The focus on alternative energy is beginning to show some tangible effects in United States, in terms of mass participation and sustainable practices. Solar, and to a lesser extent wind energy, are accessible for businesses and some homes; creating reasonable economic alternatives. In many states, there is a tax incentive as well. American solar manufacturers are turning out panels to compete with the Chinese products. The wind generators installed in the United States are from a mix of manufacturers, but as the political channels for wind energy begin to smooth out and opportunities expand, there will be turbine vanes and generators coming out of American shops as well.

At the local level, the majority of job opportunities are on-site installation, maintenance and repair. Any number of small contractors are working in the field, but are often constrained by limited engineering skills that make it difficult to work on residential or small commercial sites. The products in the green energy pipeline suggest that solar is going to be more accessible for business and residential sites as the technology develops – and when reliable, affordable storage capacity is developed. Green energy is going to take a leap forward and become a mainstream set of alternatives to the traditional power grid.

There are many people interested in the job opportunities this field presents, but they may need to explore additional educational opportunities in order to develop a career track that goes beyond rooftop installations and plumbing, to project design and management. There are several options to propel you towards a green career, which may require a return to the classroom—without being intimidating or overwhelming.

You may want to consider an online degree in electronics or electrical engineering, depending on which segment of the green energy business interests you the most. A degree for electrical engineering technician is a step towards your goal that is available at the associate's level. You can move towards an electrical engineering degree by taking online courses from an accredited school on a part time basis. That is the field for solar project engineering.

If you are interested in wind generated energy, structural engineering is the appropriate field for job installations: you can break in with a degree in structural engineering technician. If you feel construction management is more appropriate, there are degrees at the associate's level, bachelor's level and master's level. You do not have to do it all at once; you just need to be consistent in chipping away at degree requirements as you move up the academic ladder. You can begin all of this at a community college, where annual tuition will be in the hundreds instead of thousands of dollars.

There is also the project management field, which is neither a construction degree nor an engineering degree-- but a combination of both. This option is also available online and on a part time basis. If you choose this direction, be sure and check out the requirements for certification by the Project Management Institute— it makes a difference on the resume. Certification in the solar industry is largely for installation techs at this point, and completely voluntary. Although, if your goal is to work in solar design or management, you will need a college degree or possibly a master's degree in these technical fields. You can accomplish all of this while you're working and on an affordable basis if you employ the part time, online options available to working professionals.

Bob Hartzell writes on jobs and education for several education websites, addressing the issues confronted by would-be college students and professionals returning to school trying to develop career ambitions. He has been writing about undergraduate options and accredited online masters programs for five years. He recently covered the top online MBA accounting programs, according to US News & World Report.