Solar power site design is different from panel installation. The job of an installer is labor-intensive and pays just $15 an hour, but site designers can earn $40,000 to $50,000 per year, according to David Esmaili, the director of WVC's Advanced Transportation Technology and Energy Center.
Site designers are responsible for "preliminary work and number crunching," Esmaili was quoted as saying, meaning that some specialized training is necessary.
WVC is hoping to fill a niche by offering a class in solar site design. The class, which started in August, requires enrollees to attend class for six hours a week for four weeks.
Site designers will be in high demand in the near future. California has one of the most ambitious state-level renewable energy standards in the country: its goal is to generate 33 percent of energy renewably by 2020. And, with sunshine abundant in the Golden State, solar panels are ideal energy sources.
