Energy Conservationist

An engery conservationist basically makes sure homes are getting the biggest bang for your buck.  They make your homes more energy efficient if you want to save money on your bills or just if you want to be more environmentally friendly.  They might gather data on the performance of a high-efficiency clothes dryer. They might measure distribution of heat in a building with a new design for ducts. Another possible role is as an energy auditor working for a utility company. They might visit businesses and homes and measure how they are using energy. They would write reports that show show where your energy dollars are going and that point out ways you could use energy more efficiently.

Since “green living” is such an area of focus right now, this is a great area to be employed within. As more companies, organizations, and government agencies focus their attention on energy conservation, that opens up many new opportunities for individuals in this field. This is expected to continue to be an area of growth as energy efficiency is expected to continue on as a priority.
Typically an energy conservation technician works at a client site or travels to client meetings. As they are usually involved throughout the whole process, they may expect to either set up an office at the client site or travel back and forth quite a bit.

The average salary of an energy conservation technician is around $47,211 per year. This salary may vary based on level of experience, type of employer, size of work environment, individual responsibilities, and of course geographic location.

They can learn these skills in a two-year program that leads to an associate degree. Only a few colleges presently offer a program in this specific field. Programs vary in their emphasis. Some stress general engineering skills and include a lot of science and math. They learn scientific methods of doing research. They study a computer language. These skills can be helpful if they later work with engineers. They also study economics and accounting so that they  understand the dollars and cents of energy conservation and can express them in the terms that businesses use.

Other programs stress specific knowledge of energy systems. They often include a lot of hands-on work with the technology. They study how various energy systems work in businesses and homes. They study electric power, lighting, heating, even plumbing. They learn how to measure energy use by these systems. They learn how to represent this in computer-based models such as spreadsheets and databases. They can use these models to show how improved designs and new technology can lower costs.

I think this job could be an interesting job, but I'm more into sciences so I wouldn't be interested in being an energy conservationalist.