March 15, 2019
These Energy Storage Jobs Are in Peak Demand
Many signs point to rapid growth in the energy storage market in the years ahead. In the US and
around the world, solar projects and wind farms are producing more energy now
than ever before. There are no signs of a slow down ahead. Meanwhile, battery
costs and storage system costs go down year after year. And consumers discover
more and more ways to save money with storage.
At the same time, policymakers are setting energy storage targets and industry leaders are making
long-term commitments to storage. For example, California is requiring
utilities to add 1.3 gigawatts of energy storage by 2020. In addition, manufacturers
are investing heavily to expand production capacity.
While the storage market is heading in the right direction, let’s not forget that today it is still
relatively small and prone to volatility. Markets can turn on and off in a
hurry. Three years ago, when a natural gas leak in Southern California
threatened the power supply, the state responded by fast-tracking storage
project approvals. Developers brought 70 megawatts of new capacity online in a
hurry. Then the fast-track window closed. The PJM Interconnect, a regional transmission
territory in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, has also tweaked the market with
mixed price signals, saying, ‘Now you see me. Now you don’t.’
Throughout all this change, one fact has remained the same. The demand for talented people
with energy storage experience always exceeds the supply. We believe this will
continue as the market creates new jobs. Expect to see significant demand in
the job categories below.
Sales
Companies of all kinds need trained salespeople to find customers and make sure products and
services meet customers’ needs. As we said in a recent post about solar jobs,
the difference between sales and business development is debatable. In business
development roles, people tend to identify and develop partnership, acquisition
and expansion opportunities and strategic planning for moving into new markets.
In this case, however, I’m lumping the two groups together as “sales.”
Selected occupations
Sales engineers identify customers, applications, and
markets that are an attractive fit for the company’s products and services. They
originate sales, develop strategies to engage customers, and build project
pipelines.
Business development managers originate and manage business relationships, develop deal
pipelines and close new deals. This may include developing project proposals,
evaluating risk, providing due diligence, negotiating contracts, performing
financial and market analysis, and supporting finance and engineering teams.
Engineering
Engineers design and implement the technical aspects of complex
systems and projects. That may mean planning and managing electrical or
mechanical systems, energy distribution systems, or operational design and
management.
Selected occupations
Project engineers oversee and coordinate the design,
testing, certification and manufacturing of storage components and systems.
They may design and manage the development of manufacturing plants. They may
work closely with research teams, product developers and software developers.
Mechanical engineers design, model and develop energy
storage systems ranging from flywheels to hydropower storage ponds to
batteries. Knowledge of electrical engineering may also be required in these
roles.
Project Management
Project managers are responsible for delivering projects on time,
within budget and to quality specifications. They may assist with project
development and design. They must be able to translate financial, engineering
and construction concepts across disciplines to keep teams on track.
Selected occupations
Project managers lead energy systems design, planning,
development, and installation. They work closely with customers, contractors, suppliers and
internal staff.
Information
Technology
IT workers handle data collection and analysis
and software engineering. Individuals who take on these roles must be skilled
in software design, coding, debugging, and the testing and optimization of both
software and hardware systems.
Selected occupations
Software engineers build, test, support and refine new
products and services to manage, monitor and track energy resources and
performance. They may also develop software to facilitate the interaction of
storage systems with energy distribution and usage systems such as the electric
grid and electric vehicles.
Software architects lead project development and design
the structure, functionality and behaviors of software systems that run energy storage
systems and enable them to report performance and interact with other systems.
Discover new talent
Our jobseeker network has
delivered job fit candidates to energy storage companies of all sizes and
various stages of growth. Get to know some of the individuals in our network by
calling (916) 565-2700 or emailing us at info@inpeakdemand.com.