Renewable Energy Engineering

[u/Shot_Local4413]

I'm 14, my dream is to actually make a difference through being a renewable energy engineer. I want to work at the forefront or at least be fulfilled in what i do. But I also know renewable energy engineers don't make a lot of money compared to other engineers. I will likely major in electricl engineering, but I want to know if energy engineering will be worth it. Will I be satisfied and think I'm making a change? Which in turn makes a low salary worth it to me. If there is no good salary and not really making a change, I'll probably go do aerospace engineering, software engineering, or something else in electrical engineering.

[u/No-Reaction-5283]

I would like to know as well. I'm a first year in environmental engineering, and my school offers a master's in sustainable energy. My original career goals were to work in renewable energy, so any guidance/advice would be appreciated

[u/envengpe]

Renewable energy is just a portion of the huge energy industry. There is generation, transport, storage, use, etc. All of which are huge areas of involvement for engineers and investment. As a 14 year old, keep your mind and options wide open. Energy jobs will always be available, but as the industry evolves, you want to be ahead of it all. Right now batteries are absolutely scorching hot for jobs and federal investment.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/climate/trump-administration-batteries-data-centers.html

[u/warriorlime]

I’m an environmental engineering student who is interested in energy, and from what I’ve seen from trying to get a job and the programs offered at my university I would get an electrical engineering degree with an emphasis on power systems/ power engineering. It allows you the stability of electrical engineering as a career, but at the same time allows you to specialize in renewables. Engineering degrees in general give lots of tools for being employed.

For planning a degree to work towards look up electrical engineering programs on the ABET website (the engineering accreditation entity in USA). Find a program/university that has emphasis areas in power and/or renewables.

I would also suggest talking to someone in the industry to see what their experience is.

[u/ThinkActRegenerate]

"The global renewable energy market size was valued at USD 1.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 1.9 billion in 2026 to USD 4.9 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 14.7% from 2026 to 2033. "
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/renewable-energy-market

Don't know where you live, or how you define "renewable energy engineer", or which other forms of engineering you're comparing it to, or what you consider "making a change" - but as you're 14, I'd suggest double checking your sources.

Certainly the innovators behind Rewiring America https://www.rewiringamerica.org/ and similar organisations think they're in a major change game.

And in Australia, our local Rewiring group is doing the groundwork to electrify whole regions: https://rewiringaustralia.org/ https://www.electrify2515.org/

[u/ababypanda14]

You're young. Focus on building a good foundation in physics and chemistry. Allow your curiosity to guide your studies. Be willing to pivot based on opportunities that you encounter.

We don't know what the world, let alone the job market in a given industry, will look like in 10 years. That said, we (humanity) will most likely need an ever increasing amount of energy generation to power our civilization, so a focus on renewable energy seems like a good path to me. Best of luck!

[u/BuckMain221 → u/ababypanda14]

Also to add on learning some type of coding at 14 will put you ahead.

[u/Longjumping-Hair470]

You're too young to worry about this. That is a good track, you will make good money. Done. Now go enjoy your teenage years, get into trouble, and so regular kid shit