jobs are always better if you’re already employed, and what better place to be employed than in the energy industry. When a prospective employer sees that you’re working on an offshore platform, they’ll know that you have what it takes for wind energy jobs on a secluded wind farm.

When most people think of ways to store unused electricity that’s produced by solar panels, almost without exception the first thing that pops into their mind is batteries and the last thing they think of is hydrogen storage. The big downside with batteries though, is they tend to render the energy stored in them less cost effective.

Their problem is that batteries are expensive, and good batteries are even more costly. They also eventually wear out, and in the end they really do store a limited amount of power when it comes down to it. It just takes a heck of a lot of money to install a battery bank that will sustain a home.

Converting Electricity From Solar Panels to Hydrogen Storage


So then what about storing electricity in the form of hydrogen to power a hydrogen fuel cell? You see, making hydrogen gas from water using electricity is simple. In fact you can see the process in action yourself by simply inserting two wires into a glass of salt water then connecting the other ends of the wires to a 9 volt battery

Hydrogen gas can be burnt or ran though a fuel cell and it creates no pollution because it simply oxidizes right back to H2O. (Water)
Now if you think that hydrogen can only be stored as a gas, you are wrong. Hydrogen storage in gas form just presents too many problems, with the biggest one being that it’s highly explosive.

The second problem with hydrogen storage is that converting it to a liquid form is infeasible due to the extremely low temperature it must be chilled to. Also to store non liquified hydrogen gas it must be compressed upwards to 5,000 psi, and stored in heavily fortified containment vessels. 5,000 psi is a heck of a lot of pressure.

So now perhaps you already know the very latest developments in hydrogen fuel cell technology has the compressed gas contained in cylinders in vehicles. Small tanks that are about the size of a scuba diving tank, and even then a lot has gone into developing ways to protect them in the event of an accident.

So as simple, and easy as it is to convert electricity from solar panels to hydrogen gas, it really is only the problems of containing it in sufficient quantities that are holding people back from making use of this amazing crystal clean power source. However; there is a solution.

Storing Hydrogen in Chemical Form?

This solutions revolve around chemical storage technologies. That is reacting hydrogen to bond with other atoms to from solid, or liquid substances. Substances that can safely stored, and later be reversed reacted to release the hydrogen in gas form.

These options completely eliminate the need for high pressure storage vessels, and along with it so much of the risk that’s connected to converting and storing electricity from solar panels to hydrogen. Even so, producing, storing, and then reconverting virtually all of these substances does present yet another list of technological problems.

Metal hydrides are considered to be among the most sensible of these hydrogen storage solutions. Not only are they the most stable, but they contain a high amount of hydrogen by weight. However; along with high stability comes issues that revolve around getting metal hydrides to release the gas contained in them.

In short, they’re highly endothermic, and have to be cooked at temperatures up to 390º F in order for them break down into their separate components. A process that consumes some 3% of the stored energy in basically what amounts to high temperature pellet stoves.

Then there is are the problems that revolve around producing the actual pellets in a home electricity to hydrogen conversion system. You see, the only real option for the incremental introduction of metal hydrides into a sealed, high temperature furnace system is pellets.

So then there is the option of liquids such as ammonia. Ammonia is one nitrogen atom bonded with three hydrogen atoms, and is in fact relatively simple to produce. Another positive aspect of this liquid is that the only byproduct after a reversal reaction to release hydrogen, is nitrogen that can be 100% converted back to ammonia.

The process for making ammonia using hydrogen is quite simple. In short, they are both introduced into a pressurized heated reaction vessel in the presence of an iron catalyst. There’s no byproducts either, so basically hydrogen and nitrogen are introduced at one end of the system, and pure ammonia comes out at the other.

The bottom line is that batteries really are the heavy lead “ball and chain” around the neck of alternative energy systems for the home. The good news however; is that more advanced chemically based hydrogen storage systems are being developed, but practical application of them really is decades down the road.

Storing Energy From Solar Panels in the Future Future

In the not too distant future people who have solar panels on their homes will look back on battery energy storage systems as a dated, and inefficient technology of the past. Their homes will most likely have conversion systems that react, store then reverse react chemicals, using hydrogen to power fuel cells.

• How feasible is it?

• Can a wind turbine generate the level of power you need?

• What about costs?

There are two undeniable benefits to building a wind turbine, and the first one is the wind is powerful stuff. Particularly if your home is located in a high wind area, you have ready access to a constant source of some “real energy” that can be converted to electricity.

The second glaring benefit of building a wind turbine, is that wind energy doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. In fact if you take a moment to think about it, nights and cloudy days tend to be times with the wind kicks up. Solar panels work great when the sun is out, but as soon as it sets they shut down.

So Let’s Go Through the Pros and Cons of Building a Wind Turbine

Now the first big benefit weighing in on your side is that the concepts and technologies behind building a wind turbine are pretty basic. In fact if you stop to consider it, people were building working windmills out of wood, and cloth with basic hand tools hundreds of years ago.

In simple terms, what it all boils down to is a propeller attached to a generator that’s sitting up on top of a long pole. At least that’s the most basic concept because of course building a wind turbine today for electricity generation does get far more complex than that.

Another big upside of building a wind turbine, is wind power  has far greater potential if you’re looking for a system you can sell power back to the grid with. Solar systems are just too costly, and there just isn’t the room for the level of innovation that you have with a wind turbine power generation system.

With a solar system you’ll always be limited by the cost of the panels that really only produce around 30% more electricity over their lifetime, compared to simply paying for the power. Then you have to consider that most utility companies only pay a wholesale price for the power you send them.

Finally the all time biggest upside of building  a wind turbine, is that you can do it with used components that that are relatively cheap to buy. The Internet is brimming with stories and testimonials that were writin by tinkerers who did just that.

So now for the downsides of building a wind turbine to generate electricity, and as much as I hate to burst your bubble at this point, there is a good handful of them. The first one is that if you lack the means to fabricate your own system, they tend to be expensive to buy.

Yes there are smaller units that you can pick up for under $2000, but wind to electricity systems this size just won’t produce the amount of power you’ll most likely need. Remember that they also have to be installed, and just like a solar system, they do have a lifespan that has to be factored into the financial equation.

Of course there are always used turbines but keep in mind that being that they’re made up of moving parts that are stuck up in the wind and rain, taking the used route does bring with it a certain element of risk. Remember that you’re looking for solutions, not problems.

Another big downside of building a wind turbine is that you need the tools, the skills, and the facility build it in. Keep in mind that you not only have to build the turbine, but you also have to fabricate, and raise the tower, and most experts will tell you that the tower is 50% of your total cost.

• Are thin film solar panels available?

• Are they cost effective?

• What new developments are on the horizon?

In case you haven’t already noticed, one of the biggest problems with getting quality information about solar products like thin film solar panels, is that so much of what is published is written in a technical format. This is great for researchers, but where does that leave people who are interested in just finding out what’s best to buy?

It gets particularly bad when you click to topics like thin film technologies. The problem in that case, is that there is just so much ongoing research that’s directed in so many different directions, with so many aspects of it revolving around chemistry, and new experimental technologies.

A Better Understanding of Thin Film Solar Panels

So then excuse me for a moment while I cut through all the technical jargon, and try to explain what the very latest word is on what is looking increasingly more like the future of solar power. Hopefully then you can begin come to a better understanding of it.

So then why thin film solar panels in the first place? The simple answer to that question, is that it’s not just solar panels that people are trying to make thinner. Take a look at your cell phone for instance, and try to recall back to the early years of cell phones?

So thinner is better because it also means lighter, and thin lightweight products have just so many more uses, and require less material to make. In fact the ultimate goal is thin film solar panels that are so thin that they’re transparent or, see through. Does this sound crazy? Well it’s going to happen in time. Solar panels you won’t even be able to see.

So What’s Big the Holdup?

So whats the problem then? After all with so many brilliant minds on the job, why aren’t there large economically feasible products based on this technology on the market today? Why can’t they coat cars and trains for instance with new flexible thin film solar panels? The fact is that there are thin film solar panels you can buy.

The problem with this new technology though, is that it involves developing new combonations of less expensive materials, and new technologies to contain and apply them with, and that is incredibly more difficult than most people can understand. A great comparison might be trying to mix water and oil.

Now covering a surface with water is no problem, and covering that same surface with oil is no problem either. Just as long as you apply them one at a time. So then what about covering a surface with water, and oil if you have to apply both of them at the same time?

Now that can be a bit of a problem. You see designing, and manufacturing thin film solar panels is all about covering surfaces with various exotic substances in incredibly precise combonations, and proportions. All in incredibly thin layers, and at exacting rates.

So now you may be thinking, “well can’t they figure out ways to just paint them on”? The answer there is that they can and they do. The problem there, though is that in order for these substances to be applied in “micro-thin” layers, they can’t be just “painted on”.

Developing New Advanced Technologies

For the time being researchers are experimenting with several application techniques that involve applying substances for instance in vapor form. Substances that are applied to surfaces in the same way that steam coats the surface a glass.

So now consider coating that same surface with water, and oil if the water had to be applied as steam, and the oil had to be heated to a vapor. Then to top it off they both had to be applied at the same time. The problem there you see, is that each one of them turns to a vapor at a different temperature. You would have the water boiling, and the oil still floating around on its surface.

It’s Just Not That Easy

It’s the same thing in chemistry. For instance various substances vaporize at different temperatures, and then when they do become a vapor, they have different behaviors. For instance some have different vapor pressures. Perhaps you can recall removing the lid off a gas can and hearing the woosh as the high vapor pressure of the petrol was released.

Now the ultimate goal is micro thin film solar panels that can basically be printed out much in the same way as a news paper is printed, and eventually it will come to that. But in the mean time, scientists are still experimenting with materials, and techniques in search of ways to increase their efficiency.

Working to Improve Their Efficiency


You see, efficiency is yet another issue that researchers are working on. Right now thin film solar panels have an efficiency rating of around 8%, although some manufacturers have recently claimed that they have achieved a new level of around 13%. Even so, it’s still lower then conventional photovoltaic panels

The bottom line: is that theories first have to be arrived at, then the technology developed to test the theories, then further technologies developed to turn what was arrived at in the experiments into “economically feasible” realities. It takes a lot of time and investment.

The truth is that we as a society are still in the stone age when it comes to ultra-thin materials. Sure there are products like aluminum foil and gold plated jewelry but these types of things are made by squeezing or electrifying them. It’s basic stuff. We still have quite a ways to go.

If you are one of the millions of people today who long to live their lives either partially or, fully independent from their local commercial source of power then you for sure will be glad to know that your goal is getting easier to achieve.

You’ll also be surprised to hear about many of the latest products that you might not even be aware of. Products like amazing new “fuel cell box” technologies for instance that are very close to being marketed for homes and businesses. So many incredible new developments that will soon be making living off the grid both easier, and more cost effective.

Here’s Some Great Tips for Living Off the Grid

•    Research, research, research!  Educate yourself on all the options that are out there. Work to discover which technologies would be most suitable for your home and lifestyle.

•    If you live in an area where there is always a nice steady breeze for instance, then you may have the option of installing a wind turbine. You can buy a wind turbine or, build one yourself. A new one may cost you a few thousand dollars, but believe it or not, people have built their own for as little money as a few hundred dollars.

•    Of course there’s always the option of using photovoltaic solar technology, or what is so commonly referred to as solar panels. Be aware though that it does have both its pros and cons. For instance, the first glaring downside of solar panels, is they don’t function at night.

•    Biodiesel fuel has been generating a huge buzz for well over a decade now. If you have adequate local sources for spent cooking oil from restaurants, you may be surprised to discover how basic the technology is to convert it to something you can fill your car, or trucks tank with.

The time is now to stop putting it off and start taking action. Every day that goes by is another day you have to spend getting ripped off by power companies that are run by people who don’t give a damn about the planet we all share.

It’s obvious to most of us now that the solution to renewable energy sources can be found with solar panels and wind turbine.  When it comes to cutting down on electric bills, cleaning the environment up, and reducing the need for fossil fuels, the answers lie with living off the grid.  Whether you believe in global warming or not, you’re still probably interested in learning how to live off the grid.  You will be able to save hundreds of dollars a year from cutting down on your current electric costs. More on How to Live Off the Grid

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If you’d like to learn how to build a wind turbine, there are many things that you need to take into consideration.  It’s quite common for people to be confused over building wind turbines to generate energy.  Fortunately, it can be very easy to make these days, thanks to the market offering equipment and parts at affordable prices.  It’s very simple to acquire all the needed parts and to build your own wind turbine for generating electricity.  The energy that is produced is renewable, clean, and can save you a lot of money on your electric bill. More on How to Build a Wind Turbine