Careers in Focus: Alternative Energy, Third Edition

Ferguson

Description

Ferguson's Careers in Focus books are a valuable career exploration tool for libraries and career centers. Written in an easy-to-understand yet informative style, this series surveys a wide array of commonly held jobs and is arranged into volumes organized by specific industries and interests. Each of these informative books is loaded with up-to-date career information presented in a featured industry article and a selection of detailed professions articles. The information here has been researched, vetted, and analyzed by Ferguson's editors, drawing from government and industry sources, professional groups, news reports, career and job-search resources, and a variety of other sources. For readers making career choices, these books offer a wealth of helpful information and resources.

Each profession article includes:

• Quick Facts: a snapshot of important job facts


• Overview: briefly introduces duties and responsibilities


• History: describes the origins and history of the job


• The Job: describes primary and secondary goals and duties


• Earnings: discusses salary ranges and typical fringe benefits


• Work Environment: looks at typical work conditions and surroundings associated with the job


• Exploring: offers suggestions on how to gain experience and knowledge about—or even test drive—a career before making a commitment


• Education and Training Requirements: discusses required high school and post-secondary education and training


• Certification, Licensing, and Special Requirements: explains recommended and required certifications or prerequisites for the job


• Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits: summarizes the personal traits and skills and professional experience needed to get started and succeed


• Employer Prospects: gives an overview of typical places of employment and the best ways to land a job


• Advancement Prospects: presents an expected career path and how to travel it


• Outlook: summarizes the job's potential growth or decline in terms of the general economy and industry projections


• Unions and Associations: lists essential and helpful professional groups


• Tips for Entry: additional tips for preparing for a career and getting a foot in the door


• For More Information: lists organizations that provide career information, networking, and professional development


• Sidebars: short features showcasing stats, trivia, and insight about a profession or industry

Careers in Focus: Alternative Energy, Third Edition covers 37 jobs, including:

• Bioenergy/Biofuels Workers


• Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers


• Biofuels Processing Technicians


• Biofuels Production Managers


• Biomass Plant Technicians


• Biomass Power Plant Managers


• Energy Brokers


• Energy Conservation Technicians


• Environmental Engineers


• Environmental Lobbyists


• Environmental Planners


• Environmental Scientists


• Environmental Technicians


• Fuel Cell Engineers


• Fuel Cell Technicians


• Fuel Cell Technology Workers


• Futurists


• Geotechnical Engineers


• Geothermal Energy Industry Workers


• Geothermal Production Managers


• Geothermal Technicians


• Green Builders


• Green Transportation Careers


• Hydroelectric Plant Technicians


• Hydroelectric Production Managers


• Hydropower and Marine Energy Industry Workers


• Renewable Energy Careers


• Renewable Energy Engineers


• Solar Energy Industry Workers


• Solar Engineers


• Wind Energy Industry Workers

Sujets

• Careers
• Employabilité, métiers et formations
• Los ambiciosos
• Professional
• Career
• Energy
• Economics
• Énergie
• Business
• Wind
• Carrière
• Carrière & Mobilité

Informations

• Publié par: Infobase Publishing
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781646933396
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

Careers in Focus: Alternative Energy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2021 by Infobase
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information, contact:
Ferguson An imprint of Infobase 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001
ISBN 978-1-64693-339-6
You can find Ferguson on the World Wide Web at http://www.infobase.com
Contents Alternative Energy Entries Bioenergy/Biofuels Workers Biofuels Processing Technicians Biofuels Production Managers Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers Biomass Plant Technicians Biomass Power Plant Managers Energy Brokers Energy Conservation Technicians Environmental Engineers Environmental Lobbyists Environmental Planners Environmental Scientists Environmental Technicians Fuel Cell Engineers Fuel Cell Technicians Fuel Cell Technology Workers Futurists Geotechnical Engineers Geothermal Energy Industry Workers Geothermal Production Managers Geothermal Technicians Green Builders Green Transportation Careers Hydroelectric Plant Technicians Hydroelectric Production Managers Hydropower and Marine Energy Industry Workers Renewable Energy Careers Renewable Energy Engineers Solar Energy Industry Workers Solar Energy Installation Managers Solar Energy Sales Representatives Solar Engineers Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians Wind Energy Engineers Wind Energy Industry Workers Wind Energy Operations Managers Wind Energy Project Managers Index
Alternative Energy
Overview

Dish-engine solar energy uses mirrors to convert heat into electricity.
Source: Sandia National Laboratory.
The alternative energy industry began during the early 1970s and developed slowly in response to people’s growing concerns about the United States’ dependence on imported oil. Although alternative energy technologies have been in the making for hundreds of years, it wasn’t until the 1970s that scientists and the government began to seriously develop them, by creating government programs and funding for their creation and use.
Alternative energy, by definition, is any nontraditional source that meets the energy needs of consumers. Traditional sources are fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas. Alternative sources are those that do not require the use of fossil fuels. Also, there is a difference between alternative energy sources and renewable energy sources. Not all alternative energy sources are considered renewable, although most are. One energy source that could be considered an alternative is nuclear energy. However, because it is associated with environmental and safety concerns, many people do not agree that it should be classified with other alternative sources. As of 2018, the three leading sources of alternative energy for generating electricity were wind energy, solar energy, and geothermal energy. The leading alternative energy source for transportation fuel was biofuels, which accounted for 5 percent of the nation’s primary energy use in 2018. Nearly half (46%) of this total was attributable to ethanol.
The 1970s were the pivotal years for the alternative energy industry because it was during these years that the United States’ population and its government realized that its oil reserves were finite and controlled by foreign nations. One of the events that led to public awareness of this was the formation of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1960. OPEC formed when five of the leading oil-exporter nations in the world—Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela—decided to form a consortium to control the price of oil. In 1973, OPEC placed an oil embargo on the United States, stopping the flow of exported oil to the country, to protest American support of Israel with military equipment and supplies during the Yom Kippur War. As a result of the embargo, gasoline prices shot up from thirty cents a gallon to more than $1.00 a gallon, and domestic producers were not able to keep up with demand. Consumers lined up at the pumps and the awareness of how much oil Americans consumed and imported increased exponentially. This led to a new interest in developing alternative fuel sources, and this interest has compounded over the last 40 years, leading to the development of the alternative energy industry.
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), from 2000 to 2014, the production of biofuels and nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources doubled, primarily due to the increase in government mandates and incentives for using renewable energy sources. From 2002 to 2013, biomass energy consumption in the United States grew by more than 60 percent. The EIA reported that in 2018, U.S. consumption of renewable energy sources totaled about 11.5 quadrillion Btus (British thermal units, the unit of measure for the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit), which accounted for 11 percent of the total energy consumption in the United States that year. The EIA projected renewable energy usage would rise steadily through 2050. The growing use of wind and solar photovoltaic power, specifically, was expected to lower associated costs and support greater adoption.
Today, workers in the alternative energy industry are scientists, engineers, project managers, solar energy system manufacturing managers, supervisors, and workers, wind farm operators and managers, and others.
Background
Humankind has had an interest in harnessing the energy from natural, renewable sources such as wind and the sun for hundreds of years. One of the earliest developments in the solar energy sector occurred when Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure created what he called “hot boxes.” In 1767, de Saussure built five glass boxes of varying sizes that could be stacked inside each other. He then exposed them to the sun for several hours and measured the interior temperature of each one. He later used this equipment to cook food while he was on an expedition.
When it comes to wind energy, people for thousands of years had learned how to channel the wind and use it for a variety of purposes. But one of the first steps toward using it to create electricity took place in June of 1887. This is when the first windmill for electricity production was built by Professor James Blyth of Anderson's College, Glasgow (now Strathclyde University). It took three different versions before he was able to generate enough power for his home in Scotland, which he did for 25 years.
Although it is not widely known, one of the first incidents in history of the use of biofuels for transportation occurred when Henry Ford designed the Model T. This vehicle, which was manufactured between 1903 and 1926, was originally designed to run on hemp-derived biofuel. At the time there were huge supplies of crude oil, and hemp took time to grow, harvest, and process, so oil became the primary source of fuel for automobiles. Hybrid cars, which are powered with a combination of fuel sources such as gasoline and electricity, have been under development for centuries, but the first modern-day hybrid vehicle was the Toyota Prius, introduced to the market in 1997. Eighteen thousand vehicles were sold the first year. The Geo Metro, converted by Solectria Corporation, was the first electric four-passenger sedan powered by an alternating current motor and lead-acid batteries. It took eight hours to recharge and could travel 50 miles before losing power. Its first test drive occurred in 1994.
After the turn of the 20th century, there were more developments in both the solar and wind energy sectors. In 1908, William J. Bailey of the Carnegie Steel Company built a solar collector with copper coils and an insulated box, another step toward modern solar energy systems. In 1927, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Joe and Marcellus Jacobs opened the Jacobs Wind factory, producing wind turbine generators. The generators were used on farms to charge batteries and power lighting.
Developments and discoveries continued for the next 20 years, advancing the alternative energy industry. By 1954, scientists at Bell Labs were successful in developing the first silicon photovoltaic cell that was capable of converting enough solar energy into power that it could operate equipment there.
After the OPEC oil embargo and the public’s growing concern about America’s dependence on foreign oil, the 1970s became the turning point for the industry. In 1972, one of the first academic research organizations devoted to study of solar energy opened. Called the Institute of Energy Conversion, it was a part of the University of Delaware, and its mission was to develop thin-film photovoltaic and solar thermal systems.
The wind energy sector also continued to develop during the 1970s. By 1980 the world's first wind farm, which consisted of 20 turbines, was built in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, it was not a success due to turbine failure and other issues.
The solar energy sector had better luck in 1982, when the first megawatt-scale solar power system went online in Hisperia, California. It generated 1 megawatt of power. By the next year, solar power systems generated 21.3 megawatts, and achieved sales of $250 million. It took more than 10 years, though, before a solar power system entered the traditional, national power grid. This occurred in 1993, when Pacific Gas and Electric’s new solar power system in California joined the grid. It generated 500 kilowatts of power.
At the turn of the 21st century, wind energy and solar energy were still struggling for more widespread use. In 2002, the largest solar power plant in the northwest, the White Bluffs Solar Station, began generating 38.7 kilowatts in Richland, Washington. In 2009 the U.S. government announced the first framework for a win