What major should I pursue for a career in clean energy engineering?

[kitenyos]

Hi, I am a junior in high school starting the college process. I want to go into engineering focusing on clean energy. For example, designing windmills or fuel cell engines. My dream job would be working for a company that builds clean energy plants. What major should I pursue? Are there any specific colleges that offer this?


Thank you.

 

[Jokerhelper]

Hi, I am a junior in high school starting the college process. I want to go into engineering focusing on clean energy. For example, designing windmills or fuel cell engines. My dream job would be working for a company that builds clean energy plants. What major should I pursue? Are there any specific colleges that offer this? Thank you.

Many engineering schools offer an environmental specialization or minor along with their regular degrees, but I think Environmental Engineering is what you should be looking for if you'd like to focus on green energy (I hope you mean wind turbines though, otherwise I'd have to say you would have a hard time finding a job where you get to design windmills ).

I would also add that you don't have to be an environmental engineer to work on these type of projects. From what I've heard (I'm just an engineering student though), these type of projects tend to be so large and complex that, whether you work at the design or manufacturing end, chances are you'll have all types of engineers, technologists, scientists and even business people working on it.

 

[ehilge]

mechanical engineering certainly wouldn't be a bad place to start. It is a broader field than environmental engineering so you might have more opportunities upon graduation depending upon where your specific interests take you. Many schools probably offer some type of emphasis or a minor in environmental to steer you into that direction so do some research. Regardless, I'm a mechanical student and I worked in a fossil power plant last semester. Now I am trying to go to work this summer for a company that's designing clean (or at least slightly less dirty) coal technologies. So there are certainly opportunities out there.

 

[DR13]

Mechanical engineering is the broadest form of engineering so it will probably allow you to keep your options open. However, many kinds of engineering can lead to a career in clean energy. Materials engineering and electrical engineering has a lot to do with solar cells and fuel cells. Nuclear engineering obviously leads to careers in nuclear power. There are many options open to you.

 

[kitenyos]

Thanks a lot guys. This is very helpful.