NEW ENGINEERING CAREEERS AND THE NEED FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY ENGINEERS

Abstract

Some of the most challenging technical problemsthat we face today are related to energy engineering. Theworld is ready for major engineering innovation in this field.It is estimated that in the near future up to 50% of the energyneeds will have to be met by renewable energy sources.Engineers will have the opportunity to create a wide rangeof energy solutions that are economically feasible andenvironmentally safe. However, the success of technologicalinnovation is strongly coupled with the education of theworkforce. This paper describes the need for a new type ofmultidisciplinary engineer –the Energy Engineer-, presentsthe general characteristics of the Renewable EnergyEngineering program offered at the Oregon Institute ofTechnology, and discusses the nature of the careers in thisemerging field using the Renewable Energy Industry Clusterin Oregon as an example.

 

 

Index Terms - Energy Engineering Programs, EnergyEngineering Careers, Energy Engineering Industry,Renewable Energy Engineering.