Energy Engineer

Also known as
Renewable energy engineer

Become a “hero of science"

With the world using more energy than ever, there’s a huge demand for old and new power sources. Energy engineers design and build power plants to keep everything running.

At a glance

What can you expect from this role?
Average salary per year
£20000
Starter
Experienced
£20000
£50000
Typical hours
41 to 43 a week
You could work evenings / weekends away from home
Flexible working hours?
Need a lab coat?
Not usually!

What to expect

Day-to-day tasks

You could:

  • research and design new generating sites
  • decide on the best locations for sites
  • plan and oversee production programmes for sites
  • manage and coordinate teams of technicians or site workers
  • design and select equipment
  • meet environmental standards, like carbon reduction targets
  • find the most cost efficient and productive processes
  • carry out laboratory experiments
  • convert experiments into large-scale industrial processes
  • work with geologists, geophysicists and specialist contractors
  • manage projects and budgets

Working environment

You could work at a power station, in an office, in a laboratory or on a rig.

Further information

You'll find more on energy engineering careers from:

Explore the different ways to get into this role

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

University

You can do a degree in an engineering or a scientific subject. Some employers may expect you to have a…
Learn more

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start by doing a higher or degree apprenticeship in areas like: nuclear engineering electrical power…
Learn more

Discover the skills you need for this role

People in these types of job possess skills like the ones below.

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • maths knowledge
  • analytical thinking skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
  • knowledge of building and construction
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Career progression

Career progression opportunities include

With experience, you could move into planning, policy development, or freelance consultancy.

You could gain skills for project management roles in the energy sector through a Project controls professional, degree apprenticeship.

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