October 26th, 2014 by Zachary ShahanÂ
Out of an obsession for alliteration, I almost made the title of this article: “Wind willy woks fo’ winners.†But I was afraid the Elmer Fudd impersonation wouldn’t come across right, or that it was simply too cartoonish of an idea. Anyhow, the point is the same: wind jobs are bloody awesome. Of course, all renewable energy jobs are awesome, but there’s a special attraction to the amazing views and fun that wind turbine technicians must enjoy.
As Ecotech Institute, the generous sponsor of this article, writes: “Scaling a 300-foot ladder. Working on a 15,000-pound transmission. Seeing the open landscape of this beautiful country. Those are the kind of things wind technicians look forward to every day. These people have ditched the desk to start a career in a growing field that takes them outdoors to do rewarding workâ€"while doing something good for the earth.â€
Honestly, if that doesn’t make you want to go get a degree as a wind turbine technician, you might have a screw loose (like our buddy Elmer).
That quote actually comes from a page offering a free ebook on starting a career in the wind industry. While the book is useful, however, Ecotech Institute’s big offering is that it provides a first-class education in the wind turbine technician field, as well as other renewable energy fields. Actually, as I remember seeing years ago, Ecotech Institute is a pioneer (the good kind) in this field. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page on that link above and you read the text buried in the footer, you find this:
“Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing graduates for careers in the rapidly-growing fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Ecotech Institute offers associate’s degrees in Solar Energy Technology, Wind Energy Technology, Residential Energy Management and other programs for green jobs. Students receive practical, hands-on training designed to meet the demands of clean energy and energy efficiency employers. Ecotech Institute students come from across the country.â€
Kudos to Ecotech Institute for getting more people into these jobs, and helping the industries grow as a result.
I love solar power. There’s no doubt about that. And with 5,855 articles published in our “solar energy†category, no other category has more stories (other than solar energy’s parent category, “clean power,†of course). But I realized recently that I am much more excited by wind turbines themselves than solar panels. Wind turbines are simply beautiful, amazing, majestic creations. They are so elegant and turn so smoothly and peacefully at such a grand height. I really love the things. I’m yet to climb up one, but am extremely eager to do so. For the thousands (or tens/hundreds of thousands?) of people who get to do so as part of their jobs, I’m sure it’s a special experience that often offers breathtaking views.
If you’re considering a career in renewable energy, I really have to recommend checking out that free wind energy ebook from Ecotech Institute and its wind turbine technician training (ah, I finally got some serious alliteration in here without a forced Elmer Fudd impersonation), because the job of a wind turbine technician really looks too cool.
If you’re still open to a job in the solar energy space or a job in the wind energy space, the institute actual offers ebooks about careers in each, so you can have a gander at both and see which you think you’d prefer.
Thanks again to Ecotech Institute for kindly sponsoring this article, and for doing the great work it is doing to advance wind energy, solar energy, the US economy, and critically needed climate action.
Infographics via Ecotech Institute.
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