career in sustainable energy development

deconstructionist

so i'm persuing a degree in energy engineering... i was thinking about here: http://energy.caeds.eng.uml.edu/

anyone know some specific programs at universities in the boston area that are worth checking out?

does anyone currently working in the field have any advice as to whether this is something that one can make money from? are there firms developing sustainable energy solutions that are hiring engineers at decent salaries? 50k+?
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Phil · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 3:29 pm Post subject:

If you want to get into the energy industry, Houston has the money. Houston will also be the site of the future Texas Energy Center.

Created in 2003, the center was proposed as a way to transform the energy industry by bringing together business and researches to develop new energy sources. It was to create thousands of jobs and bring millions of dollars in corporate investment to the Houston suburb of Sugar Land.

Currently the project is on hold for lack of funding.

There's other reasons I'd recommend moving to Southeast Texas over staying in the Northeast.

deconstructionist · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:03 pm Post subject:

ok, well seeing as we're not moving to texas... anyone know of any good programs in the northeast? or some stuff about the job market in general? with a master's in engineering of some sort could i get a job doing R&D for a solar energy company? or should i get a certificate in doing installations for solar panels and wind turbines? i don't know where the money is in this industry, and i know this is where i want to focus my energy, but i don't know really where specifically to start. of course i'm doing my own research but any and all advice is appreciated. thanks.
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spear · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 7:32 am Post subject:

Personally I believe this is THE trade of the future and am hoping to guide my son in this direction.As in most trades the future masters are todays apprentices.Start at the bottom.If you want to move forward fast,you live ,eat,sleep,and crap alternative energy 365-24-7.
IÂ´ll give you a story of a friend of mine who is a cabinetmaker like myself and how he got in this trade some years ago.
after losing a lot of money in various entrepreneurial attempts and just before he was going to go for bancrupcy,he decided that before he went to jail he would do what he always wanted to do,woodworking.
He found an add in the paper.A large cabinet shop was looking for a youngster to sweep the shop.so he went to apply for the job.
The owner of the company looked at him and laughed and said he was too old,but my friend insisted and persisted for three hours he would not leave the owners office if he didnt get the job.Mind you this was a job for sweeping the shop with very little pay.The owner finally broke down and said ok.
For one year he swept and watched,then he started other duties and so on and so forth until Today, 10 years later he has opened his own cabinet business and is doing very well.
Stop the weeping ,get your ass in gear and get to work.
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deconstructionist · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:15 pm Post subject:

weeping? uhh... ok.

but your advice is duly noted. just get out there and start working. well i certainly cannot afford to make less than i'm making right now, so perhaps with a certificate in solar systems installation or something i could get my foot in the door and work my way up from there.
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spear · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:19 pm Post subject:

Dont take it the wrong way there Andy.Just trying to give you a little push.(In the right direction I hope)
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deconstructionist · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:50 pm Post subject:

http://info.lu.farmingdale.edu/depts/met/solar/fsec.html

right on. i found this. it may be coming up too soon for me to make it happen...
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