REI Report: “The Renewable Energy Sector Needs More Women”

Renewable Energy provides amazing new possibilities for women who want to change the energy sector. History has seen many remarkable women make invaluable contributions to science and technology, but it is only in recent years that women have started to gain the same kind of recognition as their male colleagues. Technology has traditionally been a very male-dominated industry, but the trends are changing, as more women are being appointed in senior positions and taking places on the boards of organisations and companies around the globe.

The Renewable Energy Institute (REI) welcomes the positive increase in the number of women who are achieving the internationally recognised Galileo Master Certificate by participating in its accredited training courses in renewable energy and technology. The REI has spoken to some of them:

The variety of skills that women bring to the green energy sector is vital for the industry

With more companies understandingthe advantages of having an equal balance between women and men on all levels of management, there is a call for women who are trained in renewable energy and technology. It is the REI’s firm belief that people with different experiences and backgrounds all have important strengths to bring to the table when it comes to creating dynamic workplaces with innovative thinking, something which is essential in order to tackle the challenges of climate change that we are facing. Ready to steer the organisations that they work in towards a sustainable future, the women who upskill in Renewable Energy through the REI’s courses come from a variety of different fields and professions. They are managing directors, engineers, technicians, researchers, teachers, architects, and finance advisors. Some of them are attending the REI’s courses alongside their academic studies, while others have been working in the Renewable Energy industry for many years.

“I work as the Sustainability Research Analyst at BNY Mellon, a global investment company, where I manage the sustainable operations of the firm with the goal of reducing the company’s impact on the environment.”

– REI Alumni Nancy Jones, BNY Mellon

“I have been working on the decarbonization of the energy and transport industries since 2005. My main areas of expertise are carbon markets and LNG.”

– REI Alumni Tatiana Fayzullina, Managing Director of Elevate LNG

Is it easier for women to succeed in renewable energy than in other male dominated sectors?

While there are many different factors to consider when answering this question, it is notable that the renewable industry, with its rapid growth, offers many new job openings. Some positions in the traditional energy industry are being remodelled, but there are other jobs that have never been on the market before, as sustainable energy requires new creative solutions which sometimes fall outside of the already defined framework. For an entrepreneurial spirit, the possibilities of finding one’s niche are endless.

The REI is pleased to see that many of its women participants are changing careers from having started off in the fossil fuels industry to embark upon a clean energy path. Women who have previously worked with traditional transport manufacturing are now showing a strong interest in Electric Vehicles, realising that the future lies within green technology and infrastructure:

“The courses I have taken with the REI helped me see the opportunities in developing Green arenas in making my business plan; I now run my own Consultancy Company.”

– REI Alumni Ash Penley, founder of Greendeal America

“Since Electric Vehicles is such a critical component of meeting local, national, and international greenhouse gas reduction goals, I wanted to get a broad and deep training on them.”

– REI Alumni Trina Mallik, The Nature Conservancy

The Renewable Energy sector offers continuous development for women

To show their competency and continued growth in renewable energy, many of the REI’s women participants join the CPD Membership Programme. The programme is an international way of presenting continued development and growth in the Renewable Energy industry. With a minimum of 30 hours’ dedication per year, the CPD Membership confirms a participant’s commitment to actively broadening one’s knowledge in sustainable energy. It is with great anticipation that the REI looks forward to following the progress of the bright women it has had the pleasure of training. There is no doubt that they will continue to be in demand for top profile positions in the green energy sector.