Solar Energy Systems Engineers

If we're talking about what has occupied the world's attention for decades, it won't be wars and conflicts, epidemics and disease, or poverty and famine — those things have existed for thousands of years. The greatest danger threatening humanity with extinction is what scientists call "climate change." The climate crisis is directly tied to the steadily rising temperature of the planet, caused by the carbon emissions released from burning fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels aren't a threat to humanity only because of their devastating environmental effects — the fact that they'll eventually run out poses an even bigger challenge for future generations, who may find themselves without the primary source of electricity, the very foundation of our lives. The world has known for decades that we have no choice but to rely on renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower, which will never run out and pose no threat to the environment. Today we're going to talk specifically about one of the most prominent renewable energy sources: solar power. The sun, which provides us with light and heat, will never disappear, and the processes needed to convert its light and heat into electricity produce no harmful emissions to the environment whatsoever. On top of that, the cost of generating electricity from it is very cheap compared to fossil fuels, since the equipment needed to produce solar power and convert it into electricity for homes or businesses isn't expensive. But most important of all is the existence of experts specialized in this industry — solar energy engineers. These engineers are responsible for designing, manufacturing, and developing the equipment needed to generate electricity from solar power, and they handle installing and mounting it on building rooftops and making sure it's working actively and achieving the desired goal of generating the greatest possible amount of energy. In the lines ahead, we'll talk in more detail about exactly what solar energy engineers do.

Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa