Any other un/under employed engineers out there?

[izquierdista]

I keep hearing about this new Green economy that is about to take off, but I don't see any concrete results, at least not in my neck of the woods. If you are in the same boat, please check in here, I'd like to hear from you. Are there any solar/wind/geothermal projects in your area that you anticipate working for? If so, what percentage of the project is federal dollars and what percent is private?

[Democrats_win]

1. I'm not an Engineer, but I'll mention that Colorado is involved in solar and wind.

Two facilities north of Denver, that were involved in manufacturing other products but shut down are now being converted to solar panel manufacturing. Additionally, the governor just announced that a giant German solar manufacturer is planning to open up a facility east of Denver. You might recall that when Obama signed the stimulus bill, he was in Denver and he viewed solar panels on the roof of a museum that had been installed by a Boulder, CO company.

A Dutch company, Vestas, has opened three manufacturing facilities for wind turbines in Colorado.

The National Renewable Energy Lab is located in Golden, CO so that may play a role in bringing these facilities to our state. I cannot tell you if federal dollars are being used to subsidize any of this. The wind turbine facilities probably are not subsidized by the feds because these plants were planned before the stimulus package.

[kristopher]

2. What is your specialty?

The Green economy is going to be decades in the making - it is based on the idea that the money we now send overseas to buy oil will, when diverted to meeting our energy needs via renewable energy, result in a new industry that replaces the manufacturing base we've lost in globalization.

What is happening now is that we are just setting the goal to move away from inefficient systems and fossil fuels, towards greater efficiency and a system of generating and delivering renewable power to all our energy sectors (including transportation). Actually making the entire transition is going to take a long time.

Initially the bulk of jobs will not be in the engineering fields as the low hanging fruit is to found in making homes and businesses more energy efficient. Some engineering for sure, but lots more will be spent on caulking, insulation and window replacement.

If you are interested in finding out where the jobs and projects are (plus the details affecting investment) you may want to go to the trade association websites like http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/page.php?5

[izquierdista]

3. Taking a long time

That's fine for teenagers who want to be engineers, but for those of us closing in on retirement, it would be nice to get involved with a project other than whittling models of windmills on the front stoop. I have my own ideas about projects that would be worth doing, but if engineers have to sit around waiting for bankers to let loose some of their derivative-playing stash, there's not going to be many projects to work on.

[kristopher]

4. That reminds me

For some reason your repliy brings to mind an old military adage for noncoms - "let a GI bitch and he's happy".

I'm guessing you aren't really interested in the significant demand for qualified people that, as demonstrated by the trade website's want ads, already exists?

Is your engineering specialty applicable to renewables?

[izquierdista]

5. I'm guessing you're not over 50

After I was "downsized" in 2003, I have experienced all sorts of evaporation of demand once they find out you have experience and would like to be paid commensurate with it. Employers lose interest very quickly, as they are looking for the lowest cost worker, even if they have to burn through 3 or 4 of them before they find a competent one.

But I really don't have time to engage in a bitch session with you. I wanted to see if there were other engineers here who want to solve problems rather than talk about them.

[kristopher]

6. I'm 53.

Why are you refusing to talk about what field of engineering you specialize in? I am pretty familiar with the renewable energy industries and your specific expertise is extremely relevant to the requests you made in the OP.
And I understand the hurdle you are facing related to age, and I'd suggest that you invoking that problem at this time could indicate that you are geared more towards words than actions. After all, isn't it really an excuse to say there is no use in trying? My observations are that engineers with relevant experience (in their 50s or not) are currently in pretty high demand. My original post was pointing out that this demand is going to get much stronger in the next 10-15 years.

Did you even bother to go to the website I linked and look at the help wanted ads?

[izquierdista]

7. I'm not refusing

But with a PhD in Chemistry, I find that employers narrow the options down to jobs in highly specific areas where you have publications. That's why I included 'underemployed' in the original post. If they call you in only to consult in your specific area of "relevant experience", what do you do the other 11 months of the year?

[kristopher]

8. That is difficult.

Have you considered the idea of starting your own company that fills a niche in the renewable sector?

You wouldn't maximize your expertise but the excellent analytic skills you possess might distinguish your particular attempt at a business specializing in home/business energy efficiency upgrades (that is just for illustration) and make it more competitive than the ones started and/or operated by two buddies who have one year of community college between them. An interesting point of departure for this approach might be to go back to school at the community college level and enroll in some of the Green Economy programs they offer. Since free time isn't a limiting factor it would get you acquainted with people who are knowledgeable about the local demand for services related to the energy transition as well as people who are intending to meet that demand.

Also to be considered is that there is lots money flowing to research areas in things *such as* algae oil from various waste streams.

I wouldn't give up on the idea that large company are a good place to look. If you haven't already you should talk with a couple of headhunters that specialize in the renewable energy sector - let them do the selling.

[izquierdista]

9. That's why I put the post up

To find others who might have an interest. This forum hasn't been too fruitful, so I shall keep looking.

[NNadir]

10. God, you're clueless.

I refuse to believe you're over 17.

If you are, that's disturbing.