Renewable energy is such a new industry. There's a lot of room to experiment and try new things.
I’m Manish, I’m 23 and I’m a solar farm manager.
I manage ten sites across the UK like this one.
Day-to-day in the office I look at data from all the solar farms I manage. I look at the energy, the power to make sure they’re up and running. If they’re not, I contact the maintenance teams on the ground to check what's happening.
Sometimes I come on site with my site manager and we check all the cables, I check all the electrical equipment on site and we do some testing.
We use multi-metres to measure current output of the panels and thermal cameras measure the temperature of the cables and electrical equipment.
When I studied GCSE Physics I really enjoyed the practical aspect of it I enjoyed doing experiments and playing around with circuits and being curious about things. After my degree in Physics, initially I was searching for software jobs but I had a contact through a friend who suggested I work in renewables and I took the chance and they hired me.
Manish is a good employee because he is on top of all the situations on site. He’s young and full of energy, full of new ideas. We are always learning with him.
Renewable energy is such a new industry there's a lot of room to experiment and try new things.
To students who don’t really know what to do, I say follow your passion, like I did with Physics I never thought I’d be a solar farm manager but you too can end up in an exciting job where you can really make a difference.
Manish's journey to become a solar farm manager
- Manish loved GCSE Physics
- He went on to do a Physics degree
- He was initially looking for software jobs but had a contact who suggested working in renewable energy
- Now Manish manages ten solar farm sites across the UK, which are fields of solar panels storing and converting energy from the sun
- In the office, he checks power and energy readings to make sure the solar panels are working correctly. He sometimes travels to the sites to inspect the cables and electrical equipment in person. He measures the output of electrical current from solar panels, and uses thermal cameras to check the temperature of the cables is within a safe range.
Manish's manager says he's a good employee because"he is on top of all the situations on site. He's young and full of energy, full of new ideas. We are always learning with him."
A similar job to a solar farm manager is an electricity generation worker. Electricity generation workers operate and maintain equipment in power stations.
What to expect if you want to be an electricity generation worker
- Electricity generation worker average salary: £19,000 to £35,000 per year
- Electricity generation worker typical working hours: 40 to 42 hours per week.
What qualifications do you need to be an electricity generation worker?
You could get into this role via a college course (such as a Level 2 certificate or Level 3 Diploma, or a T-level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing from 2022 - England-only), an apprenticeship, working towards the role, or applying directly if you have relevant experience.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service, GOV.UK
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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