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The differences between renewable energy consultants and energy efficiency engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a renewable energy consultant and an energy efficiency engineer. Additionally, a renewable energy consultant has an average salary of $94,129, which is higher than the $87,691 average annual salary of an energy efficiency engineer.
The top three skills for a renewable energy consultant include renewable energy, solar pv and regulatory filings. The most important skills for an energy efficiency engineer are HVAC, energy efficiency, and data analysis.
| Renewable Energy Consultant | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,129 | $87,691 |
| Hourly rate | $45.25 | $42.16 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 8,710 | 4,182 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Renewable energy consultants carry out energy surveys and audits and advise clients on sources of renewable energy. They also advise on sustainable solutions within the built environment and infrastructure sectors. Their additional duties and responsibilities include analyzing data to calculate and compare current and historical use of energy. Generating reports that are understandable to the management and help in decision-making is also an important task of the job.
Energy Efficiency Engineer conducts audits to inspect, survey, model, and analyze the energy flows in existing buildings, whether commercial, residential, or industrial. These engineers apply engineering principles to develop energy distribution systems that operate efficiently. They analyze energy and make recommendations to reduce energy usage efficiently. An energy efficiency engineer must understand energy use, the ability to collect data and analyze it, develop business cases for energy efficiency projects, the ability to integrate energy, have good communication, and a sense of project planning and management.
Renewable energy consultants and energy efficiency engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Renewable Energy Consultant | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,129 | $87,691 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $144,000 | Between $61,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Watertown Town, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a renewable energy consultant and an energy efficiency engineer in terms of educational background:
| Renewable Energy Consultant | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between renewable energy consultants' and energy efficiency engineers' demographics:
| Renewable Energy Consultant | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 18.8% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |