Renewable Energy: A Smart Career Choice

More than 50 members of Masdar Institute’s Young Future Energy Leaders (FYEL) programme were introduced today to the rigors of analyses in the fast-growing US$270-billion renewable energy sector.

The IRENA-hosted one-day course, titled ‘Being an analyst in the renewable energy industry,’ was led by officials from Masdar and IRENA, with representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the International Energy Agency, and the World Bank joining the panel discussion. Experts highlighted their day-to-day activities and responsibilities as analysts and offered advice on tools and data sources that could help develop YFEL members into full-fledged industry analysts.

Over the past three years, more new renewable energy capacity has been installed than new capacity in fossil and nuclear power combined. Today, more than 7.7 million people worldwide are employed by the renewable energy sector, which has grown 17% since last year. IRENA expects this number could top 16 million if we succeed in doubling the global share of renewables by 2030.

“Energy markets worldwide are undergoing a rapid transformation, including the emergence of renewable energy as a mainstream alternative to fossil fuels. Government and business must track these changes for policy and planning purposes, and they will need skilled energy analysts to do so. IRENA is pleased to work with Masdar Institute’s YFEL program to help meet the growing need for future energy experts.” – Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General

Participants were introduced to IRENA's REsource, a search engine on all things renewable energy; the Global Atlas, the most comprehensive mapping tool for global renewable energy potential; IRENA/IEA's joint renewable energy policies database; renewable energy costs data, and the IRENA Community, a networking site on all things renewable energy.

In addition to courses organized by external partners, YFEL offers guest lectures and intensive courses annually on technology, policy, and leadership that are led by renowned industry experts and Masdar Institute faculty.

The YFEL programme seeks to inspire, engage and empower bright young people to be tomorrow’s leaders in the field of alternative energy and sustainability. It brings together students and promising young professionals from the UAE and around the world to series of networking, skill development and idea sharing forums focused on this dynamic and vitally important field.